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In recent years I'd have to say downtown San Francisco--so aggressive one of them managed to pick-pocket a colleagues wallet in broad daylight. Not fun!
Chicago and St. Louis. Was mugged in Chicago, and begged several times in St. Louis. My mother also was robbed at gunpoint by a bum in St. Louis years ago in the early 1980s. The Midwestern cities have the WORST bums by far.
Chicago and St. Louis. Was mugged in Chicago, and begged several times in St. Louis. My mother also was robbed at gunpoint by a bum in St. Louis years ago in the early 1980s. The Midwestern cities have the WORST bums by far.
Not even close. Ever been to Miami? Or NYC? Or Las Vegas? Or LA? Or Memphis? Youd be singing a different tune.... Ive NEVER had a problem with bums in Chicago, and youre talking to a guy whos been downtown hundreds of times. The worst I ever got was "can I get them shoes?"
This morning on my way to work I passed a battered grocery cart with a nicely lettered sign duct taped to the front of it that said "PLEASE HELP NEED WORK". I had to laugh, as it was parked neatly next to the wall of a ramshackle apartment building, right along with the bicycles.
RE: the Midwest, I've found Chicago to be a city where I've been hit up by panhandlers the least. Here in St. Paul, I get panhandled 3x, 4x a month, at least. I've heard downtown Minneapolis is even worse. There's a big discussion there about what to do about it.
I never had a problem with homeless people. Perhaps it's because I have respect for them as human beings or that I don't carry myself like a victim. For whatever reason I never got "hassled" and I've been to all the cities you mentioned. Most just ask for some change and I help when I can. If I can't, they thank me anyways. I think a lot depends on how you carry yourself and on the individual homeless person.
Clearwater Beach/Clearwater Florida. It was pretty bad, and irritating because they were all pretty young, just drunks. They knew not to even approach me after a while.
Got cursed out by one near my work in Philly once.
Chicago has the nicest that I've ever encountered on a daily basis. Unlike Clearwater & other places, I was giving to them whenever I could, and would actually feel bad when I didn't and reason that they're probably making more than I am, which they seemed to understand LOL
It was pretty bad, and irritating because they were all pretty young, just drunks. They knew not to even approach me after a while.
Got cursed out by one near my work in Philly once.
According to Supernova, this probably happened because you didn't "respect" them, and you must've "carried yourself" like a victim.
I work about 8 blocks or so from my house. Now just the other day at work we had an older homeless lady walk in to our office and ask if we could spare some money for gas. She stated that her car ran out of gas a couple of blocks away and she didn't have any money. We knew what was going on but none-the-less we felt bad for her and handed out some change and a single or two. Now 3 days later around 3:30 in the morning (yes in the a.m.) my door bell rings, scares the living @#$% out of me. I run down stairs with one eye barely open, turn on the porch light, whip open the door and low and behold here is the same lady. She give the same story about running out of gas down the block and was looking for some cash to help her out. Well needless to say I am not a morning person. I think she could still hear me yelling at her as she was almost tripping over herself 3-blocks away trying to get away. Good times, good times........
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Ive NEVER had a problem with bums in Chicago, and youre talking to a guy whos been downtown hundreds of times. The worst I ever got was "can I get them shoes?"
