Pittsburgh Vagrancy Law (Liberty, Bloomfield, Oakland: to live, shop, homeless)

[UKyank]

Does the City of Pittsburgh have any vagrancy type law?

I ask because there is a group of people that I really despise and wish the city would take measure to get rid of.
They can be seen mainly in the SouthSide & Oakland.... they may set up shop elsewhere but I havent noticed them at least.

If anyone knows who I am talking about maybe you could explain it better as I know this will be a poor decription, but it is a group (or mutliple groups) of youger people (early 20s?), white race, uniformly dirty from head to toe, often have a dog with them, are completely healthy looking otherwise and not suffering from any noticable mental condition, and sit on the street panhandling all day.

Normal homeless people with obvious mental incapacities I feel sorry and wish that much more money and time was spent to assist them (I am ultra liberal when it comes to people that truly can't help themselves); but the people I am referring to are completely able bodied, and take away from the limited resources that are available for those that need it (I regularly see the group lined up when food is being distributed to the homeless to get theirs too), not to mention are just a general nuisance.

If you haven't seen the people, just go to Carson street and look either in front of the former Bead Mine Shop, or across the street at that odd section where there is just a plain brick wall & no building (17-18th block).

The police reguarly patrol Carson street & do not take any action, so it got me to wondering if the city has any law on its books against vagrancy?

[fleetiebelle]

You mean gutter punks? Crusties: a hardened existence on the road

Sometimes they set up shop on the far side of the Liberty Tunnels, under that underpass/pigeon colony. I saw the dude named "Spaz" from that article there just the other day.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

You mean gutter punks? Crusties: a hardened existence on the road

Sometimes they set up shop on the far side of the Liberty Tunnels, under that underpass/pigeon colony. I saw the dude named "Spaz" from that article there just the other day.

Ah, Yes, thats is them exactly..... now I know what to properly call them ha. In they article they say that they just stay a short time & pass through places.... either there are tons of independent groups of the people constantly passing through or they in actuality don't leave in a timely manner. Either way I dont think they should have to be put up with on a main street panhandling to support their self chosen detached from society nomadic existance.
Nor should Pittsburgh garner itself a reputation for being a good stop on their travels.

[ctoocheck]

Any type of panhandling is illegal in Pittsburgh, I believe, isn't it?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by ctoocheck

Any type of panhandling is illegal in Pittsburgh, I believe, isn't it?

You would be incorrect there.

There are restrictions on panhandling as to where one can do it, as well as time restrictions, but it is still quite legal. The ACLU is quite opposed even to the current restrictions, seeing panhandling as a free speech issue.

City's new curbs on panhandling go begging

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Saw some in Bloomfield. I gave them a bottle of water and told them to have a good day. Police came and kicked them off the sidewalk shortly after.

They don't hurt anyone so I don't know why people care. I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of culture becomes more popular as America heads further towards decline.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

They don't hurt anyone so I don't know why people care. I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of culture becomes more popular as America heads further towards decline.

They leach off local resources that could be put to better use, they are an annoyances covered in filth, many have criminal records, are usually intoxicated or high, involve innocent animals in their lives, leave a mess wherever they're at, etc

And luckily the US is no where near any level of decline where a nomadic lifestyle is anywhere near the norm (whch is besides the point as this particular group of individuals are choosing to live this way; adverse circumstances did not foist it upon them).

Sorry to hear that the police apparently have their hands tied in ushering these people out of pittsburgh

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by UKyank

They leach off local resources that could be put to better use, they are an annoyances covered in filth, many have criminal records, are usually intoxicated or high, involve innocent animals in their lives, leave a mess wherever they're at, etc

This could be said of many people I see in Carrick at night only those dudes could be out to hurt you. I don't see these dudes hurting anyone so I'm not really worried about them. This country was founded upon man's inalienable rights which include pursuit of happiness. If these people aren't hurting others and this type of lifestyle makes them happy then live and let live. There's hundreds of other things wrong with this country more pertinent than people who reject social norms to find their happiness.

[creepsinc]

city-data thread: people with their abhorrent views, and the odd voice of reason.

[expdxer]

You should consider it a badge of honor that gutter punks have chosen to grace your city. They have been around for years on the West Coast, particularly in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, which to me anyway are interesting vibrant, cities with a lot of creative types of people. Gutter punks, like their forebears, the hippies, are attracted to such places. In sterile Northern VA, where I now live, a gutter punk is nowhere to be seen. NYC has very few due to the police state and its population of people too much in a hurry to spare anyone some change. Just another sign of an up and coming city for Pittsburgh, or as you like to say, rust belt chic.