Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Pennsylvania > Pittsburgh
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 12-01-2011, 07:36 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,783,846 times
Reputation: 17378

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
Are you missing the fact that the "pros" are prisoners who get beaten for not making enough money?
So you want me to give money to the pros, so they don't get beat up, which in turn feeds that industry?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-01-2011, 07:40 AM
 
Location: Perry South, Pittsburgh, PA
1,437 posts, read 2,860,367 times
Reputation: 989
Man, some of you are hyper-reactive. Human trafficking? Seriously?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 07:48 AM
 
482 posts, read 1,230,107 times
Reputation: 358
I remember the old usual bums in Oakland... they had nicknames.

There was Shuffles who never accepted money from most people, the priest who was constantly blessing everyone and everything, some crazy guy that always had a new prop (vacuum, lawnmower, etc), and hoagie man who was always asking someone to buy him a hoagie. I never saw any college aged people begging in Oakland. I enjoy the ones who come up with an elaborate story only to ask for money, and I tend to give them some just for the effort.

I've heard multiple times about other cities having human trafficking and panhandlers that will come to the city in the daytime to collect money, then go home to their beautiful houses. I didn't know it may have made its way to Pittsburgh.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 07:53 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,783,846 times
Reputation: 17378
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott2187 View Post
I didn't know it may have made its way to Pittsburgh.
I believe the are here and I have witnessed what appear to be pro money collectors. The pros just have tell tail signs and the real homeless are a lot rougher looking. I mean they have no access to showers and are really rough and very weathered.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 08:21 AM
 
Location: Upper St. Clair
659 posts, read 1,141,540 times
Reputation: 356
It is a huge problem, dr oz did a show on it just a few weeks ago, young kids are the targets and it is in every town and city according to his experts...I believe dr oz and his experts...wish it wasn't so...do some research and educate yourself about it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 08:28 AM
 
Location: Virginia
18,717 posts, read 30,964,234 times
Reputation: 42988
Quote:
Originally Posted by WINDCHIMES View Post
It is a huge problem, dr oz did a show on it just a few weeks ago, young kids are the targets and it is in every town and city according to his experts...I believe dr oz and his experts...wish it wasn't so...do some research and educate yourself about it.
Sad but true. Years ago I saw this first hand in Santa Monica, CA. I had an office that overlooked an alley and I could see the pimps who lurked back there and took the money from the beggars just as soon as they hit up some passerby. Very clearly a scam, yet not illegal. It's a shame because there are some people who genuinely need help, but the ones you see begging are often scam artists.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 08:48 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
9,912 posts, read 24,543,247 times
Reputation: 5162
Oh I've heard of pros around here for years, people who have homes but make their income by begging.

The whole organized begging ring thing, that's different and troubling. I'm not particularly surprised that such things happen or really even that it would reach here, but it's important not to confuse the two things. Although in either case, it's not likely to be a good idea to give them anything.

The folks I see all the time are under the North Shore Expressway (279) at Anderson St, where the HOV entrance/exit is. (That's why I see them, because most days I enter the HOV there on the way home and sometimes I exit there in the morning.) They have a card table, a grill, some easy chairs. It's quite the overpass encampment now. Harder to see how they're doing in the cold since it's also dark. Not showing signs of being kicked out of there though.

Speaking of signs, does anyone know the text of those official city signs they have posted in some of these overpass places? They're gold with black letters with a city notice on them, but the text of the notice is too small to read from the car and I've never ended up walking by one.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 09:24 AM
 
53 posts, read 123,778 times
Reputation: 60
I've seen these "college kids" on the Southside, specifically the concrete island on Carson at the Birmingham Bridge, in the South Hills near the Liberty Tubes(2 different areas), and one other place that I can't remember the location of. I remember most of them had a bag with them, a bottle of water, and some type of MP3 player. I've seen a car or van pull up a few times at these locations....not every time, but enough for me to wonder what's going on and post on here. I remember one time on the concrete island at Carson and the Birmingham Bridge, I saw a couple that was covered in tattoos and piercing.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 11:30 AM
 
5,453 posts, read 9,250,550 times
Reputation: 2141
I'm thinking that if the wages were up to par...there would be less "begging"! Just went to Sam's and that same breakfast bars box that was originally $6:45 was now $8.28, that's flat out gauging! I just bought it cheaper less than a month ago, and I can assure you in January it will be back to $6 bucks!!! NOT COOL! Beef Jerky used to be in a much bigger back for $10 bucks, today I got one that was half the size but still $10!!! I think I am going to start looking for a "begging" corner too soon if these companies keep up with this **** game! our salaries don't grow from month to month!!!!!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-01-2011, 12:20 PM
 
Location: Upper St. Clair
659 posts, read 1,141,540 times
Reputation: 356
Thanks for your response 999 yup, the cost of living is killing us all!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Pennsylvania > Pittsburgh
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top