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Sorry about your experience. Homelessness is a huge problem these days, and not just among drug users. Many working people are homeless. Who can live on $7.25 an hour, unless you have a strong network of family and friends looking out for you?
Anyway, I'm a big guy physically, and rarely find panhandlers intimidating, and kind of accept it as a part of the American social fabric these days.
Accepting panhandlers as part of the social fabric is normalizing it.
"Tolerating" might be a better term than "accepting."
I tolerate it because I cannot control it. However, I do not accept it.
We can choose to not patronize businesses that tolerate this harrassment of customers. Let it be known that these businesses allow such intimidation of customers. Our town tried to get rid of street harassers but ACLU caused trouble too expensive to fight off. A cute little town wrecked. Very few poor people around here and the panhandlers are not from this town and NOT homeless, they are scammers. They have been outed. They stand in areas where other out of towners pass through.
I recently had a woman come up behind me - (way to close) - and mumble in my ear. I almost jumped, but I gave her a dollar.
Her reaction was to grab the bill, give me a sneer, then turn her back on me. I said "You're welcome!!!" to her retreating backside. I don't know what the current amount panhandlers expect these days, but obviously one dollar isn't acceptable. At least not to her.
However, because of that experience, there will be no more dollars to any of them. I'll stick with legit charities.
The worse place I've ever seen panhandlers was when I lived in WA - Tacoma, specifically. They were everywhere.
One time I remember opening my purse to get my bus pass and four people came over to me with their hands out - I told them I was all out of lunch money for them and to ask their mama.
I saw them at gas stations, Walgreens, the Target parking lot, you name it.
I had one African American gal with a gorgeous weave of braids and coils, neatly manicured long sculptured nails hit me up one day when I was walking home from work near downtown...she hit me up and I told her hell no with that hair-do and fancy nails...she should give me some money - I acted all crazy and hollered and I think I scared her a little.
I recently had a woman come up behind me - (way to close) - and mumble in my ear. I almost jumped, but I gave her a dollar.
Her reaction was to grab the bill, give me a sneer, then turn her back on me. I said "You're welcome!!!" to her retreating backside. I don't know what the current amount panhandlers expect these days, but obviously one dollar isn't acceptable. At least not to her.
However, because of that experience, there will be no more dollars to any of them. I'll stick with legit charities.
Something similar happened to me years ago in L.A. I gave a pandhandler money, and he said, "That's it?!" Very entitled. This bum should have been glad I gave him anything. That was the LAST time I gave money to one of these people.
For some reason, my town seems to be covered in homeless sitting and holding signs the last couple of weeks. They hang out where the shoppers go - Walmart, Safeway. There was one sign today held up in a group of about 4-5 happy bohemian types and the sign said "traveling, anything helps."
Oh really? I'm supposed to fund their vacation now?
Same day, in same parking lot - Safeway parking lot that has a McDonald's where I met a friend for coffee - guy comes up to me after I'm leaving the pizza store with a pizza - "Can you spare a dollar or two?" I said, "Sorry, not today" and kept walking. I have a really loud whistle on my key chain, and if he'd have pursued it, I'd have blasted him in the face with my loud whistle.
Went to my truck to get my dog to take her out to relieve herself next to the building in same parking lot, next to a movie theater. Same guy was given money from people in the movie crowd. "Thanks, brother" he said. I bet that guy made a killing that day in that parking lot.
Was walking my dog at the beachfront park one day and a young bohemian type couple with backpacks asked me where the Safeway was. It's where they go. I don't give any of them money or anything. If someone looks sick, I'll call the cops for them. But, there are lots of resources for them like food, medical, etc. I'm not funding their vacations or their habits. I wish nobody would give to them, so they'd keep moving.
But, the poster above nailed it, as far as my town is concerned. The locals aren't likely to hand out cash to the beggars. It's the out-of-towners who buy their stories. So, they go to Walmart and Safeway where the tourists will stop.
So, why don't the gas station managers kick them out? They are not only loitering, they are harassing paying customers. When we were kids they would kick us out of the 7-11 parking lot all the time, just for standing there talking after we bought our Mountain Dew and Doritos.
I've tried that.
Police do NOT come.
In a big, busy city. These bums are extremely enterprising and resourceful.
They know they can take a drink, open it, take a sip, put it back, that cashier cant do anything...
SOME know they can go in a bathroom for HOURS, do whatever they want (usually drugs) and nobody will say anything. Sometimes they get cute and buy a hot dog..
And that they can juat drink drink drink coffee, sugar sugar sugar etc, almost take it all...
And harass customers for money.
I chase them out phone in hand, they go to the pumps to ask for money on the way out and come back when I have to go back inside for customers.
Its pretty much all drug fiends. They will say ANYTHING for cash.. I offer them food, and I can tell right away who MAYBE is legit and who just wants whatever they can get. Truly... Some ask me for like three or four hot dogs and chips and soda.. I watch them so close. They can get their one hot dog and small coffee and go.. and they put as much as they can in that cup.. Bums are spiteful. And frequently rude as on drugs...
Here at the local library, we had this young man-kid I want to say 20s all skeed up on something, comes in, was at a computer, has headphones in, is at a computer, starts singing loud, library worker comes over, "Sir, you can't do that sir," guy gets EXTREMELY rude. Is like, "I wasn't singing." She's like, "Yes, you were. You were singing very loud. You can't do that here" and the guy was like "And I was listening to you." I guess they make you argumentative. I almost stuck around to hwlp remove that guy, even with a few good shoves and "Fight Me" pushes, I could take that skinny runt. But I had to go, so I just left and hope it didnt escalate. About 10-15 minutes later, I saw two BPD cars headed down Massachusetts Ave that direction but that could have been for absolutely anything..
Im in a big city but the commonality is that they get bolder now that its the "season of giving." Absolutely correct to NEVER GIVE and especially to those OBVIOUSLY under the influence. The ones asking are barred from shelters for drugs or fighting or some other reason and need their fix. And one "stoplight panhandlers" lives right here in the shelter. And is visibly on drugs every morning and lunch...
People are ridiculous.
Last edited by MAcapulco; 12-01-2016 at 11:47 PM..
And then yes, there is the whole "those who will ask something innocuous, usually 'Do you have the time'" as a distraction, or something to try to get you to take your wallet out of your pocket so they can decide if they want to take it from you.
For the extremely aggressive bums that knock on car windows and stuff (the "Oh I know this guy didnt just touch my car" kind of thing...) Best thing to do is either ignore, or have the phone In hand and feign the dialing, but dont engage. They kind of want to make you mad, if they can't get anything from you.
And. Also... If you get out of the car and give them a good right hook, then take their stupid little cup, all the other people in traffic then call the cops on YOU, maybe even follow your car, and YOU will be the one arrested for assault and robbery. So... Those, the Police WILL come. Panhandlers? "OK, thanks, we'll check it out. Your name, please? " "I wish to remain anonymous." "Ok thank you. We'll send someone to check it out." Then they never come.
For some reason, my town seems to be covered in homeless sitting and holding signs the last couple of weeks. They hang out where the shoppers go - Walmart, Safeway. There was one sign today held up in a group of about 4-5 happy bohemian types and the sign said "traveling, anything helps."
Oh really? I'm supposed to fund their vacation now?
Same day, in same parking lot - Safeway parking lot that has a McDonald's where I met a friend for coffee - guy comes up to me after I'm leaving the pizza store with a pizza - "Can you spare a dollar or two?" I said, "Sorry, not today" and kept walking. I have a really loud whistle on my key chain, and if he'd have pursued it, I'd have blasted him in the face with my loud whistle.
Went to my truck to get my dog to take her out to relieve herself next to the building in same parking lot, next to a movie theater. Same guy was given money from people in the movie crowd. "Thanks, brother" he said. I bet that guy made a killing that day in that parking lot.
Was walking my dog at the beachfront park one day and a young bohemian type couple with backpacks asked me where the Safeway was. It's where they go. I don't give any of them money or anything. If someone looks sick, I'll call the cops for them. But, there are lots of resources for them like food, medical, etc. I'm not funding their vacations or their habits. I wish nobody would give to them, so they'd keep moving.
But, the poster above nailed it, as far as my town is concerned. The locals aren't likely to hand out cash to the beggars. It's the out-of-towners who buy their stories. So, they go to Walmart and Safeway where the tourists will stop.
The above is absolutely the case in the tourist town I lived in for four years. Make that "ultrakneejerk liberal enablist tourist town." The bums hang out where they know some guilt-ridden person from [Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, NYC etc etc] will give them cash. That plus, of course, any place that sells alcohol.
The above also nails down the demographic of the worst, most demanding bums: young, able-bodied drifters who fancy themselves reborn bohemians. They expect people to let them "camp" in their yards (with indoor privileges), or they infest public campgrounds, beamingly funded by those who ignore the fact that the bums simply DO NOT ABIDE BY THE RULES THAT APPLY TO REAL CAMPERS. When they get kicked out of the homeless shelter for noncompliance with rules, another organization gives them new tents and sleeping bags and sends them off to invade public land that is not meant to be free lodging.
They OD, someone hauls them to the hospital, and guess who pays for that? The hospital cannot turn them away, and besides, if they can stick other people with the expenses, it is MORE REVENUE for the hospital.
Some of the benefactors must not walk the town's streets and public areas with any semblance of observation. Otherwise, they would see the filth the bums leave in or in the wake of their "camps." They are definitely not low-impact, leave-only-footprints "campers".
The crowning glory is that to express anything to others but a desire to give, give, give to the bums predictably is met with some clucking of the tongue and excuse for the self-indulgent, self-serving behavior. Another resident summed it up as "If you don't agree with their views, you are looked upon as inferior." Open-minded and diverse, my #ss! See the SNL skit on Bubble City posted elsewhere in City-Data for a perfect characterization. But you can bet these same benefactors sure don't want the bums in THEIR yards.
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