Beggars and Panhandlers, Gah! (Seattle, Tacoma: buy, move, money)

[azoria]

Yesterday we had to run errands, first in the U District and then downtown Seattle. We were hit up a record number of times for cigarettes, spare change, and more vigorous demands for money--dozens of times.

It was a world's record. And frankly by about 3 in the afternoon I was real tired of it.

I've been to crappy countries overseas where poverty was rampant and NEVER seen begging of this magnitude. It's a fricking industry here.

Seattle needs to clean up it's act. I should be able to sit on a bench or walk down the street or have a beer without being constantly harassed by street people who think I owe them something. It's a pestilence. Intolerable.

World class city indeed.......

[JesseJB]

#1 Ignore them or just shout "NOPE!" right when they start talking to you.

#2 Seattle needs to start a highly visible "do not hand out change...hand out food" campaign. Then the bums will move on to cities that hand out change so they can buy their Colt45.

[blondandfun]

What do you plan on doing to fix this?

You should make a documentary!!

Or come up with a petition!

[JesseJB]

Actually a documentary is needed. Someone step up!

[Jake840]

Here is an article that you might be interested in reading:

Tacoma's panhandling ban: Where did they all go?
It's not clear, but the begging has stopped in the City of Destiny. Could it work in Seattle?

[eskercurve]

When times were good the bums got what they wanted. Now that they aren't, and are getting more competition, they're getting pushy.