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Old 07-30-2011, 03:55 AM
 
35,309 posts, read 52,099,295 times
Reputation: 30999

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Once you become unemployed your life will become a downward spiral eventually leading to begging/panhandling basically a life with nothing,
i tend not to pass judgement on these people as many were probably once productive workers in society or had served in the military or in some way aspired to the American dream..
As some one who spent a few years of homelessness in my youth i fully understand how easily people can slip into that darkside of life,i'll never forget the generosity of the many people who unknowingly were responsible for getting me off the streets and setting me on the course to a successful life.
Thank you

Last edited by jambo101; 07-30-2011 at 05:24 AM..
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Old 07-30-2011, 06:02 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
2,637 posts, read 12,605,097 times
Reputation: 3630
All of these people are not down on their luck. Most of them are scammers. I have seen at least five different men with that same sign with the 3 black kids' school pictures taped to it claiming to be supporting them. Must not be that hard with five dads, eh? I've seen them get into much nicer cars than mine and drive away at the end of the day. I've seen them throw away leftover restaurant food I've given them when their sign read "just hungry". Notice how almost all of them are clean, with new clothes and shoes, cell phones, coffee, cigarettes?

I don't have a problem with panhandling in and of itself, but I do have a problem with all these people in the medians. It is a public safety issue. Medians are designed to separate oncoming traffic, not to be marketplaces! I am tired of traffic being impeded by someone who has to buy their newspaper in front of a green light and I am tired of worrying that one of them will drunkenly stumble in front of my car and I might hit them or even kill them. It's dangerous. I am frankly amazed that there hasn't been some big spectacular accident involving any of them yet, the way people drive around here. Although I actually appreciate the bottled water sellers (at least they are trying to earn their money instead of straight up begging), even they have no business hanging out in the road median and walking into traffic to sell. This goes for firemen with their boots and nurses with their jars and labor unions and their pamphlets. There is a time and a place for everything and it's not in the middle of the freaking road!

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Old 07-30-2011, 06:28 AM
 
35,309 posts, read 52,099,295 times
Reputation: 30999
Quote:
Originally Posted by tilli View Post
All of these people are not down on their luck. Most of them are scammers.
You may call it scamming i call it just another way to make money,i dont see them as being devious they are just asking for money,you can either give or not give,
As a Christian i'd sure hate to get to them pearly gates and the big guy says remember that panhandler you thought was a bum and beggar and you gave him nothing when he asked for some help? that was me just doing a bit of testing,now lets see about how much generosity you deserve..

However you are right about the safety issue of pan handling in the street.
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Old 07-30-2011, 06:35 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
2,637 posts, read 12,605,097 times
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You don't think it is devious to hold up a sign with a sob story that is obviously not true? Might want to look up the definition of that word.
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Old 07-30-2011, 07:58 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
1,388 posts, read 2,377,450 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jambo101 View Post
You may call it scamming i call it just another way to make money,i dont see them as being devious they are just asking for money,you can either give or not give,
most of them are lying. that's not devious?
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Old 07-30-2011, 08:23 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
3,237 posts, read 6,295,062 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ferret111 View Post
I thought unincorporated Hillsborough put an end to panhandling?
LoL, no...
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Old 07-30-2011, 08:27 AM
 
Location: Tampa
2,602 posts, read 8,277,757 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crazynip View Post
LoL, no...
Oh, really?

Hillsborough County Says No to Panhandlers
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Old 07-30-2011, 10:04 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
3,237 posts, read 6,295,062 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ferret111 View Post
Since I live in unincorporated Hillsborough County, I can tell you whatever they did, it's not working... or it's not being enforced.
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Old 07-30-2011, 03:02 PM
 
35,309 posts, read 52,099,295 times
Reputation: 30999
Quote:
Originally Posted by tilli View Post
You don't think it is devious to hold up a sign with a sob story that is obviously not true? Might want to look up the definition of that word.
You mean to tell me you actually believe what is written on those signs? to me whatever it reads the underlying meaning is i need help..
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Old 07-30-2011, 03:15 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
2,637 posts, read 12,605,097 times
Reputation: 3630
Of course I don't believe what is written on the signs, they are obviously lies as I demonstrated in my first post in the thread. The underlying message is not "I need help", it is "give me money" via whatever lie they think is most easily swallowed. Scammers. Con artists. People who want HELP go to the homeless shelter, they don't stand in the middle of the road trying to guilt commuters into handing over their hard earned cash. People who are able and want to WORK can go to a wide variety of day work day pay temp type places - I know because I once had to use them myself. People who are HUNGRY will eat the delicious food you give them instead of waiting until they think you aren't looking to throw it away so they can resume begging with their "just hungry" sign.
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