This is a heated debate in our cities as of late - panhandlers are seen as annoying and potentially dangerous, and many local officials see them as a degrading the quality of the environment.
The opponents of those policies call this a form of discrimination and "war against the poor".
Thoughts?
It should definitely be watched more closely by law enforcement. I used to be friends with this girl who would panhandle with this guy named Dave, and one day this church took up a collection for him and gave him a little over $2,000. The problem is that guy is a drug addict and is not homeless, is on disability and has money to buy food, might not be much, but still, and with the $2,000, he bought crack and meth.
This is according to him and the girl I was friends with. I don't usually associate with people like this. I felt sorry for the girl I was friends with, and I use to give her money to buy food because she would go days without eating.
The dilemma I hit was, I didn't want her to starve but I didn't want to give her money because she would buy drugs with it. Sometimes she would by food with it but not all the time. Now, the Dave guy she was friends with, yeah, screw him. He was a thief. I only cared about her because she was my friend. He wasn't.
So, yeah, panhandling should be watched closely at least because some people do it to get money for drugs.
No, I give money to pan handlers. And I’m poor, but I want to help if I can. There always someone in a worse situation than me, I remember I gave 5 bucks a joint and a pack of cigarettes and a monster energy drink to a homeless vet in a wheelchair in seattle. I was about to get on the free way too and it was a red light when I started it turned green as I was handing the guy the objects and people ended up driving up behind me. I’m surprised I didn’t get honked at. There was a black guy who was panhandling under a bridge near the Tacoma Dome and I just felt bad for him when I was a kid so I asked my mom if we could go back when we were done if he still there and hand them some money we ended giving him 20 bucks, and we never saw him again. I very recently gave a guy 20 bucks in gas which got them 4.5 gallons and he ended up filling up his car with it. I don’t know what happened to him but I didn’t see him again today or anytime since Thursday. So I hope I make a difference in the people who I give money to lives, even though I’m poor myself
its going to cause an accident where i live and in the end a lot of the people panhandling were frauds. like the lady in the picture no offense you chose to get on your back to have a kid, go flip burgers or getta job at a store, they are always hiring. there was one guy in our area lying about being a veteran, the cops popped him, he was also waving down oncoming traffic, when he left he got into a Mercedes parked in another lot. come to find out he was a professional panhandler and has a real job and money, so i no longer give anything to anyone. then last time i did was gave 5 bucks to an elderly panhandler, but its done i won't do it again.
Sure, make it illegal. But putting them in jail or fining them don't seem like workable 'options'.
I had a roommate many years ago who pandhandled, and made more money sitting in front of the fucking liquor store then I made working F/T in a very high-end store. Talk about injustice.
I've never given them any money since.
@Juxtapose Nah.
Or, ok. But make them leave because of loitering.
@Juxtapose it also depends on the country - in my country's constitution free speech is protected, but panhandling is considered "soliciting" which is illegal if not approved by government.
The issue with panhandlers here is that they can get quite aggressive - not all of them, but some do.
Opinion
26Opinion
u Panhandling is already controlled by local ordinance in my community.
@exitseven American by birth and Floridian by the grace of God!
@OlderAndWiser 😎😎😎😎
Im not sure if a simple message on a banner should be made illegal, but if they are pestering or harassing then yes.
Less of a legal problem and more of a social one.
In my home country kids are tought at school never to give money to beggars as it only enables them to keep going down the destructive path.
Addicts will buy drugs and those who are lazy will never find work.
Overall for a relatively poor country we have very few beggars and almost no homeless (save a few in select spots)
So yeah you solve this by giving them a much needed tough love and not giving them money, once the well dries up they'll go get a real job
No. Jeeeez. I hate authoritarianism. Do we really need jackboots persecuting helpless people?
Should we also make homelessness illegal? I mean, they are such an eyesore. (sarc.)
Maybe we should put them concentration (FEMA) camps. Out of sight, out of mind. Then we can go on with the comfortable illusion that everything is fine.
"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge. "Are there no Prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?" The bell struck Twelve.
Is anyone familiar with what people went through during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era? "Brother can you spare a dime?"
Things aren't much better today.
I've never been threatened or even greatly bothered by a pan handler. Most of the time they are just holding a sign.
The reason why I think it shouldn’t is because at what point would you consider it illegal? Starting a gofundme page can be considered panhandling. I haven’t had a panhandler “annoy me” because I don’t even look their way. Don’t make eye contact and just act like you are on a mission to go do what you are doing.
In many places it is.
But here's the real problem: how do you enforce? Meaning the law enforcement and court resources to say nothing of jail space. How do you make it enforceable? Ironically you can't find them.
Making things illegal is all well and good but all laws come with logistical and financial tails.
Panhandlers have the right to panhandle under the first amendment. They do not have the right to clean your windshield with a greasy rag. I used to have to drive by a plsace where people would beg for money. Whjen you stop st the red light they would approach my car holding out their coffee cup wanting money. I used to leave a car length between me and the car in front in case they got violent. I used to just ignore them but sometimes I would have to yell at them to screw.
Well, these panhandlers can be dangerous homeless people, but we can't take any chances with these people, so anything can happen these days, not far from where I live this one homeless man got locked up in jail because he killed this 12-year-old boy from what I've learned he cut off these boys privates that was a cause of this kid's death.
Would you rather have people starving on the street? What exactly do you expect homeless people to DO, if they can't ask for money and no one will hire them?
@NamerOfStars not sure about other countries but here in the USA there's food banks, ebt, wic and the salvation army. so what excuses is left to panhandle?
@XXblack88 Inability to reach those places (you think they hand out cars or gasoline, or even free tickets on the few forms of public transportation we have here?); them not being in your area; them not having enough money or supplies to help; being turned away for being the wrong sex, race, religion, etc.; there are actually quite a few excuses.
Those programs can help, but they're not a panacea, and they don't have enough resources to help everyone. I've seen that firsthand.
This is pretty accurate. I've volunteered at a food bank before a we would often get multiple families carpooling in together because only one family had access to transportation. Had they not known each other, those people might have not had access to the resources we provided. It's also the case that many homeless individuals have mental health disorders, some of which, such as paranoia, prevent them from feeling comfortable relying on available services or have drug issues that make the level of consistency & responsibility needed to qualify for some resources almost impossible. Homelessness is actually an incredibly complex issue and I legitimately encourage people to look into it.
@XXblack88 So the race/sex/religion thing is because lots of charity groups are either religious and sometimes demand that their beneficiaries follow their religious beliefs in exchange for aid (ex. a trans person might not be able to get help from a catholic shelter if they want to be allowed to continue acting on their gender identity), or the group was designed with a specific demographic in mind and if you fall outside that demographic you won't receive aid. And of course, not all communities are walkable, especially in rural areas and even more so if you have some sort of physical disability, which again, is relatively common. Physical disabilities are actually a common root of homeless due to difficulties finding and maintaining work as a result. Moreover, it it's a physical resource, you do need a way to bring it back. Applications for aid often require use of a computer or the ability to attend meetings/interviews at specific times, often conflicting with work schedules.
@XXblack88 Um. What. First off they do. That's literally a thing, especially in terms of homeless shelters because LGBTQ+ homeless rates, especially among youths, is disproportionately high.. But a) I'd argue that an LGBTQ+ person in need is a person in need before all else, there's no reason to deny someone aid just because they live and think differently than you. "They" are not a separate people, they're friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens of states, cities, religious groups, and any other social organization/structure they may connect with or be born into. And b) that's not always an option. For example, if you live in a rural area there might not be a large enough LGBTQ+ community/support network to establish a shelter or specific food bank, and your gender/sexuality doesn't necessarily cause poverty/homelessness (And frankly when it does (or rather people reacting to it does), that's all the more reason to provide support, because realistically it shouldn't. Even if you're not pro-LGBTQ+, another person's gender/sexuality really doesn't affect you and should not be an excuse to overlook their suffering where you wouldn't for people you relate more strongly to.).
@XXblack88 Like I said, the LGBTQ+ community simply might not be present enough to provide that support, but also aren't necessarily under any obligation to. Being gay or trans doesn't actually give you any more social responsibility to any group of people than being straight or cis. Religious groups tend to run and support charities out of specific moral values, which are often channeled to provide help to the needy, and there are plenty of christian organizations that will help people of other religions, etc. The food bank and associated services I was helping at was run by a coalition of churches of different denominations from the area and the religion/gender/etc of our clients wasn't relevant. But that's not always the case. And LGBTQ+ specific aid services aren't super common, partly out of novelty, partly due to the difficulty of organization, and partly because many people who are willing to establish charities aren't often limiting themselves to specific minority groups. Issues like transportation, substances abuse, mental health, failure to complete applications/meet qualifications etc tend to create a much larger barrier in homeless or otherwise impoverished people looking to receive aid. I'm happy to explain further or direct you to more resources/reading on the topic if you're interested.
I don’t like it. I don’t like charities/churches hassling me for cash either. Kind of hard to stop it though. The number of homeless has been getting pretty insane. It’s not like we can ticket them, they can’t pay the tickets. It’s not like we can just continuously lock them up for a few days each time, not cost effective and many would seek out the short stints in jail to avoid bad weather or get some meals. Though, it is ironic that the people most concerned with the war on the poor almost exclusively endorse politicians with rather radical economic views that arguably created the new homeless class that is rapidly expanding during this period. It’s gone from a few weirdos and alcoholics to full blown tent cities that just exist as their own society.
In the city where I live, they did pass an ordinance against panhandling. It has actually curtailed it quite a bit. It does still go on though to some degree. The police can't be everywhere and other types of police calls get higher priority. But yeah it did make a noticeable difference though.
It was getting out of hand here before the ordinance. People would come right up to your car window and ask for money. And it was dangerous for panhandlers to be on those left hand turn islands asking for money from people getting ready to make a left hand turn.
I never used to have an issue with them, but over the past couple years they seem to have gotten more aggressive. Recently I was in Venice Beach and one of those CD guys wouldn't leave me alone.
Where? In the US it's protected by the First Amendment. You can criminalize certain behavior, but not expression.
I'd like to see a social safety net that makes panhandling unnecessary, then make it illegal. The problem with panhandling is that you get a lot of professionals who don't really need the money.
Yes, because 90% of the time it's lazy people that refuse to get a real job or dug and alcohol addicts looking to fund their addiction.
*drug
I would actually go and buy that woman baby stuff.
The only problem I gave with panhandle is fraud. You can make quite a good living panhandling. I've no problem if someone actually needs help asking for it. There but for fortune go you or I.
I don't know if it should be illegal but it's really annoying when they asked especially in today's day in age where everyone is struggling to make ends meet.
YES make it illegal. Most often it is a means to support a drug habit. It doesn't do them any good and does them harm.
What low life cop would apply the letter of law to a person on their last legs? Humanity needs a place in society, or we are no better than mindless drones
Why stop at panhandling? Let’s go ahead and make any action of asking for someone else’s help a criminal offense. You asked for help bringing in the groceries? Put them in jail. You asked for help moving furniture? Put them in jail.
Yes and no…it’s bad for cities and citizens like homeless camps. But our cities should be housing and helping these guys. And anyone still panhandling would be a scam
I think it is panhandling is wrong. People make more in panhandling than if they do an honest days wage. Yes I think it should be illegal.
No. Address their needs. If you do, they won't have to beg anymore.
Yea that'll stop it.
That's how we stopped murder and armed robbery too. Right?
I don’t get what the offence is? Isn’t this just begging?
No.. it is a sort of job... then again they don't force you to give
No, asking for money should be free speech.
Nope
no, of course not
Death penalty for them too
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