The Professional Panhandling Plague

City Journal ^ | Summer 2008 | Steven Malanga

[Bean Counter]

The case for bringing back public flogging...

I see the same faces year in and out here, and there is no end to the suckers (and DemocRats) who stop and tie up traffic to hand these grifters money.

So it goes...

[45semi]

"Southerners have a tendency to be the worst offenders for some reason."

This is one Southerner who has had enough of the sob-story-spouting,
obviously-a-drug-or-alcohol-abusing,
and/or mentally unhinged,
scumbags & derelicts
who really only want your money so they can fry whats left of their brains even moreso than they are already fried...
And yes, I do get agressive with telling them to go away, f___ off, get in the wind, take it elsewhere, etc...
They ARE a plague....

[BunnySlippers]

That’s the way I handle it.

[CARTOUCHE]

It has spread to all areas of the country and the suburbs too. I see the same guys and occasional gals switching corners of especially busy intersections week after week. They’re pros. For those of you afraid of the aggressive ones, there is an aggressive solution and that is to display if approached. and I’m not talking middle finger.

One way to tell if they’re legit or not is to ask to bum a cig from a bum. If he pulls out a pack of cigs and offers one he’s not legit.

Then there’s the car wash placards and the little league dads and moms standing in the turn lanes out begging for money too. It’s getting very tiresome and dangerous for these kids and their parents.

[SamAdams76]

Hey, now that’s a panhandler I’d actually give money too!

[Clemenza]

Thank you. Please tell any of your relatives (especially the older females) that, if visiting New York, DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO PANHANDLERS!

[BunnySlippers]

I hear the make about $70,000 annually. No taxes either.

[Clemenza]

My parents live in Boca Raton, Florida, a solidly liberal Democratic city in Palm Beach County. It has long been custom for the local police to pick up any wandering homeless (particularly on Route One) and drive them over the county line into Deerfield Beach.

[umbagi]

Here in Seattle it's almost intolerable.

I have to agree with you. I loved Seattle when I visited this summer, except for a couple of incidents where panhandlers blocked the exit of our hotel and a sidewalk, harassing people trying to ignore them...

[Clemenza]

The young cheerleaders and soccer girls ho-ing for a car wash are big by me too.

I am also pissed by the fact that every ice cream parlor, coffee shop, and fast food outlet must have a tip jar.

[mowowie]

A long time ago me and a buddy saw some bum directing traffic in the middle of an intersection in downtown Boston.
My friend gave me some crap about the poor bum and how hungry he must be so he bought a hotdog and walked over to the bum and gave it to him.
No thanks or anything he just put the hotdog in his pocket, mustard and ketchup and all and continued to direct traffic.
I just laughed.

[JillValentine]

I thought you men liked that sort of thing.

;-)

[MuttTheHoople]

You can always tell who the American tourists are in New York, because they are the only ones who give change to these folks. Southerners have a tendency to be the worst offenders for some reason.

That's because we Southerners are a soft touch. We don't mind helping people when they're down. Most surveys say Mississippians are the most giving percapita in the country. Many of us down south fully believe what Jesus told us, "What you do to the least of these, you do to me."

So, when a panhandler asks me for money for food, I offer to buy them a free meal. You'd be surprised how many panhandlers, drunks, welfare cheats, etc. "have serious medical problems" and "have to have a special diet", ie, they can't eat the food I get for them at McDonalds. Of course, I'm a pretty big guy so few try to get aggressive with me. If anything, I get aggressive with them...."WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T TAKE MY OFFER OF A FREE MEAL!?!?!?!?" to their face.

Literally EVERY time I've had a tire blowout or a breakdown on a road in Mississippi, I've had a stranger/strangers stop to offer me help, both black and white. If it's women/elderly/someone who looks like they need the help, I do the same.

[mkjessup]

If the bums won’t take no for an answer, pull out your cannister of pepper spray and hose ‘em down.

Be sure there are no surveillance cameras around, and effectively dispose of your empty cannister.

[Old Professer]

Substitute Red Cross, United Way, the local Mission, various FOPs and Firefighter’s associations, even the Boy Scouts and the never-ending March of Dimes and then get back to me on who the professional panhandlers are...

[Lurker]

I really like your FR home page.

The "Keep your Burka" sign gave me a real chuckle. Mrs L said almost that very thing once.

L

[mkjessup]

Here in Tampa Bay they have tent cities set up. They set one up in a city park and all the lib whackos were up in arms when the police kicked them out.

The favorite for me is a young lady about 30. One day she’s pregnant, next her car broke down and she’s stuck far from home. She could be working but she probably makes more begging.

Hmmm...a Casey Anthony sighting perhaps?

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I usually give ‘em a couple of bucks. What’s a couple of bucks these days? Then, when I have their attention, I ask,”Have you ever been to Frisco?” Then I proceed to describe it like it was the Emerald City of OZ.

[pbmaltzman]

On the door to your house????? Yikes.

Not on the door--in front of it. She came up to our front door, either rang the doorbell or knocked, and then plopped down on her butt on the sidewalk in front of the door, where she began her sob-story spiel.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

The worst panhandlers in this country reside in Washington DC and are never happy with the massive amounts of money we suckers are forced to give them. They are a constant source of threats and intimidation and are are in our lives and faces 24/7.