This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
Aggressive Panhandlers
Rattlin’ cups aside, this city should have a law controlling aggressive panhandlers like the dude that cruises the Rainne Drive/North Park Street every supper hour. This mother walks right up to your frigging car, looking for Aqua Velvet money – that’s
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Dude, I hear you! I avoid Barrington Street and Spring Garden like the fucking plague because I am so sick of somebody asking me for money every 20 goddam feet. But the city doesn’t have the power to stop it. The PEOPLE, however, do. If a week went by when NOBODY gave ANY money to ANY panhandlers, then the next week there would be no more panhandlers. OK, maybe it would take two weeks. We’re not dealing with the brightest segment of the population. Come on, people. If you want to help these guys, give your quarters to one of the many charities that exist for that purpose.
The aggressive car panhandling can be discomforting sometimes, but consider it to be ‘creative marketing.’ Panhandling, for some, is a full time job. With the main downtown streets taken already, it is more enterprising to take to the intersections as another means of getting more change in the cup.This is a tough issue for me, but I just wanted to point out the fact that people are trying to be creative in their own way.
Excellent idea! boycott pandling! Unfortunately it’ll never work. Daily I notice gullable people dropping some jingle in their cups like they deserve it. I never give money to streeties, I work hard to earn money. Its an odd concept but if you work, you get money. Yesterday this guy had the nerve walking around asking for change for a coffee. A COFFEE!! Sure I’d like a coffee too but I don’t need one and I’m saving my earned money for things like rent and groceries, (which I should be able to buy on Sundays…ha ha). If these low-tech scam artists can stand around all day begging, they sure as hell can pick up garbage, wash dishes, or even deliver friggin’ newspapers.
Try giving them a real coffee. It’ll probably be thrown back in your face.
You know, with all seriousness I tried in one day, used a starbucks cup and stood down by the gardens. I scored $50 that day, did I keep it no I actually turned it over to a local charity. These guys make serious money
It’s also amazing how many of these people are more than able-bodied to be employed…mostly young chaps smoking a cigarette while bumming change for their addictions and are willing to stand outside for long hours in all weather conditions to grab a few bucks for their nicotine/caffeine/crack addictions…maybe get a job at a gas station, or a grocery store, or what-have-you. Another thing to note is that for some reason, so many of these kids think it is cool to gain ‘street cred’ and live such a culture within a ‘street family’, and many are run-aways (sure, some from dangerous situations) but working closely myself with many street kids, most just run from ‘normal’ families where they did have a roof, food, warmth, etc. They wanted the freedom to roam from mommy and daddy and do what they want in the street. Who the fuck made street culture cool? Oh right…people who give them free money for doing jack-shit and thus supporting this strange frame of mind.
I love it when they come up to your car at the Windsor Street Exchange with that sign about money for food and some other bullshit, but yet they always have a smoke in hand or mouth. You should all do what I do and tell them NO! Or at least ask ’em for a smoke!!! LOL
He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.Of a war that he had fought in, and the deeds that he had done.In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone.And tho’ sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.But we’ll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,And the world’s a little poorer, for a soldier died today.He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife.For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way,And the world won’t note his passing, though a Soldier died today.When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,While thousands note their passing, and proclaim that they were great.Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,But the passing of a soldier, goes unnoticed, and unsung.Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our landA guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife,Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?A politician’s stipend and the style in which he livesAre sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,Is paid off with a medal and perhaps a pension small.It’s so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago,That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we knowIt was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,Who won for us the freedom, that our Country now enjoys.Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,Would want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defendHis home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.For when countries are in conflict, then we find the Soldier’s part,Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.If we cannot do him honor while he’s here to hear the praise,Then at least let’s give him homage at the ending of his days.Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that would say:Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today
That’s a very touching, and fitting, bit of poetry. Thanks for including it here, DBWMI.My grandparents were WWII veterans, and it truly saddens me when people behave in such a disgraceful manner toward our venerated dead. My cousin has been serving in the Middle East; I can only hope he and other young men and women don’t have to die so that inconsiderate halfwits can continue this kind of defamation. Those responsible should definitely be held accountable, preferably in as publicly humiliating a manner as possible. Perhaps an argument for bringing back the stocks?I’ll start fermenting the tomatoes.
whats up with everyone turning patriotic about warYou re on your way to justifying life by God or Allah. Keep on talking like that and might as well become a suicide bomber.
Oops. My apologies. “Here” isn’t the “here” I thought it was. This should have been under the Bitch about the war memorial…That being said, I personally am not patriotic about war, but am very thankful to the people who had to fight in them to protect us. I think we need a better solution to current Middle East issues than shooting at people, actually.Now, on the current topic…I don’t give money to beggars. I have enough people with their hands in my pocket already, and giving street people change really doesn’t solve anything. The fact that many of the people in question are fully capable of making a living legitimately doesn’t endear me to their panhandling. We need to get people on the track to being self sufficient, not toss them a few pieces of silver so they can come back tomorrow and do it again.
You know that article about rock throwing “bombing” cars? Use the guy’s idea of rotten eggs and toss them – real hard – into the beggars cups. It’ll improve your tossing skills at the same time :).
some of ‘these people’ are mentally ill, show some tolerance and compassion, if you know how