Finally! CBC’s lead story last night was about the aggressive panhandlers on Halifax’s streets. I say ban EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!!! They not only hurt business, they make this city even more of a smelly pit than it is. If people want to help, set up donation boxes in the stores and donate the money to the various support networks in HRM.
—Sick of being harrassed every goddamn block.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.
I loved the banner atop the Metro today about this, and right under it the picture/blurb celebrating the Shineorama kids. Personally I don’t see a difference between the two.
And if they do pass this law, is it really going to make a difference? If you give a homeless person a ticket, won’t it just end up being used as toilet paper?
You can also use as papers to roll a J.
I agree Nevermind, how do they honestly expect to enforce such a thing? And what are they going to do, throw them all in prison? It would be cheaper for me to give them a quarter once in a while then have our tax dollars feed and house them. Maybe the prison system is the best social program available to help the downtrodden.
Alos, the law they’re tring to get passed is to ban “agressive” panhandling. To me, that’s a pretty subjective thing and is open to a lot of interpretation. If the same bum asks me for change 4 times a day, is that being agressive? And it would quickly turn into a he said/she said most of the time. And I doubt the bum’s side of the story is going to be listened to at all in most cases.
That first word was “Also”, by the way. Shortly followed by “trying”. Is it 5 o’clock yet?
http://graphjam.com/2009/09/01/song-chart-…
Lol nevermind…nice link. 22 minutes to go and you’re done!
Regarding the post, it would be a hard thing to police. And Miles, I’m with you-it’s cheaper in the long run to give them some change once in a while than house them in our overcrowded prisons/detention centers.
I think there’s something seriously wrong with the society that would criminalize the begging by its most pathetic members. Where’s the “free market” and how much should it cost to try their luck at scoring tonight’s supper or even just a smoke to soften the blow of a miserable life? What sort of “correction” will Corrections Canada introduce in their “rehabilitation” centre to rehabilitate the needy, homeless people who don’t always have a good time begging you for their for your change? Have you ever had to ask anybody for help? It’s not nice. It’s never pretty.
I think there’s something seriously wrong with beggars who would follow me down the street or yell profanities at me for not giving them change. It’s not nice or pretty at all Kay.
How is scheming and scamming people equal to “asking for help”?
A few weeks back I had some prick panhandler stop and tell PK, another friend and myself on SGR about how the cops had arrested him earlier that morning for possession. He had just gotten out of the tank, he explained, then immediately added if we’d like to “help him out today”.
Oddly, when we burst out laughing at his entire “sob” story, somehow WE were the assholes. Its no wonder some people don’t feel bad for these fucking assholes.
They’re ungrateful pieces of shit who think they’re entitled to what WE have/earned/paid for/etc. Fuck them!
Miles, sounds like you met Johnny. The black dude who will actually pursue and attempt to chase people down.
If people ignore him and are carrying groceries, he’ll yell at them about having money to buy food and should be able to “hook a botha up”. I’ve had coworkers at the NSLC who shoved him when he attempted to mouth off to us. And with big, mean-looking me present, his ass wasn’t going to try shit.
Should some panhandling fuck follow me and verbally assault me, I’ll physically assault them and take their cup-of-work-earnings for myself.
Oh I sure hope you do, Fat. I sure hope you do.
there are few more miserable than me these days Fat but my misery can’t even touch yours
hahahahaha CLASSIC
I thought this was about backsides
I’m not miserable at all. Nice try projecting your problems/issues out and into others (again) though.
I don’t give anything to any panhandlers anymore.
My husband works at the liquor store and he can point out all the bums that are regular customers who pay for their booze with their change that they gather.
I don’t get hassled walking down the street when I’m with my hubby anymore as well, because most of them know they won’t get anything from someone who works at the liquor store.
And they won’t get ticketed, but instead they will be made to attend programs and such.. I read about it in the metro today.
In the UK, hobos and stumble-bums are given the chance to flog a magazine called “Street Beat”, that they “buy” for 50P (or take a few out on consignment, until they fuck up) and sell for a quid (or whatever you give ’em).
It is still a bit annoying, especially in crowded areas (Street Beat, STREEEEET BEEAAAT!!), but at least it’s a step above begging, and, in some cases, it helps the old crips retain a sense of self-esteem, blah blah blah…
The magazine itself is interesting…the usual ‘urban’ articles on street culture, the effects of the “war on drugs” and so on…combined with some shabby poetry etc. It makes a good read while sitting at the kebab shop…
It’s actually kinda funny to watch the dumpster-divers fight over the discarded issues in the rubbish. I was a bit turned off though when I opened my “new” copy and there was a large pus and blood-filled goober on page three…hmmm
Then they started putting them in plastic wrappers, but either way…
I think that could work in Halifax as well…in the summer the screamers could sell “tourist” maps or some such for a twoonie…
They do sell that here too Frosty. Street Feet I think it’s called.
how can you not see a difference between shineorama and panhandling- the froshes doing shineorama can support themselves and aren’t fucking drug addicts and don’t use public sympathy to enable their habits…. are you serious? Shineorama obviously annoys you but it happens ONCE A YEAR not every fucking day + the shine kids give u a sticker so you’re not harassed all day…. yes, shineorama is annoying but it is NOTHING like panhandling… jesus h christ… maybe a slight bit of hipocracy on Metro’s part but holy smokes….
They should ban the squeegee kids too…..if I want to clean my windshield, I’ll do it myself at my next gas fill-up, thank you!
Anyway, they usually make more of a mess on my windshield after they’re done than if they’d left it alone!
My favourite is the little deaf fella with the ball cap, curly blondeish hair, and moustache who’s a few bricks short of a full load but funny and harmless nonetheless. He’s usually on Barrington Street across from Grand Parade and has been a Halifax homeless staple for years now. I love it when he gets pissed off at people who don’t give him money and pretends to smack them on the back of the head – all in good fun, of course.
I too refuse to give a cent to any beggars. This is Canada, and there are more than enough programs and systems in place to help people and keep them from begging. I think the biggest problem is the stupid people who do give them money – they’re called “enablers” and in the end are not helping anyone.
That lil deaf guy isn’t all that harmless, he’s kicked and punched transit buses when he’s frustrated. If he’ll smack a bus I just bet he’d also smack a person.
Little deaf dude always mouths he loves me even though I don’t give him anything. Go figure – must be my sunny personality under that scowl.
Hahah yeah, he’s a real character, eh?
I too hit things when I’m mad, but have never hit a person intentionally out of anger… well, not that hard, anyway.
That deaf guy also helps the local Barrington St business by sweeping their front entrances for some change. He is not like some of the aggressive bums that frequent SGR.
Pimps his wife I was told by someone who would know it if it was true.
Someone told me the deaf guy isn’t really deaf…I saw him one day ask some Chinese people if they had any money. They said no and when they walked away he held his eyes at the sides to mock them as they walked away. He’s “nice” to you until you say you have no money than he’ll flip you off.
Little fucker even tried to get fresh with me on the bus once, no word of lie. That was the day after he tried the same shit at the terminal. Both times he had a case of beer. Same time each day.
I don’t mind when they politely ask for money and say “have a nice day”. There’s plenty of them that don’t get in your way or hassle you. I still don’t often give them money (my booze budget is more important than theirs!), I’ll give them food sometimes instead.
The bad apples that yell at people need to be dealt with. I had to raise my fist to one guy that was screaming at me once. He got the message. Treat the nice hobos with respect (doesn’t mean you have to give them anything), but give the bad ones hell I say!
scammers are everywhere…
Halifax is small so you get to k now who is new and who is not pretty fast. I think the whole thing is targeted at people who are assaulting people, verbally ect. Just like if someone is following me and not begging for money I would just do something about it.
I had a guy years ago who would cross the line…
It became a daily thing.
I just send him hope and love. I also told him off when he bothered me too much. He stopped eventually or moved on. He was trying to get money for drugs.
I just don’t give money to people like that and I don’t get mad anymore. They stop bugging me so much now. Johnny just says hi now.
They are people with addictions that are way out of control and they are in your face to remind you of that part of yourself that is them.
Hard to imagine but really once you stop feeding into that energy it fades to the background and other people on the street bloom in your daily walk.
I like the musicians and people who try to do something.
I remember a small boy in a far away country who would come everyday to a bar where foreigners would go. IN his language one day I said to him, you will get more money if you do something you like. He really thought I should just give him some money.
I said I couldn’t but he could make a lot of money doing something he liked.
The next day he came and was just sitting playing his car along the wall by the street and he made more money than he ever did without even having to hang his face sadly and beg, which he was really good at but he didn’t like it much.
I also saw that the indian women on the street in this same town with their kids sitting with htem curbside …the women knitting or doing some handicraft( not to sell necessarily) got more money than the one just sitting there.
ENergy makes energy. Choose what kind you want to send to these down and outs. Remember they are you. Send them love and see how the streets of Halifax might bloom some interesting characters by sheer might of changing your attitude towards one another…bum, CEO, kids, addicts, anarchists, skaters, haters retailers, walkers, students, moms, scammers…whatever. Just try to send someone you loathe love and see what happens.
Vida, I just tried sending some love to the chick sitting next to me in the coffee shop and I got slapped and yelled at. For other so inclined to follow Vida’s sage advice, “sending some love” does not mean blowing kisses and/or exposing yourself. Lesson learned.
I love you miles. Let’s have babies.
You know, I really can’t say I’ve ever experienced any of the aggressive panhandlers. Most don’t even ask me for money anymore, they just say “have a nice day” as I walk by and I give them a polite smile. There *are* entitled ones out there, or scammers, but the scammers I”ve encountered have been somewhat polite (they’re scammers, after all) and the more aggressive ones have been more stories heard from others.
Damn! Miles is a PIMP!!
when someone aggressive ask you for money and demands your money – that is called robbery we have laws to address that – we do not need a new law to address panhandling – this new law is meant to criminalize the poor – and to make the rich feel more comfortable – because they won’t see the poor when they are dropping lots of cash on large ticket items
Shoot them on site/throw in harbor. With the current state of the water, they should fully decompose within days. Easy, cheap solution. Thank me later! 🙂
It’s only criminalizing the poor criminals. You can still ask for money, you just can harass people about it. Also, why shouldn’t the “rich” (and by that you mean anyone not homeless) be allowed to feel comfortable walking down the street free of harassment?
Fucking ‘eh, Miles!
You should hear some of these bums DEMANDING that people give them TWO bus tickets or for two bucks (not change, but a twoonie) and stopping random people who are minding their own business.
I saw the meth-head cocksucker last night walking up Dresden Row at about 9:30; no doubt coming from the NSLC after suckering idiots into paying for his booze. How many times can the same lie (“I have no small change; only large bills and need to get the bus”) can people fall for?
Look, there’s a reason Halifax has become a Mecca for panhandlers/Bums/Squeegie Kids…etc. THE CITY DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT!!! Jesus, at the first of the year you can see them flowing into the city backpacks and all like they were on pilgrimage. We have a port city, we want tourists. So why are we allowing these burdens on society to harrass people at, literally, EVERY fucking corner. When I first came to Halifax, I ran out of change virtually every night until I heard two guys I’d thrown quarters to discussing their internet TV!! There are always going to be people who are down on their luck but the numbers of shiftless fuckwads, who simply don’t want to work, FAR outnumber them.
There needs to be a LAW, and it needs to be ENFORCED.
“I saw the meth-head cocksucker…”
Wow, that’s pretty intense! When I first read that sentence, I thought it said “no doubt coming from the NSLC after sucking idiots to pay for his booze.” Then I remembered of Miles’ comment, too.
I think another reason there’s a lot of bums coming here is because we are starting to get this national reputation for being a friendly, caring, generous, liberal city. Not saying that that’s a bad thing, but I think it’s encouraging more people to come here to take advantage of us. Look at “friendly” (debatable, I know), liberal Vancouver, for example – we DO NOT want to get the problems they have.
I agree with the heel above. The bums are here because it is rewarding and easy.
I used to work very hard for my minimum wage job that no one thought to tip. It pissed me off knowing that these bums were making more money and had a higher disposable income than I did. I was the productive member of society not them.
To those people who like to feel good for providing some comfort to another human. Don’t give your change to a bum. Give it to someone working hard on minimun wage. I can assure you that act of kindness will be remembered and they will appreciate what you have done.
Many of these people you have no trouble writing off the city streets are mentally ill. schizophrenia, in particular, is extremely difficult to manage when the sufferer is impoverished and without an involved and observant doctor or guardian (of sorts). i’d bet my shirt the panhandlers who are appearing violent, pushy and otherwise out of control, are mentally ill.
mental health services in our province are evolving but imperfect. poverty and mental illness are intrinsically tethered to each other. both subsets of the population are particularly prone to drug abuse and addiction.
if you have half a brain you can make some of these connections for yourself. the whole world doesn’t exist to make your walk down Spring Garden Rd. a candy-coated experience in the sublime. Your corn-fed, middle class, urban delirium is made possible by the class structure you choose to believe is unnecessary. These people are as important and/or unnecessary as you. Your worth exists only in your mind.
Punishing these unfortunate individuals with a by-law won’t stick. Punish them by forcing them to use the programs set up by the government or give them a job application. But the people shaking the Tim’s beverage receptacle know better because it’s easy tax-free income. You do the math.
there are already laws to address aggressive behavior – so there does not need to be a new one to address aggressive panhandling – this propsed bylaw is directed at getting the poor and if you had read the article – the mentally ill out of the business section – if the proposed bylaw uses the behavior based on mental illness it will be a violation of human rights as laid out in the charter – as laws cannot be enacted that discriminate on the grounds of disability
panhandling is behaviour. its learned.
satiating hunger in such a way can be rewarding, can’t it, Fat?
Not all the bums are mentally ill. But you just have to thank the bleeding heart liberals for the mentally ill on the streets. They lobbied for years to get them out of the Nova Scotia Hospital and other facilities because it was against their human rights or some other such nonsense. The mentally ill should be in facilities or with their families who will take care of them, feed them, clothe them, etc. Much better than being on the streets.
Oh, Kay, there you go again pretending to sound smart with your “En-sigh-KAY-LUH-PEED’UH” terms.
bro tim – we promised (meaning government)people with mental illness supports in the community including small option homes and assisted living supports and resources when insitutions were closed – we did not deliver on those promises – as well look it up nice going fat – nature vs nuture – not all behaviour is learned
Not all beggers are bums either. I’ve heard stories of college kids and employed adults putting on scruffy clothes and going down on SGR to panhandle and making good money.
As for the alcohol post, years and years ago I worked at a physiotherapy clinic. We had a patient who a particular therapist didn’t want to deal with. He was stinky and smelly and always smelled like three bars. He didn’t show up to half of his appointments etc. Another therapist took him on and after she got to know him she found out that a) he hurt his back really badly at work and WCB was giving him the run around b) as a result of it all being that he was very low income to begin with and now had been without money for x amount of time was homeless and c) couldn’t afford the prescription pain killers so was using alcohol as a cheaper alternative. He didn’t show up to half the appointments as these were days he didn’t have bus change and as he was homelss – no phone. She gave him bus tickets, he came to every appointment. She got things worked out with WCB and he had an operation which repaired his back and he was able to return to work.
Long story short (well not really) we don’t know everyone’s story and so we don’t know what demons they may be fighting. Alcoholism and drug addictions are very hard habits to break. Walk a mile in someone’s shoes.
Anyway that said, I agree aggressive panhandlers boo but as someone already said the tickets would be a waste.
There are a number of social service agencies working to help at risk/marginalized people in our community. These agencies provide necessities such as clothing, shelter and food. Nobody needs to panhandle in order to survive in Halifax, they do it because it’s easy, tax-free, money. I understand that many of the more aggressive panhandlers are suffering from some form of mental illness, and I agree that the province has dropped the ball as far as mental health services for these individuals go, but they should not be allowed to harass/intimidate people at will. I would like to see some sort of law in place that specifically targets aggressive panhandling but perhaps, rather than ticket the offenders some effort could be made to get them some treatment/assistance.
Great post Vida! Here here.
Susan, yes it was promised but until the infrastructure was in place, the patients should not have been released to surivive on their own. We did them no favours.
Uhmm.,.there is a reason that most of these bums are bumming at, or near, an NSLC outlet. “Nuff said.
Anti-panhandling by-laws seek to mask the very visible manifestation of poverty in. Canada rather than address it
I get pissed off at the guys who ask for money and when I say I don’t have any – which is often, because I never carry cash and I am a poor student – they tell you to fuck off. One guy walked away, screaming ‘oh sure, yeah right you rich cunts’ yesterday on Blowers – I wanted to punch him in the fucking face. Most of these assholes have more money in their cups than I have in my bank account.
Another guy, on Argyle, when I replied ‘no, sorry’ said I was not in fact sorry, but I was part of the problem. It was my fault he was begging for money.
When people do shit like this, why would I ever want to give them ANY money?