What is up with people being rude to the panhandlers? Like the cops! It’s up to the drivers if they want to give them money! It’s not right—I understand how you cops feel but like I said, it is up to the driver or passenger of they want to give money! But you guys embarrass the panhandlers or give them a ticket you know they can’t afford to pay! You should talk to them, not be mean!
—Panhandler
This article appears in Mar 7-13, 2019.
Its illegal to panhandle so the cops are just doing their jobs… for once… #JustSayin
What I always find amusing (and pretty damned sad) is when I see panhandlers in the city smoking cigarettes, wearing expensive designer headphones, drinking energy drinks that cost $4.99 a can or texting on the latest phone model – while begging for more money. Meanwhile some poor guy with a mental illness or disability living on the street is ignored or harassed most days and literally has to sleep in the public library to keep warm.
Illegal & potentially distracting therefore hazardous OB
“For once”??, shut up Just Me
Energy drinks don’t cost 4.99, stay in reality JEFF JEFF
& “Sleep in the library” not to “stay warm” but because they’ve sometimes been up all night, fyi
@WesLee as someone who buys Monster energy drinks myself, after taxes I can tell you that’s typically how much they cost. And when I see some poor guy with a blanket sleeping in the library during the evening, carrying a full bag of what looks like camping supplies, I’ve gotta say I highly doubt they’re in there just because they stayed up for too long. Either they’re a voluntary wandering traveller or they’re homeless. And to actually stop and speak to them reveals that it’s not just a couple of random people having this problem. I give spare change when I can regardless, but if you can afford cigarettes, energy drinks, pricey attire and accessories and the latest digital tech, I think the need to panhandle may be self-imposed. As for panhandlers who are mentally ill/disabled, it disgusts me that they aren’t receiving community support in a society that prides itself on “ending the stigma”.
its illegal to wander in traffic and approach vehicles panhandling . if you want to hug drug addicts and hand them money , go do that .