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In NYC and Boston, homeless people may ask you for change. When you say no, they will go to the next person (usually) to ask for money. Hence, there is usually not much need to aggressively panhandle. However, when I was in Gainesville, Florida in 2003, there was a serious problem with homeless that did not take no for an answer. Homeless people were intimidating individuals at ATMs and the city had to pass an anti-aggressive pandhanding ordinance. My brother told me that this problem was also comon in Atlanta. Is there regional differences in the aggression of some pandhandlers? Is a higher percentage of the homeless in some parts of the country more aggressive than in others? Discuss.
I myself am tired of a lot of the cities in the states not doing anything about it. We have a sign stating that you are not suppose to panhandle but they still do it because it`s not renforced.But at least it`s not as bad as other places I`ve been to.
I`ve been told by people who run a mission that not to give them any money(not that I would anyway). The best way to reach out to them is through a rescue mission,etc.
Some of the people in Chicago were surprisingly aggressive. When I visit bigger cities I do my best to make sure I don't stand out as a tourist, I try to wear local clothing. I try not to show I have a camera or map, or anything like that. Specifically because you become a target not just to panhandlers, but to criminals.
But some of these guys would follow you around for a bit telling you their life story, I would eventually say, "look, I don't carry cash or change man, I don't have anything for you, try someone else". . Usually this worked.
However the guys that want to polish your shoes or whatever the heck their gimmick is were really bad. I had a guy jog past me and block my path and start polishing my shoe, then when I said I didn't have cash, he wanted to take me across the street to the ATM to get him $20 per shoe. I just reached in my pocket pulled out a dollar and said, "look, there is no way I'm going to get money out of that ATM for you, here is a buck for taking care of 1/20th of 1 shoe, find someone else to polish". Then he went on his way. .
You start to wonder during these exchanges though, is this guy gonna get violent or what?
I try to just ignore them. Yurn your face into an expressionless slab of stone and look past them. Most of the time I don't acknowledge their existence unless they actually come up to me and try to talk to me. In which case I just shake my head and say "sorry, I don't have any money".
I try to just ignore them. Yurn your face into an expressionless slab of stone and look past them. Most of the time I don't acknowledge their existence unless they actually come up to me and try to talk to me. In which case I just shake my head and say "sorry, I don't have any money".
well theyre not really people anyway, why should you acknowledge their existence?
I myself am tired of a lot of the cities in the states not doing anything about it. We have a sign stating that you are not suppose to panhandle but they still do it because it`s not renforced.But at least it`s not as bad as other places I`ve been to.
I`ve been told by people who run a mission that not to give them any money(not that I would anyway). The best way to reach out to them is through a rescue mission,etc.
They usually blow it on drugs and booze.
I've met plenty of homeless and destitute people doing community service. A lot of them really are honest folks who took a walk down a bad path or made one too many bad choices.
But there are also a lot of them who have no intention of ever bettering themselves. They just continue to abuse substances.
I remember one time I offered a guy who was asking for money the french fries I bought at McDonald's. I'd eaten a burger anyway so I figured I really didn't need them. When I offered the fries (I hadn't even eaten any) he said "no" and walked away.
Another time, this guy came in to a KFC/Taco Bell some friends and I were eating in. Homeless guy comes in, asks for money. We say no, but a friend offers her half-eaten plate of nachos supreme. To quote a friend, he "gave them the once-over like an English cavalry lieutenant" before deciding to have them.
I mean christ, you're homeless, you should take what you can get.
In NYC and Boston, homeless people may ask you for change. When you say no, they will go to the next person (usually) to ask for money. Hence, there is usually not much need to aggressively panhandle. However, when I was in Gainesville, Florida in 2003, there was a serious problem with homeless that did not take no for an answer. Homeless people were intimidating individuals at ATMs and the city had to pass an anti-aggressive pandhanding ordinance. My brother told me that this problem was also comon in Atlanta. Is there regional differences in the aggression of some pandhandlers? Is a higher percentage of the homeless in some parts of the country more aggressive than in others? Discuss.
Portland, Or is the worst city I have seen for panhandling as well as homelessness in America. There are no laws here concerning panhandling. They can do it wherever and whenever they want. Some of the people are extremely aggressive and very rude. This city has trouble with this problem and because it is Portland nothing is done about it. For anyone that has not been here, this is a very radical type city run by hipsters and environmentalist and alot of subculture type people. The aggressive panhandling here is directly related to the weird politics and mindsets of this city.
I do think the level of this type behaviour seems reigional. It seems to be a culture in this region of America, and I find it disgusting and disturbing. We actually have camps full of homeless in several areas of this city, and many live under our many bridges. They all seem to know how to panhandle for all those cigarettes I see them smoking.
I have seen numbers of panhandlers go right after conventioneers leaving the convention center. I have seen them panhandling as tourists get off tour buses at the downtown hotels. Its done at every entrance to stores, transit stops, even in the grocery stores in some areas of Portland. They sit on sidewalks with signs begging for money. Such as "Im Pregnant anything will help" "Just want beer why lie" At the fwy ramps they have thier signs and its a racket and a scam. I would not give these low lifes a penny. These are not people that ran on hard luck with no support system at least in this town. They are scam artist and many are sent here from other cities by greyhound bus paid for by the city they came from. They are sent here becasue of all the free programs for food and housing our taxes pay for here in Oregon. The Welfare State.
Evidently they are not satisfied with all the free programs they get here and they turn right to panhandling. Yes I feel this disgusting behaviour of panhandling is worse from region to region and Oregon is the worst I have ever seen. It surpasses Boston and NYC for the amount I see. What is more alarming though is that the native Oregonians, have allowed panhandling to the alarming level it is here.
I've had a few random run-ins in Chicago, but didn't notice it a much different situation than I've run into in Boston, San Fran, NYC or other large cities with a panhandling community.
The huge difference is if you're in an area where you blend in or not. In Chicago I walk stone-faced past pan handlers and wear my Ipod just ignoring them. 99% of the time the hint is taken, and no one even bothers trying to talk to me. I do see some tourists and other people who look like they don't know where they're going really get jumped on though - because they're easy targets. Lots of times they will actually stop and start listening to the story, and then they've "got you". Their entire mojo is just to make it as difficult as possible to walk away until you give them money. The biggest thing you can do - DON'T STOP WALKING. Once you stop they have time to start the guilt trip and their sad story. You can be polite and listen, but keep slowly moving so they know they need to spit out their babble quickly. You need directions? Your lost? Ok - then where are you trying to go and I'll point you in the right direction. Oh, you're lost and need bus fare? You need to buy a train ticket? Sorry....heard you say that to the suburban family in the same spot yesterday.
I've had that happen in other areas where you get cornered. Strangely one of the places I got cornered the most and followed down the street was Milwaukee.
The good thing in Chicago is the streets are normally so busy in the central area, that if you start quickly darting away through the crowd - it's not worth it for the panyhandler to go out of their way to follow. In other areas with less people on the streets it's just you and them. It's harder to blend away.
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