What about panhandling?

[Stinky The Clown]

Should it be legal?

Should it be regulated?

Should it be restricted to certain "zones"?

Should it be legal but prohibited in traffic?

Are the volunteer fireman (for example) with buckets at a busy intersection doing an annual fundraiser any different from panhandlers?

I wish no one needed to resort to this, but that's not the reality. More and more jurisdictions are talking about banning or regulating their panhandlers.

What do you think about this issue?

[aptal]

1. I think it should be legal, no restrictions.

You made a good point about the firemen. In this area we have High School teams and bands doing it in the middle of four way stops. Doesn't bother me, but I think all forms of panhandling should be legal.

Although it's sad that we even have to have panhandlers when we have people with millions of dollars just sitting in the bank.

[madinmaryland]

2. I've seen a lot of panhandling in DC and NYC. Kind of goes with the territory.

I wish I could give to everyone that I see, but I just don't have enough money to. I wish we had more of a safety net here to help these people, give them a safe place to sleep and food to eat.

Rather we have more billionaires than you can shake a stick at.

[jberryhill]

3. DU banned this one....

[madinmaryland]

10. Not to quibble,

but he was groveling, not panhandling!!!

[whistler162]

4. If it has been on a burn use a potholder!

[maggiesfarmer]

16. +1 humorous

[MotherPetrie]

5. Legal, no restrictions.

[Retrograde]

6. What about agressive panhandling?

Hanging out by ATMs and accosting customers? Following people? Blocking sidewalks? Using sob stories to extract money ("I need trainfare because it's my first day on the job and I can't be late!" from someone who tried to work the same platform several weeks in a row)?

Apropos of nothing in particular, my town has a regular panhandler who will not ask for money from women. He's been working his corner for over ten years, always polite, and always approaching just men.

[justabob]

7. I am sympathetic to panhandlers, but

I do get very tired of being accosted all the time, especially at night (single female in the big city). Every time I put gas in my car, and every single time I stop at 711 nearest my house, and misc other places, someone asks for something. If I had anything to give, I might feel differently, but I am clinging onto the edge with bloody fingers myself.

I am very conflicted. All at the same time I am mad that I *don't* have anything to share, and mad that they are asking me. I feel guilty because there but for the grace of Dog, go I, and helpless that I can't do anything to help. And on the rare occasion that I do have a few spare coins to spare, I get attitude because I didn't give them more than 65 cents or whatever. Sorry bud, that is ALL I have, and I gave it to you. It is frustrating.

[Cleita]

8. There should be some rules.

Aggressive panhandling should have some legal consequence. What? I don't know. Maybe a fine. I know that I won't go into certain shopping areas if I'm called all kinds of names by a panhandler who won't take no if I don't pony up some money. Otherwise, if someone has to beg, they shouldn't be stopped as long as they are respectful.

[zappaman]

9. Way too many aggressive panhandlers in my neighborhood

Young "travelers" who come to my town for the easy beachside living, the easily accessible weed and the unfortunate amount of meth that has become increasingly prolific.
I never give them money. And they ran off all the old timers who were much more polite.
The guy I used to buy coffee for everytime I saw him is long gone.
These days, I hear "fuck you" a lot more than "God bless".

[rustydog]

11. If a person is willing to suffer the public humiliation of begging, let them

If you are so offended that you have poor hungry people willing to demean themselves by begging, PASS A FUCKING LAW THAT WILL HELP THESE PEOPLE OUT, not penalize being homeless and jobless! God damn, when did we as a nation have so mush distain for those less fortunate?

As our ever-loving Jesus Christ himself supposedly said: As you treat the least among you, you treat me.
So lets outlaw asking for help from our fellow man...Great job America, keep up that American exceptionalism!

[Aristus]

12. I'm too much of a bleeding-heart to demand regulation of pan-handling.

Although, admittedly, I've never encountered an aggressive panhandler. I was asked for money outside a concert in Seattle last Friday. I gave him a dollar, and he responded: "Hey, how about one for my wife, too?" I declined. But I don't necessarily consider that aggressive.

Still, if someone asks for money, I try to give a little, especially if it looks like they're in desperate straits. I walked by a guy sitting on the sidewalk in the pouring rain one time, and slipped him $5. No way was he trying to scam somebody.

The way I see it, it's better to give the money, even if the possibility exists that it's a scam. One day, I'll stand before God, and He may ask me: "That person was in need, and you didn't help. Why?" If a scam artist gets some money from me panhandling, someday, he will stand before God, and God will ask him: "You didn't need that person's money. Why did you scam him?"

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

13. What about psychotic panhandlers?

We have a charming gentleman near my office who when he isn't masturbating in public is screaming about n-words, c-words, b-words and three letter f-words. And when he is particularly worked up starts throwing stuff at cars.

People give this guy money, I can't believe it.

[zappaman]

14. Dude

That's performance art.

[Separation]

15. My wife has had been in several aggressive panhandling situations.

She called me crying telling me that the guy tried to reach in the car window and grab her purse yelling at her. The guy is still there on the weekends. They made a law here that the guys/gals on the street corners have to wear vests or they will get a ticket. Not really sure how they are gonna pay it.

The problem as I see it isn't a matter of giving them money or not, I will normally give em a pack of smokes if they want it, never money though. The problem in my opinion is the sorry state of mental health care in this country. I can't recall the percentage of homeless in America afflicted by a mental health issue but I remember it being shockingly high. Fix the mental health care in this country and I would imagine it would have a waterfall effect, not just with homelessness, but with a majority of other problems that we are currently dealing now. But that's just my opinion.