# Homeless urban legend?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-urban-legend/463874>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-urban-legend/463874 "2008-09-16T19:17:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-urban-legend/463874/21 "2008-09-18T15:59:01Z")

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> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> Aren’t they just a higher class of beggar? What distinguishes them isn’t that they perform a service. Windshield washers perform a service, too, and we still regard them as beggars.

I think the vast majority of street performers will disagree vehemently if you call them beggars; personally, I wouldn’t really include the windshield washers in the beggar category, although I’d be more inclined to do so than in the case of street performers. The fact that the latter perform a service in return (and frequently not even a bad one, many street performers are talented and have a solid musical education) distinguishes them quite clearly from beggars, IMHO, who are only appealing to people’s commiseration.

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