Giving in to street panhandlers seems to only exacerbate the problem; it doesn’t give them any self worth, and only encourages most to continue on this path. It might make one feel good to give, thinking you really did a good deed, but more than likely you are not doing that person any favor; nor the community, and are probably making them feel even more like shit while many of them go get drunk or purchase drugs with the money you just gave them. But if it makes you feel tingly all over to give to perfect strangers with any hard luck story they are willing to sale you; then, here is your chance to help. My car just broke down, and I need money to get back home…I also just got mugged…so brother can you spare me a few bucks?
The passive panhandlers don’t bother me much; it’s the really aggressive ones that just annoy the livin’ hell out of me. Some popular places in the big cities, I don’t even bother to go anymore if the panhandlers are allowed to run amuck.
I don’t believe it has an impact one way or another. I don’t think it “encourages” most of the kinds of people I give money and sometimes talk to, because most are obviously mentally ill, or addicts who would likely end up stealing instead – not great, but you certainly can’t argue it’s not a benefit to the community every time they don’t have to. Denying their fix is not going to get them clean or off the streets, or cure the demons in their brainpans. It just means life sucks even more for a while for them, and certainly doesn’t do anything to actually solve their problems – or the greater causes thereof.
Are there con artists, of course, and I should know, as a former fake psychic. I just think it’s slightly silly to worry about the guy selling you a story about Pampers and public transportation when the real con men in clean-tooth suits and gated green estates have driven the economy into the ground.
From my perspective, the problem is the perception that most panhandlers are not in fact simply victims of hard luck, but rather out to score money for drugs or booze.
This perception may in fact be wrong, I really do not know. When I am convinced that a panhandler is just down on his luck, I’m more likely to give.
It may be awfully regressive to say, but I do think that people who are capable of it ought to work for money for such luxuries as booze or drugs, not beg.
But if they’re supported by those of us who are willing to do so, and there’s obviously not enough of them that employers are hunting for people to work an honest job for an honest wage, why not?
I do not reward what I see as bad behavior. My addict/alcoholic friend had a tendency to not eat well, or at all. By buying him a meal or food, I was rewarding what I see as positive behavior, that is, he was taking care of his health by eating.
I don’t just give money to human causes. I donate to the Humane Society. I’ve helped out individuals who foster animals. I won’t donate to any society or individual who won’t get the animals spayed or neutered…because that only increases the problems.
That and I don’t like the idea that asking for a dollar from a stranger is such a big crime. I have asked for change to use the phone before. I don’t know what the person needs or doesn’t. I like the idea of a sort of soft economy where the money flows like that. I’ve also known panhandlers who will give to other panhandlers, so it’s not entirely one-sided either. For me it’s just a kinder and gentler world to be in where you are not so attached to that dollar. You give it in the hope/prayer than they will use it to their maximum benefit, if they spend it on drugs, that’s their problem.
I also don’t think that nomads spinging for change are doing something socially iredeemable. I have friends who are nomads who have done it when they were on the road. No big deal.
Have you ever tried begging for money. It’s really easy. “Hey, can you spare a dollar?” “Yes, sure, here you go.” “Thanks,” on my way.
“Hey sir, can you spare a dollar?” “No, sorry - Can’t.” “Thanks anyway,” On to my next.
Easy peasy. I knew one kid who did (I use kid loosely, he was about 19) who did it 8-12 hours a week, and made enough to pay for his lunches all week and spare spending money.
Enough to buy an xbox 360 after a month or so of doing it. He still lived at home.
And those of us who gladly hand our wages over to con artists, chicaners, skulduggers, liars, and thieves are frankly tired of those who admonish us against it— it only leads them on, they say; the coins you could’ve spent on infant formula for your mewling preemie only go toward another coat of Polywax for the teakwood deck of their fourth yacht. I wonder, would the Venn diagram show much overlap between them and the shadowy creatures who constantly lecture you over your unheralded gifts to the “homeless”?
You’re right, but this is a beggar I know and at the bus station or on the beach for example. He’s a sort of white collar beggar who says he’s collecting for his football team.
“Nomads”, how cute. You must mean the kids with the tattos, piercings, and a pit-bull wearing a kerchief that block the sidewalk in Portland. They all look alike in their attempt to show how unique they are.
Shadowy? You mean the very many posters in this thread who go on and on about how horrible it is to “encourage” the homeless? How about the five or six local friends who snootily do the same if we happen to be walking together when I give? You’re not seriously suggesting, within a thread several pages long where the majority is hostile and condescending to the idea of giving to someone who doesn’t deserve it, that it’s an uncommon attitude?
Well, excluding from the analysis those who really need to beg because they are destitute …
I’d say that there are 3 questions here:
Do you give to panhandlers yourself?
Do you disapprove of panhandling generally (i.e., disapprove of others giving, even if you do not)? and
Would you want panhandling to be made illegal?
My own answers would be “no, yes, and no”. Your qusetion is basically why I’d say “yes” to the second question.
The answer is this: it seems to me that panhandling as an activity (once again, excluding the truly destitute) leads to a lot of negative effects. Such as scary-looking and possible aggressive people accosting one (or more to the point, as I’m a big guy, my wife) as one goes about one’s business. Such as an increase in overt drug use (many of the non-destitute panhandlers are doing so to buy drugs). Comming across a frightening dude hanging out in one of those cash machine places, aggressively accosting people for money, was bad enough; seeing him leave a used needle lying on the floor was worse. Not that such things would not happen anyway, but giving guys like that cash just encourages them to happen more often.
All of this decreases the quality of life for everyone. And for what? A good feeling, giving some guy some money he’ll use to score drugs?
That being said, I support the freedom to do so - I think making panhandling illegal goes to far, possibly is a cure worse than the problem.
I’ve never once been “accosted” by “scary-looking” people and despite the melodramatic stories I’ve heard, the most “aggressive” a panhandler has gotten around me was repeating their request in a louder voice. I would like to see some cites that drug use is in increased by panhandling – these people are already addicts and will get their fix one way or another. I’m sorry that seeing a needle is so traumatic for you (as I said, I live in NYC and the only people I’ve ever seen doing drugs openly were young, white and rich); perhaps you should volunteer to clean up your community or help at shelters if the effects of homelessness are so upsetting to you, rather than doing nothing at all and calling that “helping”.
By the way, why are you still informing us that these people do drugs like we never heard of such a thing before?
You asked for my reasons. If you want to simply get angry about it, that’s okay.
I’m not claiming I’m “helping” anyone. I’m simply saying that encouraging such folk in their behaviour isn’t a good idea, in my opinion, because it decreases overall quality of life for everyone else. I suspect it decreases their quality of life too, but frankly for me that’s a lesser consideration.
I certainly have been accosted by aggressive panhandlers - it happens.
You can lecture me all you want about my civic duties (without of course knowing anything about me or what I do).