# What's the story on the "official"(?) panhandlers around Times Square? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660 "2013-04-02T20:24:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/1 "2013-04-02T20:24:37Z")
I walk to work most mornings. (This started as a way to reduce stress; it has turned into one of the most stressful parts of my day, but that’s another story for the “Why I Need to Get the Hell Out of New York” thread.) My route takes me straight up Broadway, through Times Square. (It’s not \*\*too/B] bad in the mornings.) Every day I pass at least one, and often several guys (or very rarely gals) panhandling. But they’re not sitting against a building w/ a “need $$$ 4 beer” sign or what have you. They’ve got little pedestals set up (made, I think, from milk crates), with some sort of box on top for the money to go in. They’re always loudly asking every to give “a little something” for the homeless. They’ve all got their own schtick. (I’d rather like to give the…gentleman who asks for “just one penny” just one penny to see how he’d react.) What’s the story with these guys? I’m rather surprised that they’re allowed in such a tourist-dense area as Times Square. They aren’t explicitly asking for the money for themselves. But it’s not like their little stands have the name of any organization on them, either. This has been bugging me ever since I started walking this route, and googling was no help. If anyone knows, it’ll be the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/2 "2013-04-02T20:29:11Z")
Good question. I’ve always wondered that too. I’ve seen them daily for over a decade but still haven’t dropped a penny in. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/3 "2013-04-02T20:56:44Z")
I thought they got rid of those guys. [Here they are.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Homeless_Organization) These guys would have a jug asking for donations “for the homeless”. They failed to say that “the homeless” was them, and they had to rent the jug from some scumbag who never gave a dime to anyone but himself. UHO seems to have been disbanded, so I have no idea who your guys are. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/4 "2013-04-02T21:10:09Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I thought they got rid of those guys. > > [Here they are.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Homeless_Organization) These guys would have a jug asking for donations “for the homeless”. They failed to say that “the homeless” was them, and they had to rent the jug from some scumbag who never gave a dime to anyone but himself. > > UHO seems to have been disbanded, so I have no idea who your guys are. ::Reads the link:: Damn, at least around these parts the professional street beggars’ organization seems to be mostly legit (I could be wrong) and will give you a copy of their [“Homeless Voice”](http://www.homelessvoice.org/about/) newspaper for donations. (Their website is pretty pimp, too!) ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/5 "2013-04-02T21:20:12Z")
Interesting. Sounds like the same sort of thing, presumably set up by some other enterprising individual. ---
**Author:** ![David\_H\_Singanas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@David\_H\_Singanas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_H_Singanas)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/6 "2013-04-04T07:00:23Z")
[ What’s the story with these guys? I’m rather surprised that they’re allowed in such a tourist-dense area as Times Square. They aren’t explicitly asking for the money for themselves. But it’s not like their little stands have the name of any organization on them, either. This has been bugging me ever since I started walking this route, and googling was no help. If anyone knows, it’ll be the Dope. [/QUOTE] Lawyer-wise it can be a free speech issue. Standing on some sort of platform invokes Union Square or Hyde Park. In Texas you can panhandle freely as long as you are holding a sign or something religious like “Bible Reading is the key to victory!” If you are just standing there with a hand out or tin cup, the cops can grab you for loitering. However, most American police do not want to be perceived as suppressing freedom of expression. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/7 "2013-04-04T14:52:23Z")
Nah, they’re not standing on a platform–they’ve got a little stand that they put the “donation” (read: panhandling) box on. Like I said, I think it’s made out of two milk crates stacked up–they’ve usually got a drape over it, but I’ve seen it w/o. As to the police, it’s just a matter of priorities, I guess. Giuliani made this sort of thing a priority; Bloomberg, apparently not so much. ---
**Author:** ![HiramAbiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@HiramAbiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HiramAbiff)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/8 "2013-08-03T11:50:08Z")
If they bother you why don’t you take another route. Your screen name implies that you know the law but I highly doubt that. People have a constitutional right to ask for money. Don’t you know that the Southern District of New York issued an injunction enjoining the NYPD and the Times Square Alliance from interfering with the guy that dons the sign asking people for money for weed? Such a decision applies to anyone asking for money. You’re so worried about people asking for money. At least their not putting a gun to your head robbing you (or would you prefer that). The So-called Salvation Army does the same thing. Do you know who the CEO of the Salvation Army is. Moreso, do you know the CEO’s salary? You’d be sup prised! You are a typical Caucasain New Yorker. If you were from Boston you would have different values. Better yet you may be able to learn from the Germans, the Australians, Austrians, the Swiss-Germans, Russians, the Swedish. Let’s not forget the Scottish and the Irish. By the way I’m a young Black man; the type you’d probably look down on for no justifiable reason. I like people like you. You keep me sharp. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/9 "2013-08-03T12:05:05Z")
> [@HiramAbiff](#): > > The So-called Salvation Army does the same thing. Do you know who the CEO of the Salvation Army is. Moreso, do you know the CEO’s salary? You’d be sup > prised! Sure, it’s [$126,920](http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/religious/salvation-army-national-corporation-in-alexandria-va-1221/governance-and-staff). How much is he “supposed” to make? (Out of curiosity: What Google search terms dragged up this old question from a few months ago? It’s always interesting to figure out what people were searching for when they bring up old topics.) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/10 "2013-08-03T12:06:03Z")
> [@HiramAbiff](#): > > You keep me sharp. Cite? I don’t see it.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/11 "2013-08-03T12:25:12Z")
We had a problem with aggressive beggars here a while ago - may still have, I don’t live in London. They apparently could make over £100 a day. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051482/Child-beggars-young-making-100-000-year-gypsy-gangs.html](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051482/Child-beggars-young-making-100-000-year-gypsy-gangs.html) This is from a red top so don’t pay too much attention but they were quite a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/12 "2013-08-03T14:46:30Z")
> [@HiramAbiff](#): > > If they bother you why don’t you take another route. Your screen name implies that you know the law but I highly doubt that. People have a constitutional right to ask for money. Don’t you know that the Southern District of New York issued an injunction enjoining the NYPD and the Times Square Alliance from interfering with the guy that dons the sign asking people for money for weed? Such a decision applies to anyone asking for money. You’re so worried about people asking for money. At least their not putting a gun to your head robbing you (or would you prefer that). > > The So-called Salvation Army does the same thing. Do you know who the CEO of the Salvation Army is. Moreso, do you know the CEO’s salary? You’d be sup > prised! > > You are a typical Caucasain New Yorker. If you were from Boston you would have different values. Better yet you may be able to learn from the Germans, the Australians, Austrians, the Swiss-Germans, Russians, the Swedish. Let’s not forget the Scottish and the Irish. > > By the way I’m a young Black man; the type you’d probably look down on for no justifiable reason. I like people like you. You keep me sharp. Dude, your level of rage keeps that chip on your shoulder as sharp as Occam’s Razor. Welcome to The Dope !! 🙂 I too walk through Times Square on a near-daily basis and have for decades. ( that’s me in line behind you at Starbucks 😉 ).Those collecting for “the homeless” are as much a part of free speech America as the Naked Cowboy. – Shrug-- as long as nobody’s sliding a blade against my throat to get a donation, I could give a damn what scam they run. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/13 "2013-08-03T15:23:23Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Interesting. Sounds like the same sort of thing, presumably set up by some other enterprising individual. Probably taking advantage that much of the TS pedestrian traffic would be unaware that the “officially recognized” UHO was shut down. When they were under UHO they used to clearly identify themselves as such at the collection points. BTW, brother, if you were trying to reduce stress, Midtown is not the ideal environment and “straight up Broadway through Times Square” is just wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-on-the-official-panhandlers-around-times-square/654660/14 "2013-08-03T17:16:18Z")
> [@HiramAbiff](#): > > Your screen name implies that you know the law but I highly doubt that. > > … > > At least their not putting a gun to your head robbing you (or would you prefer that). > > … > > You are a typical Caucasain New Yorker. > > … > > By the way I’m a young Black man; the type you’d probably look down on for no justifiable reason. I like people like you. You keep me sharp. **Moderator Note** **HiramAbiff** , personal remarks like this are out of place in General Questions. No warning issued but don’t do this again. Since this thread is several months old and has been revived mainly to express opinions, I’m going to close it. Those wishing to discuss the subject further are welcome to start another thread in IMHO, Great Debates, or the Pit. Colibri General Questions Moderator