Damn!!!!.....I need to start panhandling immediately!

[RightIsWrong]

Mention panhandlers to most METRO riders and you hear the same thing.

"It's bad,? explained rider Laura Garrett, ?They have little children coming up to you asking 'Ma'am do you have a quarter, a dime, a dollar?'"

Metro Police says it's one of the biggest complaints they get, too.

But panhandlers, especially the aggressive ones, are hard to catch in the act like the one undercover officers ran across in downtown Houston Monday afternoon.

"He asked the lady for money and she refused,? said METRO Police Capt. Mike Raney. ?He continued the request for more money. The officer was standing just a few feet from the panhandler at the time."

Police stepped in and questioned 42-year-old James Dillon but were not expecting what they were about to find on him.

When Dillon did not have any ID, plain clothes police officers searched him. Looking down in one pocket they found a wad of $1,700 in cash. Looking in the other pocket they found even more money and another citation for panhandling issued last month.

The homeless man?s cash added up to $3,426.78.

And he was caught asking for another quarter.

I wonder if they are unionized so that they get health care benefits?Little more story and video

 

[FoBoT]

he can't afford health insurance, because he is homeless
i can't wait for UHC to cover that poor homeless man, it would suck if he had to use his $3426.78 in cash to pay for health insurance

 

[dainthomas]

People who give to those guys sitting at the on ramps are suckas.

 

[darkxshade]

I remember making a thread about this a year ago. I basically went through the math of how much a bum make off the subway and it felt like they made more money than me. A train has about 10 cars, assuming it takes 2 mins to go through each one, you can pretty much run through 2 trains in one hour(with wait time in between). If they made even 2 dollars/car(which is quite a low estimate), that's 40/hour of income that they probably don't report to the IRS. This was of course a rough estimate but it seems very likely that it could be a full time job.

 

[Modelworks]

Reminds me of the other day at the grocery store.
I was coming out and a guy walked up to me asking for money for food.
I told him I didn't have any money, I only used debit cards.
He then asked if I had any spare change , anything , he was so hungry.

I'm not the kind of person that would let someone truly go hungry.
So if someones really in need I'm more than happy to help.

So I reached in the bag and pulled out a plate I got from the store deli.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, biscuits and offered it to him.

He started mumbling about how he really would prefer money and why couldn't I go back inside and get some cash for him.

I told him " and I thought you were hungry", then I walked away.

Week later I saw him around the store with a liquor bottle.

I never hand out cash, need food sure, come on , I'll buy you some bread and peanut butter

 

[SunnyD]

Panhandlers (professional ones) generally make between $30,000 and $40,000 a year in Florida. Untaxed. Why would you want to work?

 

[Nitemare]

This is why I don't give to beggars and pan handlers, I'd rather donate money to halfway houses and other organizations that help them reenter the workforce

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
he can't afford health insurance, because he is homeless
i can't wait for UHC to cover that poor homeless man, it would suck if he had to use his $3426.78 in cash to pay for health insurance

doesn't matter. hospitals will take care of him regardless.

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Panhandlers (professional ones) generally make between $30,000 and $40,000 a year in Florida. Untaxed. Why would you want to work?

If they spend all day doing it then it is work. But untaxed.

 

[Throckmorton]

[iWhat a load of sensationalist media crap. Is it really surprising that a smooth talker or an insistent panhandler will have $3000 saved up? Some people with homes have billions of dollars! Does that mean that it's typical??

 

[Ns1]

I lived in a poor area for a while and got them asknig me for money wherever I went. I'm immune to their requests now.

 

[Tiamat]

There are some beggars around in boston, I dont like handing out money, but occasionally Ill have leftovers from dinner after eating out and when I offer it to them, they take it as if it is gold. Now, there was a dude in chinatown who through the food on the ground after I gave it to him because I didnt give him money, perfectly good food mind you. That pissed me off.

 

[BooGiMaN]

i hate lazy panhandlers one guy at an offramp stop light had one of those pool cleaning nets and so he didnt have to get up and collect the money

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Panhandlers (professional ones) generally make between $30,000 and $40,000 a year in Florida. Untaxed. Why would you want to work?

Do you have a link?

 

[sonambulo]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
There are some beggars around in boston, I dont like handing out money, but occasionally Ill have leftovers from dinner after eating out and when I offer it to them, they take it as if it is gold. Now, there was a dude in chinatown who through the food on the ground after I gave it to him because I didnt give him money, perfectly good food mind you. That pissed me off.

I just gotta say thanks to people like you. When I was homeless there were some real rough spots I'd beg for food (sometimes cans and temp work wasn't enough or there just wasn't any). When you go for two days without eating and someone buys you a water and a candy bar you really appreciate it. If a beggar(unless paralyzed or maimed) ever refuses food and instead insists on cash don't feel bad about kicking his ass or cussing him out.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: sonambulo

Originally posted by: Tiamat
There are some beggars around in boston, I dont like handing out money, but occasionally Ill have leftovers from dinner after eating out and when I offer it to them, they take it as if it is gold. Now, there was a dude in chinatown who through the food on the ground after I gave it to him because I didnt give him money, perfectly good food mind you. That pissed me off.

I just gotta say thanks to people like you. When I was homeless there were some real rough spots I'd beg for food (sometimes cans and temp work wasn't enough or there just wasn't any). When you go for two days without eating and someone buys you a water and a candy bar you really appreciate it. If a beggar(unless paralyzed or maimed) ever refuses food and instead insists on cash don't feel bad about kicking his ass or cussing him out.

I offered to buy a homeless guy food once. He kept giving me excuses on why he needed money for the bus. He refused to walk with me half a block to a pizza shop to get him food.

 

[Vic]

The solution to panhandlers is to carry granola/health bars to give out to them. My dad taught me this, and he's been volunteering at the shelters for years.

Sure, you might get the occasional drunk or addict who will get upset and try to insist on money instead, but a real homeless person will be glad to have it, and will thank you.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: sonambulo

Originally posted by: Tiamat
There are some beggars around in boston, I dont like handing out money, but occasionally Ill have leftovers from dinner after eating out and when I offer it to them, they take it as if it is gold. Now, there was a dude in chinatown who through the food on the ground after I gave it to him because I didnt give him money, perfectly good food mind you. That pissed me off.

I just gotta say thanks to people like you. When I was homeless there were some real rough spots I'd beg for food (sometimes cans and temp work wasn't enough or there just wasn't any). When you go for two days without eating and someone buys you a water and a candy bar you really appreciate it. If a beggar(unless paralyzed or maimed) ever refuses food and instead insists on cash don't feel bad about kicking his ass or cussing him out.

I offered to buy a homeless guy food once. He kept giving me excuses on why he needed money for the bus. He refused to walk with me half a block to a pizza shop to get him food.

Thats the way you can tell those truly in need.
Offer them food and if they turn it down you know they are just out to get money for alcohol, drugs, or something else.

 

[kranky]

Once I heard they had actual panhandler schools, I quit giving money. I'll offer to buy a meal but only once out of about 20 times did the guy take me up on it.

 

[compman25]

One of our local news stations did a story on panhandlers here in Spokane and how much they make. They then listed the best place for panhandlers, it was Denver, where they said some panhandlers made $100k in a year.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I used to keep cans of tunawith a pop-off lid in the car to hand out.

Very few apreciated it.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
This is why I don't give to beggars and pan handlers, I'd rather donate money to halfway houses and other organizations that help them reenter the workforce

There's a place in portland that sells vouchers for meals and showers and stuff, which you can hand out instead of cash. Even if the panhandler chucks them (which they probably do) then the money still goes to a good cause.

 

[jpeyton]

I have a strict no handouts policy. Here and abroad. That way I'm 100% sure I'm not getting scammed.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Reminds me of the other day at the grocery store.
I was coming out and a guy walked up to me asking for money for food.
I told him I didn't have any money, I only used debit cards.
He then asked if I had any spare change , anything , he was so hungry.

I'm not the kind of person that would let someone truly go hungry.
So if someones really in need I'm more than happy to help.

So I reached in the bag and pulled out a plate I got from the store deli.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, biscuits and offered it to him.

He started mumbling about how he really would prefer money and why couldn't I go back inside and get some cash for him.

I told him " and I thought you were hungry", then I walked away.

Week later I saw him around the store with a liquor bottle.

I never hand out cash, need food sure, come on , I'll buy you some bread and peanut butter

Ha, very rarely do I see people who choose to give a "panhandler" food out of a bag instead of cash. I always thought giving food was the nicer thing to do, but obviously not in the eyes of the receiver.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I only buy food for poor people, never give them money..feeding whatever addiction that made them homeless/poor in the first place.