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Would you quit your job if you could make $400/day?

madoka

madoka

Diamond Member
Would you quit your job if you could make up to $400/day by panhandling?

Judging from this 2008 Associated Press article:

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) - A police survey says panhandlers outside a Wal-Mart here can make $300 a day. Inside, it takes a clerk a week to make that much.

Police say people who have a problem with that needn't look to the law--asking for money is considered protected free speech.

"We are not going to target panhandlers," said Coos Bay Police Capt. Rodger Craddock, who spoke a recent gathering of business owners about panhandling. "We can't do that. But if they aren't getting money from us, they aren't going to stand on that corner."
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I think it's fair to say that $400 should be possible 11 years later if you're doing it in a rich area. Plus, it's all in cash, so you have no taxes on it. And you're probably also maxed out on all government benefits which provides an additional income stream.

Moved from OT. OP, you have to stop trying to advance your socio-political view on OT. We have a separate forum for that.

Perknose
Forum Director
 
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Nope. My dignity >>>> $400/day. I am sure those panhandlers don't make that much money every single day.

One more thing, I do not want to stand outside with the heat index in the 100's.
 
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Hard to say. The boredom would kill me. Make more currently, but half the day I'm dicking around on my phone because the job is so boring.

Don't imagine people would be handing me money on the corner if I'm playing on a smartphone.
 
I'd find a way to outsource the panhandling. I'd have an army of panhandlers loyal to me through very coercive means. There would be a 20% cut for each of them to keep. I'm just generous like that. A good heart and all.
 
I make average $120/day if I consider all the deductions etc so that would be quite an upgrade, but I think I would pass as I would just feel so wrong doing it, not to mention when people who know me see me it would just be so awkward. MAYBE I could do it down south where I don't know anyone and I would just blend in with all the other bums. Could consider it as a fall back plan if I lost my job. 😛 I could do it here to save up for a plane ticket, then leave. 😛
 
Too much of a pay cut, boring and unpleasant work, can't listen to music on decent speakers while I work, no 401k or health insurance (big one under Trumpcare), the list goes on.
 
Are the numbers actually properly represented? Or did they take the highest earner on say a weekend near Christmas/Thanksgiving and use that as the "upto" figure? How would this compare to the median amount on a Tuesday in mid February?

This seems like possibly a better secondary income source for a lot people in the US currently needing to juggle 2 or more jobs.
 
I just thought of something, putting a donate button on a website is probably a digital equivalent of panhandling.

Believe it or not I actually make a small amount of money off mine. Does not cover hosting, but it's something. 😛
 
Red Squirrel said:
I just thought of something, putting a donate button on a website is probably a digital equivalent of panhandling.

Believe it or not I actually make a small amount of money off mine. Does not cover hosting, but it's something. 😛
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Not to me. The website is providing a real service -- cat pictures, fake news, dangerous health misinformation, etc. while the professional bum is just a parasite.
 
$400/day would probably beat 99.5% of people's salary here.

First off, that is in non-taxed income since you know they don't report it for obvious reasons
On top of that, $400/day isn't limited as a salary, so effectively you could supposedly earn $400 x 365 = $146k in non-taxed income.

That's not to say I believe this story, I'm sure panhandling is entirely dependent upon the area, dates, weather, and (generally) how fucking stupid people are in the vicinity.

I always wonder what goes through the heads of the dumbfucks that hand them money. "I'm super duper cool. I did my good deed for the day!"
 
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I would quit my job for $400 a day, but not to be a bum. Just send your offerings via PayPal to my PM box and I'll retire guilt free.
 
DaveSimmons said:
Not to me. The website is providing a real service -- cat pictures, fake news, dangerous health misinformation, etc. while the professional bum is just a parasite.
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Yeah true, I guess it's more like those panhandlers who also play music or put on some kind of act. At least they're doing something and not just sitting there.
 
I once panhandled at the UC Berkeley campus at the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph for a few minutes. It was decades ago, I didn't need the money and I guess I did it just so I couldn't say I'd never do that. However, it's been decades since I have handed a panhandler any money. Last time I did that I got a look that disgusted me and I swore to myself, never again.
 
Muse said:
I once panhandled at the UC Berkeley campus at the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph for a few minutes. It was decades ago, I didn't need the money and I guess I did it just so I couldn't say I'd never do that. However, it's been decades since I have handed a panhandler any money. Last time I did that I got a look that disgusted me and I swore to myself, never again.
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Dude, you gave him a quarter.
 
AdamK47 said:
I'd find a way to outsource the panhandling. I'd have an army of panhandlers loyal to me through very coercive means. There would be a 20% cut for each of them to keep. I'm just generous like that. A good heart and all.
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im sorry someone beat you to it already! Slumdog Millionaire is real and the pimps take it to a whole nother level with kids....
 
luv2liv said:
im sorry someone beat you to it already! Slumdog Millionaire is real and the pimps take it to a whole nother level with kids....
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Yeah there are stories of people intentionally mutilating kids because those kids are more likely to get money
 
s0me0nesmind1 said:
$400/day would probably beat 99.5% of people's salary here.

First off, that is in non-taxed income since you know they don't report it for obvious reasons
On top of that, $400/day isn't limited as a salary, so effectively you could supposedly earn $400 x 365 = $146k in non-taxed income.

That's not to say I believe this story, I'm sure panhandling is entirely dependent upon the area, dates, weather, and (generally) how fucking stupid people are in the vicinity.

I always wonder what goes through the heads of the dumbfucks that hand them money. "I'm super duper cool. I did my good deed for the day!"
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Exactly.

This is non-taxed. So, it's in essence like making $510 a day. 7*400= $2800 non-taxed. In addition, they can do what the hell they want to do. IMO, that's freedom. Freedom is being able to do what you want whenever. The only issue is if they're not panhandling then no money.

The big issue is if they are happy to do it. If so, then that's all that matters.
 
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