re: Is New Orleans like a 3rd world country?

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People begging for money every where you go. - check.

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Strangely, they don't really "beg" or otherwise panhandle for money per se in New Orleans. They offer to "bet" you $10 if they can guess something about you (e.g., "I bet I know where you got your shoes," or "I bet I know how many kids your momma had"). Technically, you're still getting hustled by them, but the panhandlers seem to feel that they are actually earning their pay this way, much like the street musicians earn tips, etc.