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re: Panhandling - How bad has it gotten in your city?
Posted on 6/26/17 at 10:13 pm to Dave1999
Posted on 6/26/17 at 10:13 pm to Dave1999
quote:
Lots of charities to take care of them but I think it may actually make matters worse.
I think the explosion of beggars we're seeing is a resultant phenomenon of the drug culture. The new "professional beggars" seem very different from the genuine homeless, at least in Kentucky. They don't use homeless shelters or food banks, for example.
The use of shelters across Kentucky is actually declining while the number of panhandlers is sharply increasing. The improving economy is helping poor people get back on their feet but, weirdly, it seems to be motivating the drug zombies to mimic the homeless in the streets. It's easy to distinguish them from the true homeless because they want only cash, of course.
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Posted on 6/27/17 at 4:25 am to Numberwang
So if a PH uses his dog to increase odds of a handout, what about a street musician, say like you see in New Orleans? They entertain you with a short musical piece and so you "donate" because you enjoyed the experience. A pan handler attracts you with his cute dog, you enjoy cute dogs, maybe pet it, enjoy the presence of the dog, so you "donate" to the PH. I see no significant difference in a pan handler sitting with his dog than I do with man sitting and strumming a few picks on his guitar. I guess maybe the street musician has to pay the city for a business license.
This post was edited on 6/27/17 at 4:29 am
Posted on 6/27/17 at 9:51 am to lsudave1
quote:
It's terrible here in BR, particularly on College Drive
None of them are from here. Come to our town and take our money by begging. I'd like to be able to catch a ref light without being begged.
Posted on 6/27/17 at 11:54 am to Tidemeister
quote:
what about a street musician, say like you see in New Orleans?
Like you used to see in New Orleans, but not much anymore. Now all of them just sit against a building on the sidewalk with a cardboard sign asking for money. They don't even use their voices to beg, the sign does their talking for them.
I used to always carry a bunch of ones (like I was going to a strip club) with me down there and would give "tips" to the street entertainers.( tap dancers, musicians, magic tricks, etc).
Posted on 6/27/17 at 12:21 pm to Numberwang
Around BHM there seems to be three different types: the downtown homeless population; the suburban/280/Mountain Brook young panhandlers; and the strung out/clearly drug addicted panhandlers that are all over the area.
Posted on 6/27/17 at 12:51 pm to ssgrice
quote:
Now all of them just sit against a building on the sidewalk with a cardboard sign asking for money. They don't even use their voices to beg, the sign does their talking for them.
some of them sell the shitty beads to tourist
Posted on 6/27/17 at 5:44 pm to Numberwang
We have one panhandler here where I live who has a sign that reads "Homeless veteran...". Naturally, me being an AD Marine, I felt obligated to talk to him and give him money one day. A month later I see this dude in the next town over walking out of a gas station talking on a cellphone and getting in a mid 2000s Chevy truck. Told my junior Marines not to talk to him. shite like that infuriates me.
Posted on 6/27/17 at 8:07 pm to Numberwang
My personal feelings, if you're gonna panhandle at least do something entertaining. Don't just act sad and hold a sign and stare at me. Dance a jig, sing me a song. I'm not just gonna give you money for nothing you lazy bitch.
Posted on 6/27/17 at 10:04 pm to Numberwang
Nashville has at least 2 on every interstate exit ramp
Posted on 6/28/17 at 10:05 am to DownSouthJukin
You see a lot of it in Alabama at the "travel centers" like Pilot. Coming back from Charleston we stopped right outside Birmingham at one of them and this young white guy approaches me while I'm putting gas in car. Tells me his wife and he are trying to get home and ran out of money for gas. I ask which car is his. He points to a small Ford Fiesta with a rather plain but ok looking red headed lady in it. Looked probably about 20 or 21. I told the dude if his wife would show me her titties I would give him $20 Dude said "really?" then walked back to car, got in and left I was a little disappointed because I have a strange thing for red head titties.
I was a little disappointed because I have a strange thing for red head titties. 
Posted on 6/28/17 at 11:14 pm to BlackPawnMartyr
I usually just ignore the bastards.
Posted on 6/29/17 at 9:18 pm to Numberwang
I carry sack of bottled water, snacks and canned tuna and chicken in car. Stopped giving money, hand em a care package instead. And yes, there are more this year than I've ever seen. One claimed to be founder of Commodores and former music professor (verified professor part) another claimed to be Navy vet from Nam and Gulf War 1. Said VA won't help him. Pretty sure it's PTSD from talking to him. It's very sad.
This post was edited on 6/29/17 at 9:20 pm
Posted on 6/30/17 at 5:16 am to Bankshot
quote:
Mountain Brook young panhandlers
?? Have never seen this.
As someone said earlier, my go to is that I don't carry cash. I volunteer my time several times a year. I give nothing to anyone on the street. There are lots of places they can go in BhM if they are hungry. Most are just looking for a fix.
And to answer the OP, I think there are substantially less in downtown BHam than there were ten years ago. Not sure why.
Posted on 7/1/17 at 8:43 pm to Numberwang
It's unbearable sometimes here in Memphis. Can't pump gas or walk across a parking lot without someone coming up begging.
Posted on 7/1/17 at 10:05 pm to lsudave1
quote:
It's terrible here in BR, particularly on College Drive. There's one dude in a wheelchair here who's out there everyday panhandling, and today he was vomiting all over the place and talking to himself. Really sad thing to watch.
Wow...He didn't have his signs today? I went to Chick Fil A and saw him wheeling around earlier.
Posted on 7/1/17 at 10:07 pm to Fatal Conceit
About the vets saying stuff about the VA. Certain types of treatment require them to get counseling. It's a package deal in some cases. Treatment and counseling. It's not a la carte medicine. So when they say that they might mean they don't want to fulfill the requirements for the treatment.
Not saying it's right, just pointing it out.
Not saying it's right, just pointing it out.
Posted on 7/1/17 at 10:15 pm to Numberwang
We have a few, only because of proximity to Atlanta. I would cuss them out when I came home during busy season.
Now I'm just going to start calling bitching to cobb county cops to remove the eye sores
Now I'm just going to start calling bitching to cobb county cops to remove the eye sores
Posted on 7/1/17 at 10:22 pm to Dave1999
On my last trip to New Orleans which will likely be my last outside of a trip to d-day museum or confer history museum, we saw a kid in his 20s begging. Then outside of the Roosevelt one bum got really aggressive.
Posted on 7/1/17 at 10:22 pm to Dave1999
On my last trip to New Orleans which will likely be my last outside of a trip to d-day museum or confer history museum, we saw a kid in his 20s begging. Then outside of the Roosevelt one bum got really aggressive.
Posted on 7/6/17 at 3:21 pm to heartbreakTiger
We have a few in Columbia that are really aggressive, as well. A few weeks ago, I had a guy approach me as I pumped gas asking for cash. I told him that I only had a card with me, and he was close enough to see about $5 or so in change in the cup holder of my truck, so he asked for that.
I gave it to him, but it had me a little unnerved because he got so damn close.
I gave it to him, but it had me a little unnerved because he got so damn close.
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