Panhandlers in Your City?

[mlkfan]

So I live in Omaha, NE - it's a pretty affluent area (the billionaire Warren Buffett lives here). But there are alot of panhandlers - if you hang out at the Downtown library and ask 10 people if they've "been hustling today" - atleast 5 of them will mention something about "flying a sign". Highway Exit Ramps & busy areas Downtown appear to be equally lucrative.

Last Sunday,  I seen a dude digging in the trash - he was literally hovering/leaning over the receptacle, feet off the ground

He was wearing a coat in 70 degree weather too...

While he was digging, a family of 4 came out of the steakhouse. The Mom and kids were carrying on a conversation like he was invisible, but I saw the father step away. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out about 10 bills and sets them on corner of the Trash Cylinder. (I was too far away to see but I think they were fives.)

The funny thing is, the guy didn't even look upwards or use his peripheral vision to acknowledge the man, he just grabbed the money and continued digging in the trash

About 3-4 years ago I was at Fareway (grocery store in Omaha). My dad let me wander off into the snack isle, and I get approached by this female. She asks me if I know where Lincoln is, and I start giving her directions on how to get there. She cuts me off, and is like "Listen...I know where it is, I just saw you and noticed you were the only one my age" (she was atleast 25, i was 11). She then went on to explain she ran out of gas and needed to money to drive all the way to Lincoln. I had 3 Bucks in my pocket so i gave it to her. Now that I look back on it, she had a deep tan (not orange like President Trump, but closer to Steve Harvey). And besides that, her make up was dried out, and smudged like she hadn't washed her face in 2-3 days. So I think she was a "tweaker" (meth head).

Like 2 Summers ago, I went to NYC for vacation and was at the train station (i think Penn or Grand Central?) charging my iPad. So I'm sitting on the floor, and a 30 y/o dude comes up bluntly and says "Yo, I just got out of jail can you help me out if you've got anything?" I appreciated how direct and to the point he was, and he had a chill vibe. I asked him what he did to go to jail, he laughed and said "Trying 2 get some money..." he didn't seem like he wanted to elaborate. Now that I think of it, He was dressed like it was 2005 - Baggy Rocawear Jeans + 4x White Tee + NY Fitted + Wheat Timberlands - I wonder if this guy had actually done a long prison stint and got released that day? But anyways, I reached into my pocket and gave him about $5 worth of quarters i had.

Not even 15 minutes after that, a  White Woman in her late 20s comes up and starts a conversation. (On a looks scale, she had 6-7 face, was 5'8'' 125 lbs, very healthy skin with no sunburns or freckles)

The weird thing is, she actually knelt beside me which immediately made me suspicious. I forgot what we were talking about, but for the 1st minute or so she was making small talk about the NYC area. Then after 2 minutes or so, she goes..."Now this is going to sound weird" and I immediately had the

face. Since she tried to be conniving/manipulative I basically told her to ****, plus I had already given the jail guy most of my money. The weird thing is, she was dress like a normal middle class person (jeans + blouse + NB running shoes). She basically look like an elementary school teacher. As she got up and left, I wondered if she legit had run out of money and didn't know what to do, and came off so awkward because this was her first time having to ask for help? But NYC is such a strange city, I bet there are normal middle class people who make a full time living doing scams like this.

What is it like in your City? Is this something that pretty much happen across the country?

 

[wayniac211]

Cats out here in NorCal be asking for a couple dollars. I asked them the same question.

 

[putting in work]

NYC is the worst

From those annoying people that get on the train singing, dancing, playing monkey bars on the poles

I never give anything... ever. I am a NYer tried and true and I know the hustle from a mile away.

I used to give years ago every now and then but now I don't even acknowledge them.

I always think to myself the more you give them the more they are inclined to keep begging and never try to better their situation.

This dude one time told me that you should never give them because your tax payer dollars already comes out to provide for them.

Remember also this newspaper article about 2-3 years ago with this dude who was saying that he panhandles somewhere in NYC probably by Wall Street or somewhere good that he gets a lot of money or something like that.

Dude said he was making close to $1700 daily before lunch time and it was on the front page of the Daily News and not sure if it messed up his hustle. He did have a dog there with him and that's how he was getting over because people felt sorry for the dog so that's why they were more inclined to toss him some money.

 

[balldontlie206]

Seattle is BAD but it is relative to the homeless situation in general we have going on. Sometimes I give, sometimes I walk on by. There are a few decent ones that approach me with respect or make me laugh but others are drunk or high most of the time 

 

[shogun]

It seems like every time now I'm in NYC at least 2 people will ask me for money. I just give them whatever change is in my pocket. I'm slightly OCD and germaphobic though and hate when they will randomly put their hand on you. I don't like random people touching me.

 

[addict4sneakers]

I saw 4 cats out here in Dallas running an intersection like Brodie, Poot and D'angelo.

 

[SC kid]

My favorite is........

"Hey man...lemme talk to you for a second.....im not gonna ask for no money i just wanna talk......."

Or when cats get mad at you cuz u didnt give them anything what the **** loool ?

 

[kingkoopa]

I feel bad for those people.

A couple times a summer I go out with my moms church to hand out water and sandwiches.

 

[kevenmayne]

I'm in Chicago and it's the same guys I see on the same intersections everyday..they already know not to ask me for stuff, although one claimed I told him I'd be back with a sandwich for him and never came back ha..

I saw one of the dudes not on his corner walking around talking on a cellphone one time . Dudes are there on my way to work, and there on my way home from work.

One time at like 4:30 on dot, I saw this one guy coming into the corner with a bag of fast food and a drink to literally replace the current guys "shift", he even got there and said he had to use the bathroom, so he'd be back real quick. It was like a real job worker coming in man. Thought it was hilarious, i guess these dude have systems amongst each other. I def see some of them on different corners at separate times of the day

 

[quise2024]

If i have leftovers i usually give them to them regardless what the sign says. Around here its mostly just "anything helps".


Back home in GA tho, i feel like majority out for a scam. I visited my sister down in Valdosta one weekend and she told me about a guy who panhandles around a walmart. She was tellin how he just spends a cpl hours trying to get stuff but parks his car about 4 or 5 blocks away.


Drove over, sure enough there was a decent lookin car cant remember what it was. We ended drivinf back by not long after andnsaw him walking towards it





I panhandled as a kid though to raise money for going to a world series. Not the same though

 

[gentrification]

NYC bums are calm compared to San Francisco bums.

 

[balldontlie206]

Man one time I was waiting for the bus and there was this older dude yelling "I'M HUNGRY!" and I remembered I had a banana and a granola bar in my bag. I tried giving it to him and he shook his head in disgust. 

I was kind of taken back because I was like bro, you need food, here is some. So the first thing that came to mind was "You must not be that hungry then"

And I got on the bus. Driver was laughing at me for falling for the okie doke 

 

[HNL HI]

My favorite is........

"Hey man...lemme talk to you for a second.....im not gonna ask for no money i just wanna talk......."

Or when cats get mad at you cuz u didnt give them anything what the **** loool ?

I see this dude at the mcdonalds drive thru pulling that, also seen him freestyling for another car 

seen a young dude with need beer money sign. also seen a dude with a sign that said need money for plane ticket, can't handle the weather. 

 

[that dude173]

NYC bums are calm compared to San Francisco bums.

True. Was out there last month and the situation out there is bad, the ones we came across were very aggressive and pushy. Was walking down Market St and one came up to me and asked if I was going to eat my leftovers (had a doggie bag) I said yes and I guess he didn't like it.

 

[isco]

God I hate Penn Station

 

[SC kid]

Ill give em something if theyre real about it.

Last summer this dude came up all sweating and dirty and he was like "hey man ima b real with u...im just trying to get some change to get a cold beer lol"

Bought him a cold one.

There was also this guy that lived near the gas station by me who would dig for food in trash but absolutely refused when anyone offered him food. I dont think he was right in the head.
But this dude would always say wassup to me when i went in.....never asked for anything.....just said wassup.
One day i went in and i was like yoo..."you need anything?" He asked for a black n mild and i got him one. After that Everytime i went by there id get him a black and mild....no words exchanged ...no thank you... just hand it to him and a courteous nod of a head.

Those little kids hustlin hard ill give em some money too .
There was this little girl who said she was trying to raise money to go to speech and debate thing or join a speech and debate club or something lol....i told her to convince me why i should give her money and she did a HELLOVA job lol.

 

[Fong$tarr]

Cats out here in NorCal be asking for a couple dollars. I asked them the same question.

We have tons of homeless in SF still and even just the random weirdos that ask for money. There is even an old lady that sits literally everyday near my office that asks for money everyday and I don't think she's even homeless. I just think she likes asking for free money everyday. It's annoying cause when people give her a dollar, she peals out like a decent amount of cash as if she never had any. Even some chinese ladies do that near the Bart trains. Just asks for money everyday cause well, it's free.

 

[danikerhino]

I don't give young able bodied people money. Just mostly old and disabled. Like above, in SF you learn to deal with them person by person. I always acknowledge them and at least say "no" and usually they're nice back since I don't flat-out ignore them(unless I'm in a rush).

 

[ICEBERGSLIM]

they never get a dime from me, not like they would appreciate it anyway.

i remember i was running into a store where there's usually a couple panhandlers posted, i was walking fast enough that they couldn't really stop me to give me the whole pitch, but this one female bum just yelled "money!" like i'm supposed to stop in my tracks and give it to her. for some reason that **** really irked me.

 

[ninjahood]

if u not break dancing or playing a musical instrument you're not seeing paper from me.

 

[joe billionaire]

lol when bobby hill panhandles cause the cooler kids do it

 

[Peep Game]

I don't know any fancy homeless people in Houston. All the ones I've seen out on the street look like they've been there for years. The ones i really feel bad for are old ones with oxygen tanks and walkers. Sad they aren't linked to any family to help. I've given out money here and there.

There was this one time though i had been giving one panhandler change for awhile, then I was driving back to my house one day and saw that same homeless dude pull out some keys, unlock a door and go into a house

 

[Fong$tarr]

if u not break dancing or playing a musical instrument you're not seeing paper from me.

I agree. NYC folks go all out. I recorded this on the train when I was out there years back. You'll never see this in SF so this was really unique. They got a dollar from me anyways.

 

[aNYone]

Got hit with the mean okie doke a couple years back. I was coming home school and was about to get on the train at 125th but I wanted some pizza. So I went to on everything of the dollars slice spots right next to the train. Now if you know this area you know that you can get grimy at certain times of the day what's interesting characters. So as I'm in the cop in my slice I do pulls up like yo I'm super hungry can I get a dollar to buy a slice. I usually don't give out money but today I was feeling different. I handed him a dollar and son did an about face and walked right out the spot [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]. I definitely help fund his drug addiction.

 

[numbah1grimey]

Depends on my mood. Most I've given someone is $10. I usually give $1-5 though. Hey, if I can give Nike $100+ or go out and buy expensive clothes, nothing wrong with giving someone a couple dollars. I could possibly be in their shoes, and be homeless my damn self one day. Keeps you humble and puts life in perspective.