The city nearest me has, over the past three years, been increasingly beset by pan handlers. The city has realized that a good number of them are NOT homeless people or even people who are majorly down and out, but pros. Hard to imagine why someone would choose to stand on a corner daily rather than work, but then again, for some of them it’s a part time job.
To counter some of this, or at least to prevent money given with good intention the city has gotten together with merchants and charities. Vouchers are now sold to give to the panhandlers. Some can be used at local thrift stores, or grocery stores, but not to buy booze. I am not aware of all the details of the program.
I myself started to get cynical when over the course of the last year, every single major intersection and every exit and entrance to shopping centers has someone with a sign.
In one shopping center, there is a woman dressed in nice business clothes and wearing kitten heels, that apparently uses her lunch hour more lucratively than visiting the local diner. I only see her during lunch hours on week days.
I know a person doesn’t need to be entirely homeless or have lost every single possession they had to be down and out and need a boost…but even the city has recognized what all of us have been noticing; panhandling has become a sort of industry here lately.
And…when some of these people “come clean” and talk about their chosen career, they make considerably more per day than a minimum wage job does. Twice what my take home pay was a couple of years ago when I worked retail.
For sure there are homeless people out there. People who are truly looking for work, or need a good meal. Shame that the shams are eroding people’s good will as well as taking money from those who need it.
All of us have to live our own conscience, I have certain folk in town that I help out from time to time because I believe they are in genuine need.
