How best to respond to panhandlers?

[Bleak Morn]

Not sure what it's like in your area, but here in Columbus, OH we have a lot of panhandlers.

 

Downtown they are rove the streets and in other areas they patrol parking lots and stand by the side of the road with signs.

 

It's clear that they continue to panhandle because it pays well enough for them.

​So I was thinking about the most Zero Aggression Principle way to deal with them.

 

To start with, how about just ignoring them?  That'd be the least aggressive way to respond.

​The problem is that they generally ignore attempts to avoid or not engage.

​The State has enacted a number of rules that the police enforce to deal with "aggressive panhandling".  It prohibits panhandling along side roads, panhandling where it is prohibited, and panhandling near ATM's and parking meters or parking lots... the kind of places people commonly handle money in public.

​I'm decisively assertive, yet polite when confronted and the more experienced ones don't waste their time and move on to the next mark.  A good number of the more desperate ones throw a little tantrum, yell, and hurl insults.

​I've also noticed that they tend to prefer hassling the elderly - while it's not obviously violent, it seems kind of like a grade school lunch money shakedown.

​It's also common in the local police reports to read of robberies that start out with panhandling (or the pretense of panhandling) then escalate to a robbery.

​At what point should people hold their nose and involve the state to enforce their laws about such harassment and thus protecting others from encountering it?  Or do you think it's best to just ignore it and let the panhandlers move on to pester someone else?
 

[shirgall]

Offer to have them join you for lunch. I had zero takers when I worked in downtown Portland, OR.

[youzer]

I used to provide a business card that contained a list of charitable organizations in the area that the person could contact.

[flazak]

I used to provide a business card that contained a list of charitable organizations in the area that the person could contact.

 

Good idea!

 

Maybe if the local charities offered some kind of token in return for a donation that allows the panhandler to eat a meal etc, this would be better?

 

EDIT: Thats it then, vouchers. You give a charity the money to pay for a meal, shower or room etc and they give you a voucher then when you see someone begging you give them the voucher that entitles them to a free meal at Charity X. If you donate more to the charity you can give them a voucher that will give them a meal, a room and a shower ! 

[ValueOfBrevity]

Touch your empty pockets and say "I was about to ask you the same question!"

[jason_]

If they're able bodied, the best thing you could do is offer them a job. The situations is probably going to get worse; the economy shows no signs of getting better. If you're threatened, that's what you pay the police for, but I wouldn't count on them. In the kind of neighborhood you describe, it sounds like it would be prudent to own a firearm.

[flazak]

If they're able bodied, the best thing you could do is offer them a job. The situations is probably going to get worse; the economy shows no signs of getting better. If you're threatened, that's what you pay the police for, but I wouldn't count on them. In the kind of neighborhood you describe, it sounds like it would be prudent to own a firearm.

 

Only offer a job if your certain you will both benefit from it! You would need to get to know them first, they may have issues! It would be a big commitment and they would be your responsibility. I think the best thing to do is point them toward a charity that can help them, preferably one you already volunteer for or donate to.

[dsayers]

If they're able bodied, the best thing you could do is offer them a job.

I can't imagine an employer who would reward the behavior of asking for a handout instead of pursuing earning. That's actually what I think about every time I see a panhandler: Why aren't they using that time to get a job?

[ObserveandReport]

I can't imagine an employer who would reward the behavior of asking for a handout instead of pursuing earning. That's actually what I think about every time I see a panhandler: Why aren't they using that time to get a job?

When I was younger, I paid to go to an event called the National Youth Leaders Conference. There, the organizers brought before us a man who had been battling with homelessness. He asked us how many of us think that the top causes of homelessness are drug and alcohol addiction. Many of us, including myself, raised our hands. As it turns out, job loss is the number one cause of homelessness. This particular man had gone straight from highs school into the tech field, as he had a good head on his shoulders and could use computers better than the average person at the time. When his company downsized, he was without college education and without experience enough to land him in the rapidly evolving tech industry. The number one thing he said is that many people on the street lack basic human interaction and that if you sit down and talk with them over food, you are doing them a far greater service than giving them money. This can all be taken with a HUGE grain of salt because god knows where the numbers of his stats came from, or the veracity of his story. However, I'm inclined to believe that many people who started off poor and fell on hard times could slip into homelessness without a good supportive family. 

 

I've had some negative experiences with panhandlers, but I've also seen them be gracious in the face of rejection. I think the worst off don't panhandle because they lack the communication skills. These are the men and women you see muttering to themselves or people they think are there. I agree with the others above that direct charity is a good response. I think it's also important to call out those who seek to bully others. The only thing I would add is that I've passed many a panhandler not able bodied and not able minded. I know Stefan is skeptical of mental illness, but it's hard to be a skeptic when you are watching someone who doesn't know anyone's watching. 

[jason_]

I can't imagine an employer who would reward the behavior of asking for a handout instead of pursuing earning. That's actually what I think about every time I see a panhandler: Why aren't they using that time to get a job?

 

Only offer a job if your certain you will both benefit from it! You would need to get to know them first, they may have issues! It would be a big commitment and they would be your responsibility. I think the best thing to do is point them toward a charity that can help them, preferably one you already volunteer for or donate to.

 

Yeah, I agree that begging is not the kind of applying of ones self that attracts employers, but for able bodied men who are destitute a job would help them out the most, IMHO. And yes that job wouldn't do much good unless both parties were benefiting. 

[Mister Mister]

I can't imagine an employer who would reward the behavior of asking for a handout instead of pursuing earning. That's actually what I think about every time I see a panhandler: Why aren't they using that time to get a job?

lots of reasons - they may be mentally ill, have addiction problems, criminal record, or just no work experience or pedigree.

[Bleak Morn]

Homeless orgs in my city have "street cards".  They're huge and a pain to carry around all the time (http://columbushomeless.org/Street%20Card%202.28.16.pdf).  We do have a 2-1-1 (http://211.org) number where people can call and get help.

 

As for the jobs, I'm not really interested in hiring anyone at minimum wage... though I could probably use the help of a software engineering intern.

 

To the guy that suggested a firearm, I've been an NRA Certified handgun defense instructor for over 10 years and carry at all times.  While I'd like to avoid situations that could escalate, it's not my primary concern.  I just see a lot of weaker folks getting their emotional arms twisted.

​Most of the responses I've seen to this post kind of side-stepped the question of whether or not I should get the cops involved to handle the situations when the law has been violated.