What is the best way to deal with panhandlers?

In a word, yes. That's exactly what I do too. Keep distance, don't stop moving.

The only time I have been to San Francisco, a few months ago, I was walking with my wife and kids, she said no to one (of many) and he followed and yelled that he wasn't invisible. I was getting more than a little itchy.

Salt Lake City, on the other hand,, has a shelter which has never been filled to capacity. They don't make it easy for them to stick around, no excuses.

I don't know the best way, but giving them my spare change always works for me.

Food yes Money NO

I always tell them I will walk to the nearest source of food and buy them a meal (I decide what kind of meal) but under no circumstances will I give them money. They usually argue but then walk away. They are not hungry, they want booze, smokes or to buy dope. One jerk actually thought he would test me and I walked one block to a sanwich shop with him and bought him a sandwich. As we walked I commented that he smelled like cigarettes and asked him how come he could afford tobacco but not food. He did not reply. Got to the shop and I told the clerk I was paying..then the complaining started. He didnt like their sandwiches or drinks. Isn't it funny how when you catch someone in a lie (Im hungry) then suddenly it becomes everyone elses fault except the liar.

I don't want to get that close to or extend my hand to any stranger. It is a bit foolish to say I carry a gun to protect myself, and then let strangers get close enough to attack me.

I usually just say "No thank you" as if they were offering to shine my shoes.

used to be friends with one in my younger years... guy would make $60+ per day, sitting down in front of the store drinking beer out of a brown paper bag... he made even more when us kids paid him to go get us beer

"sorry, no" and keep moving, always keep moving.

Usually the "no" works. I did have one continue to approach in an angry manner , when I was walking with wife and small child. This one got the eye contact, left hand raised, coat swept back and a flat emotionless "stop right there." He got the message.

Make eye contact; shake my head no regardless of the nature of the request; keep moving and ignore them. If they truely are needy, they should find the nearest social services agency and that isn't me.

I usually reply nonsense in a foreign language...
such as "das unterwasserboot is kaput." ("the submarine is broken")
or "mein gobblestappler is schiesser" ("my forklift is crap")
Usually works every time.
;-)

"Los arcos rotos donde sufre el tiempo."

(The broken arches where time passes)


"Yesh li glida he tova."

(I have the best ice cream)


Or the ever popular:


"All your base are belong to us."

Hand them applications to places in that area ..

mljdeckard said:

I don't want to get that close to or extend my hand to any stranger. It is a bit foolish to say I carry a gun to protect myself, and then let strangers get close enough to attack me.

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Since you are most likely familar with the Tueller Drill and aware that anyone within 21 feet could attack you before you had a chance to pull your gun and you don't let anyone strangers close enough to attack you, that would imply that you maintain a distance greater than 21 feet from all strangers.

How do you walk down the sidewalk or shop in a grocery store?

Cough.

Loud and wet.

Before they come close enough to start hitting you up.

It works very well.

Those guys all know about drug-resiststant TB and other diseases. The pros consider it an occupational hazzard they don't want to face. The unfortunates consider it a daily risk of their life.

Otherwise just say "no thanks" as though they had offered you something and walk on. Most work on volume and don't want to waste their time on non-payers.

Hit them up for spare change before they get a chance to ask you.

Otherwise "Sorry dude, can't help you".

Each situation is different.
Depends on time of day, location, if just one, or more than one.
Add male, female, young, old, and yes even kids present.

Stoplights and Panhandlers differ from rounding a corner, those in the bottom of a stairwell, inset building entrance, in line to give blood at 6:30 am.

My take also includes pretending to be a panhandler.
UC LEO and I, learning from the streets.
PhD of Sociology and doing this, with him and his class to read people, places and things.

Some panhandlers are NOT, instead lookouts, and scouts.

If they reach out with left hand for instance you are a mark, and the others in this team will catch you around the corner, or near your car.
If they reach out with the right hand, you are not a mark.

Some are stone deaf, some might be Schizophrenic, some off meds ...
I've met the nice, person, quite sad, still Schizophrenic, and they were not panhandling, instead in their mind, maybe the voices told them to ask for a dime, as that is what they remember they were supposed to do if lost, scared and had to call home , or a neighbor if lost or scared.

She had a Cell Phone, clipped to belt, just got scared staying with relatives, in a strange house, dropped her meds , got scared, and walked outside...
She saw a school bus, and it would not stop, and she was following it, so she would not be late for school.
She wanted a dime to call home, dad at work and tell parents she missed the bus...

"Do you hear the voices?" -Schizophrenic
" No. I know the voices are real to you, I do not hear them".
(this is the correct reply)

Interesting insight there sm.

I've met the nice, person, quite sad, still Schizophrenic, and they were not panhandling, instead in their mind, maybe the voices told them to ask for a dime, as that is what they remember they were supposed to do if lost, scared and had to call home , or a neighbor if lost or scared.

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I never thought about that. I know that some/many of them are nuts. Most are harmless, but my inclination is to be wary.

For my part, a pleasant, "nope, sorry" tends to work well. I did have one instance though where one came up on my 7 months pregnant wife in a dark parking lot. I quickly came around from the drivers side and strongly ordered him to "back away from my wife and my vehicle" while glaring at him. He stopped as if he was surprised and then muttered something at me along the lines of "what comes around goes around."

In truth, I felt kind of bad about treating him so roughly, but he was a big guy and I was defending my pregnant wife. So, no real regrets.

The Left hand / Right Hand thing is interesting. Could you please explain it to me? I've never heard of it before. This may be something I could add to my toolbox for street awareness.

My coworker got asked for a cigarette, replied he did not smoke, he kept walking, the guy walked with him, then sucker punched him in the eye. Then both of the guys he was walking with got jumped by two more guys hiding in the bushes. This happened a couple of weeks ago in the "safe" city of Madison Wisconsin. It was bar time, I am sure they all had some pops in them, point is, don't assume the person is not sizing you up.

The Left hand / Right Hand thing is interesting. Could you please explain it to me? I've never heard of it before. This may be something I could add to my toolbox for street awareness.

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Street Signals.
It could be anything a group of folks agree upon.

Homeless often have a set of signals to communicate with each other, anything from letting it be known a person coming is a "good" homeless person, or there is a bunch of punks coming and these mean trouble, or Police and Rescue Mission folks are near to anything.

Ever seen Clergy, Rescue Mission or other Social Folks appear and all of a sudden quite a few other Homeless (panhandlers) show up?
They do not have cell phones and call each other, simple street code and communications is what they use.

Criminals often have look outs, and teams have those "making marks".
It could be tossing a cigarette means to follow a person and this is the target.
Someone sitting down on steps, or rising up from.

Many folks only see what the BG wants them to see, and do not realize often times, there are others around.
It depends, and sometimes something deters a crime, and it has nothing to do with how a person actually handled it, instead the crime was aborted.

I say no or sorry. Keep alert.

Huh... interesting. Thanks. I'm going to be looking for this sort of thing now.

I usually give the, "nope sorry" works well so far.
I have had a buddy hand OUR hot fresh arbys sandwiches out the window of his truck to a guy who truly looked down and out. He seemed very sincerely appreciative to it.

If you are inclined to give to those in real need one way to sort it out is ---SMELL. Someone really homeless smells like they havent had a bath forever - because they haven't. If you are downwind from them you know they are homeless. Now the pandhandelers I have very little sympathy for. Get a productive job.

This angle of gangs having lookouts who signal a target is a new area for me. Definatly need to add to situational awareness thought processes.