How to handle a Panhandler?

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lmbii,
Some changes are for sure in order here! Your most effective defense is avoidance. The second is to not look like a victim! One other thing that concerns me, don't ever let an antognist into your buibble. Passing within a foot of an antongnist is wayyyy too close! Change direction if you have to. If you have no CCW, at least have something! OC, baton, folding knife, and for sure a cell phone! Good luck!
str1
 
Don't look like a victim.

First of all, it appears to me like a lot of people are intimidated by these people. Why, I don't know. I see no reason to be more afraid of a panhandler than anyone else on the street. To me, a lot of people are describing exactly what it looks like to be a victim. Not making eye contact, ignoring them, walking the other way etc.
Just look them straight in eye and tell them to go pound sand.
Works for me.
 
444's right.

I used to give them guys money, helping the poor & all that. Then a friend came by one day with one of his friends who started bragging about how he made close to 400 dollars and a couple hundred more worth of groceries in Denver from kind hearted people, in a single day.

Has a job, wife, house, kids, all that. He said the hardest thing about it was not smoking cigarettes in front of traffic. I don't donate to the bum fund anymore. We did buy a bum a pair of shoes once. It was cold and we seen him barefoot so took him around the corner & got him some socks & shoes. He said another bum stole his shoes while he slept. I doubt he was 'dressing the part' by removing his shoes that cold day.

Now when I get hit up I respond by saying "Wanna work for it?" and they always say something like 'I gotta meet someone soon' or similar and I just go "uh huh" and keep on my merry way. One guy gave a resounding yes once without question and I said "It's digging a ditch..." to which he replied "Lets go", so I gave him a few bucks. I haven't been intimidated by them and don't see a threat in general with them. They're playing on peoples kindness is all. Don't be fooled but don't be afraid to help.
 
In Las Vegas, we have places where people who actually want to work go in the morning to find work. It is a street where guys stand on the sidewalk hoping you stop and give them a job for the day. It is illegal, but everybody hires them at one time or another. Most of the guys out there are not homeless, they are just looking for work. Some of them are skilled, some unskilled. But, this location is not far from the rescue mission, an easy walk and everyone in town knows about it.
So, if you see some clown with a "will work for food" sign, you know he is not serious and is just looking for a handout. It is easier than going out and getting a real job.

A war story:
As most people already know, I am a firefighter/paramedic and before that I worked as a paramedic for a private ambulance company. There are very few days that have gone by in the last 20 years that I have not spoken to or treated homeless people. I have been to all the rescue missions, shacks, camps, sewer pipes, bridges etc. After my experience with most of them, I tend to be pretty cynical, but every once in awhile my compassion gets the better of me and I try to help one of them out. Most of the time it backfires on me. Just an example: One day we ran a call on a homeless guy who didn't have anything wrong with him but it was cold out and he wanted to be taken to the hospital so he could get in out of the weather. Ok, we took him. On the way he told me that he hadn't eaten for three days. It just so happened that we were trying to eat when we got the call and I had my food sitting up front. I said, that is a shame, here, eat my lunch. He started eating it and said, how about something to drink ? I told him I didn' t have anything to drink and he kind of argued with me, so I asked him what he wanted. He said he would like a cup of coffee. I told him that as soon as we got to the hospital, I would get him one. And, I did. When I handed it to him, he said, hey what the hell, no cream ? I poured it out and told him to go to hell.
 
Like many have related , I too am very leary of folks getting too close. Being assertive in appearance , or my open ended response.

I had a classmate react to one I thought was quite unique, she was taking Sign Language , she "signed him" . I was across the way and observed this, trust me -I asked what she "said" - she signed him all right. :p

Many years ago we had a particular group of a religious nature "bothering folks". No matter how one responded - these folks were programed with a reply.

Two of these approached a buddy and myself in the middle of a parking Lot...They asked their normal lead in question and I responded " I'm anti-athesist "....we kept walking, and they resembled the BSOD in their puzzled look.

The "programmer" must not have put that in their database....:)

I've related the gas station story where I was very assertive " I want to see hands- now!" My hand was on my hip and on the grip ,though he couldn't tell since I had a vehicle between him and myself....This is the fellow later caught that matched the description of the perp on video waiting for ladies to leave a purse in vehicle after pumping gas - then going in to pay, get a soda....
 
Not a lot of uncovered territory left, but my response is to immediately make eye contact with panhandlers and say “No†loud and clear as soon as I can tell they are asking for something.

For the guys who stand on the side of the street I again make eye contact and shake my head at them if they look like they are heading in my direction.

I really don’t like the idea of someone getting paid without doing anything useful. I especially don’t like the idea of someone expecting to be paid just because they stand in a public place and ask for MY money.

If someone is down and out I don’t look down on them like some do, but I don’t think that it shows any greater respect for them when I give them a handout. I’m no better or worse than anyone else, that’s why my money is mine and whatever they have or don’t have is theirs.

Gameface
 
A firm "No" usually works. Unfortunately, I once had to defend myself against a particularly aggressive panhandler at a gas station in Phoenix.

"No." didn't work. "Leave me alone." Didn't work. I guess he was in desperate need of a fix or a drink. For whatever reason, he came at me.

It's good to keep up with those hand to hand skills for the times you're not packing. I'm getting too old for this stuff.

By the by. It was 2:00 P.M. in an upper middle class area near Tempe
 
I ask them for a quarter before they get a chance to say anthing.
Calling them "Sir" in a stern voice puts a lot of them off. Usually only ER docs and police call these folks "Sir".
A strong no is good.
"nothanks!"
Speak a gibberish or foreign language, and keep moving.

Often, asking for the time or pretending to be polite, is a segway to asking for money, or a mugging. I am on a higher alert status whenever approached. I am rarely polite, except for the ones I would see everyday and truely beleived they were mentally ill and moderately harmless (I offer to buy these folks food, but always refuse to give money).
When asked "What time is it?" I answer: "Time to get a @#%*$%^ watch!"
When asked for spare change I sometimes yell "there is no such thing as SPARE change".
My favorite response was: I was wearing a suit and raincoat. I also had an earpiece for my tape recorder in my ear. A very pushy fella got too close, so I held my ear and spoke into my watch "bravo team stand down, delta team stand by, we hit a speed bump, we hit a speed bump... Sir! please step back and turn around!" He was totally stunned and ran like crazy, tripping at least twice. It really helped that the President of the had just driven down the street about five minutes before with a huge motorcade.
 
I ask them for a quarter before they get a chance to say anthing.
Calling them "Sir" in a stern voice puts a lot of them off. Usually only ER docs and police call these folks "Sir".
A strong no is good.
"nothanks!"
Speak a gibberish or foreign language, and keep moving.

Often, asking for the time or pretending to be polite, is a segway to asking for money, or a mugging. I am on a higher alert status whenever approached. I am rarely polite, except for the ones I would see everyday and truely beleived they were mentally ill and moderately harmless (I offer to buy these folks food, but always refuse to give money).
When asked "What time is it?" I answer: "Time to get a @#%*$%^ watch!"
When asked for spare change I sometimes yell "there is no such thing as SPARE change".
My favorite response was: I was wearing a suit and raincoat. I also had an earpiece for my tape recorder in my ear. A very pushy fella got too close, so I held my ear and spoke into my watch "bravo team stand down, delta team stand by, we hit a speed bump, we hit a speed bump... Sir! please step back and turn around!" He was totally stunned and ran like crazy, tripping at least twice. It really helped that the President of the had just driven down the street about five minutes before with a huge motorcade.
 
I ask them for a quarter before they get a chance to say anthing.
Calling them "Sir" in a stern voice puts a lot of them off. Usually only ER docs and police call these folks "Sir".
A strong no is good.
"nothanks!"
Speak a gibberish or foreign language, and keep moving.

Often, asking for the time or pretending to be polite, is a segway to asking for money, or a mugging. I am on a higher alert status whenever approached. I am rarely polite, except for the ones I would see everyday and truely beleived they were mentally ill and moderately harmless (I offer to buy these folks food, but always refuse to give money).
When asked "What time is it?" I answer: "Time to get a @#%*$%^ watch!"
When asked for spare change I sometimes yell "there is no such thing as SPARE change".
My favorite response was: I was wearing a suit and raincoat. I also had an earpiece for my tape recorder in my ear. A very pushy fella got too close, so I held my ear and spoke into my watch "bravo team stand down, delta team stand by, we hit a speed bump, we hit a speed bump... Sir! please step back and turn around!" He was totally stunned and ran like crazy, tripping at least twice. It really helped that the President of the had just driven down the street about five minutes before with a huge motorcade.
 
I ask them for a quarter before they get a chance to say anthing.
Calling them "Sir" in a stern voice puts a lot of them off. Usually only ER docs and police call these folks "Sir".
A strong no is good.
"nothanks!"
Speak a gibberish or foreign language, and keep moving.

Often, asking for the time or pretending to be polite, is a segway to asking for money, or a mugging. I am on a higher alert status whenever approached. I am rarely polite, except for the ones I would see everyday and truely beleived they were mentally ill and moderately harmless (I offer to buy these folks food, but always refuse to give money).
When asked "What time is it?" I answer: "Time to get a @#%*$%^ watch!"
When asked for spare change I sometimes yell "there is no such thing as SPARE change".
My favorite response was: I was wearing a suit and raincoat. I also had an earpiece for my tape recorder in my ear. A very pushy fella got too close, so I held my ear and spoke into my watch "bravo team stand down, delta team stand by, we hit a speed bump, we hit a speed bump... Sir! please step back and turn around!" He was totally stunned and ran like crazy, tripping at least twice. It really helped that the President of the had just driven down the street about five minutes before with a huge motorcade.
 
Game face and Doc ... Go for slidelock!

Multi-taps there guys :D Hope my post doesn't do that...

anyway all joking aside, a unique one that I could never pull off was a friend of mine seeing them approach and as they ask the lead-in question he would scream like a girl and jump backwards. he jumped onto gripping a tree once(half climbing on it).

I'm more practical and maybe more lazy. I just say sorry dude no cash only credit card. Now I would like to find a way to keep them from approaching me all together...
 
A friend has a pad of job application sheets for McDonalds & hands them one out the window. You ought to see the looks on the faces!!

:D :D
 
The thing is:

There are panhandlers and then there are muggers. You might think you have a panhandler when you actually have something more dangerous.

Concerning bicycling, I have always gone wherever I want. The bums can kiss my…
 
Columbia now has its panhandlers, too.

Last week, during a visit to the Wilde Lake village center, I stopped by the Natural Food Market and needing some things from the local grocery also, I opted to walk rather than drive the hundred yards or so to the nearby Giant Food shortly before sunset. While walking back my "spider sense" started tingling and I looked around to see a middle-aged man, moderately dressed, ahead of me and about fifty yards to my left. Something told me that he'd make a move to intercept and sure enough, the nearer I drew to my truck the more he diagonally closed the gap until he was almost upon me. He then began calling out "mister, hey mister" and asking for spare change. Although I put on my most sympathetic look, held up my bag, and informed him that I'd just spent everything I had in the store, I was watching his hands, checking for possible accomplices, and mentally calculating how fast I could bring my pocket knife (a 4" Cold Steel Voyager Tanto) into play should it become necessary. (Since Maryland denies its citizens thier Constitutional Right to carry a firearm....:fire: ) He then wandered around aimlessly and I kept my eyes on him as I unlocked the truck and climbed in.


The same thing happened this past Wednesday. I again visited the same Giant, only this time shortly after dark. However per my custom in such cases I'd parked outside the entrance underneath a street lamp. As I was coming out of the store my automatic defenses again went on red alert and looking around saw the very same man, differently dressed, and following the same pattern. He moved to flank me, began calling me "buddy", and asking for money ~ upon which I gave him the same answer while monitoring his hands and instinctively taking a quick look behind me for accomplices. I kept him in sight as I got into my truck and then drove away.


Although some might consider it cruel, I'm not in the habit of giving money to street beggars because more often than not they're looking to us to subsidize thier alcohol or drug habits, and that I refuse to do.
 
I usually say, " *&^*%&$, man, I just gave you a couple dollars a few minutes ago. I don't have any more to spare."

That has put them off every time for me.
 
"They go out everyday and hold up a sign"

There's a woman around here who's been trying to get money to go to D.C. to see her sick mother for 2 years. It's only 100 miles. She could have walked there and back by now.

I was staying with friends in downtown Dublin many years ago and went for a walk early one morning. This youngish, fairly well-dressed guy with a terrible hangover asked me politely from a respectable distance if I could spare enough money for him to get a pint when the pubs opened later. Glad to help. I love an honest man and didn't feel too good myself that morning.

JT
 
I was raised on the streets of NYC also. I learned many years ago that some panhandlers choose that as a profession and it can be lucritive. A firm "NO" is the best way . For those who 'know ' that a person is really down and out and want to help - there was an interesting tv program about a 'down and outer ' who was helped by two or three couples. They gave him money , took him into their homes etc. One is still suffering financial problems because of identity theft and they all lucked out because this 'down and outer' was a convicted criminal and afterwards he was convicted of murder !!
 
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