It is ridiculous to watch the majority of panhandlers here in Austin. I know, I know, some have severe mental health problems, drug issues, treated bad as children, blah, blah, blah. But just SOME. Trust me, I have seen them answering cell phones, park cars to get to their spot, and more. These people have decided that this is their JOB. Their source of income. It is embarrassing. But, it is the fault of the people that stop and hand out cash. You are encouraging it. If one car every three lights gives a dollar, that equals $20 an hour. Forget minimum wage. This is real money. Ok, say the generosity is only 1/2 that amount - it is still $10 an hour. Sign me up.
Nature and the economy abhore a vacuum. As long as people give out the cash, we will always have the beggers on the corner. It is a damn good business. For those that truly need assistance, make the local government do their job. The taxes we pay should fund the assistance. Not this side economy that makes our town look like the streets of Jakarta.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Newsvine
Furl
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
Icerocket
It's not just unattractive
It's not just unattractive seeing the panhandlers on the side of the road, but it's also a bit scary. Some of these people are getting really aggressive and I find it very stressful to wonder if one of them is going to do something to harm me if I don't hand over the bucks. I do not like it and wish someone in government would do something to stop this. I've almost run over some who were in the middle of the road at the light change. This is illegal, but no one seems to care enough to monitor it. Some have already been exposed as collecting for bogus organizations. I consider it unsafe for panhandlers, drivers, and intimidating, even sometimes scary. All this and it does make us look like a third world country.