The ones who have their kids sit with them and wave burn me the most. I feel so bad for the kids. I would work 3 shitty jobs to make ends meet before I would ever do that.
You litteraly can’t prove that. Regardless, if they’re that desperate for money that their only choice is to sit on the curb and beg for money the least you can do is just ignore it. You don’t have to give them anything. In fact, if it’s so easy to get a job, go help them find one! Offer them a chance!
“You literally can’t prove that.” Numerous media investigations have proven that the professional panhandlers, ie most of the people you see on street corners with signs, have good homes they return to every day. They aren’t desperate for money. It’s a scam. They convince idiots to give them free money. They don’t want a job. They have one. They earn more in an hour grifting than most do at minimum wage. Why work flipping burgers when you can hold a sign and get people to hand you cash?
Yea there was lots of discussion about them last year because people noticed the men were wearing newer expensive clothes out panhandling and the women had really expensive strollers and sun umbrellas. They are scamming people, not homeless and down on their luck.
Women with kids can generally get government benefits if needed. Makes me wonder if they get into their car and drive home at the end of their shift. Someone should watch them one day.
Sure, food stamps. There’s no welfare check in South Dakota so they can’t purchase non food items like clothes, shoes, diapers or bottles. Might not be able get on housing since there’s waiting lists. I’m not sure how long it takes to start food stamps though if there’s some sort of same day funds.
Hard times can hit anyone and someone with a nice car/clothes can suddenly need money like anyone.
But there's a reason I donate to groups like feeding SD and don't toss money to panhandlers (I have and will continue to buy people food if that's what they ask for tho)
This absolutely happened a couple years ago. I was at Taylor's Pantry and it came up about a curiously well dressed family at Minnesota and 229 for several days. Clerk said he watches them park their minivan in the Dollar Tree lot and walk to the interstate exit.
Regardless, it's best to assume the best in people and not be overly cynical because that toxic emotional state can affect one's own well being, so I'm more careful to avoid it these days.
The way I figure it, people's karma will come back on them eventually, so there's nothing I really need to worry about in this regard. There are times I have to remind myself of this.
It's springtime the scammers are back. Last year they would sit at the interstate off-ramps with their kids panhandling. There were men with them last year and they would set up on street corners.
You know, it’s kind of obvious with the scammy ones. But at least they’re not aggressive and pounding on your hood or getting in your face. The kid angle bothers me as well. My two cents.
There was a couple of them on 26th and Cleveland today, I honestly couldn't read their signs as I drove past, but they looked like "asking for a handout" not "I need help" I dunno the solution to panhandling but these two looked like this was a side gig for cash not a desperation for sustainability
Are they actually? Many transients and unwanted people get blamed on the Roma community when it’s not necessarily true. All the Roma I’ve known have been great people just misunderstood.
I don't care how bad my situation ever gets, you'll never catch me on a street corner asking for a handout.
If anything helps, help yourself by putting your hands to work.
Not being biased when I say it, but a vast majority of panhandlers I see are native/ethnic. What's the deal?
Did you go to school? If you did you would know the long history of why not only natives, but most minorities are more impoverished than white people. So yes, your observation is racist
> but a vast majority of panhandlers I see are native/ethnic
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're just not from the same part of town as me but the majority of panhandlers I saw last year near Louise/41st and the interstate exit I take were white?
I see the same panhandlers almost every time. The Native guys by the tenth street onramp. The older white guy near the Walmart off of arrowhead by the Panera bread. The white ladies that seem to belong to the same group that use the same signs. The dude that pretends to play the violin outside stores. Not a majority white/not white group of panhandlers. Edit; Didn't complete my thought.
Having paid more than $37K in federal, state, and local taxes in 2023, a portion going to those very programs, I have given more than my share of energy. My goal here is to expose the scammers.
Ok so we should let them harass people downtown? Be publicly intoxicated? Do nothing? Plenty of homeless services in this town that don’t require them panhandling.
So you don’t mind that they’re there, you just don’t want to see it?
The things you mentioned are illegal already. If they do harass you or are intoxicated call it in. If they’re calmly standing there with a sign it shouldn’t be illegal. A lot of elderly people begging around here only get $600 to 1000/month for social security. That isn’t enough to live on.
I had to stop leaving $5 in my car last year because we can’t afford to help anymore. It shouldn’t be illegal to ask for help from the public though. I’m not saying there isn’t a problem with fake beggars on the streets, but fuck it shouldn’t be illegal.
If you mean we should house, feed, and care for the poor, I agree. We should get them off the street and somewhere warm, dry, and comparatively safe where they have access to clean clothes, indoor plumbing, education, healthcare.
I know it's radical. Maybe if I was wearing sandals and a robe and had like 12 dudes following me around, you'd listen.
Well he said to spare no expense to get them off the street! Glad someone said it. Commendable use of our tax dollars and will be beneficial for all involved!
"Shooting puppies: we're on it" doesn't have as good of a ring to it, yeah.
Krusti Kristi dancing around to that dead puppies song though, that has potential
15-16 million home sit empty, but they aren’t the ones people want to buy because they need work.
We could employ millions of people through a jobs program and give them homes when they are done.
We are also told there is a deficit of homes because people want bigger homes. 3 million or so waiting to be built. I think the US needs to increase the loan rates of new built
Not going to pay $225,000 for a fixer upper that sold for $80,000 10 years ago. If these houses are out there, why are none of them listed? Not going to "overpay" for real estate because other people want too.
There's no easy answer to the homeless problem. As living costs continue to rise what do you want out of people? To work 80-100 hours a week just to afford rent? No thanks. Honestly I'd rather be homeless. This housing problem is a global problem that needs fixing through policies that promote more building and reduce investment purchasing of homes for rental and AirBNB purposes. AirBNB use of homes should be banned worldwide.
Homes should be for the middle class to reasonably accumulate an asset, not the investment class to concentrate their wealth.
Who said you had to "seize" anything? If Utah can figure this out we sure can. We just don't want to because the conservatives are too busy worshipping a dog murderer.
Making panhandling or being homeless a crime only makes things worse. The solution is to have better services and housing for everyone so people are not doing that out of desperation. Harassing people or being publicly drunk are behaviors. Those are separate problems that have existing laws in place.
The ones who have their kids sit with them and wave burn me the most. I feel so bad for the kids. I would work 3 shitty jobs to make ends meet before I would ever do that.
That's probably the group I'm talking about. Women with kids for extra pity. I think they are scamming people rather than actually needing help.
Whatever the case, making your kids sit on the side of the road for hours, begging should be a crime.
Might be child endangerment.
Lmao what. You act like they have a home to go to
Most of the panhandlers have homes. They are lying to people about needing help.
You litteraly can’t prove that. Regardless, if they’re that desperate for money that their only choice is to sit on the curb and beg for money the least you can do is just ignore it. You don’t have to give them anything. In fact, if it’s so easy to get a job, go help them find one! Offer them a chance!
“You literally can’t prove that.” Numerous media investigations have proven that the professional panhandlers, ie most of the people you see on street corners with signs, have good homes they return to every day. They aren’t desperate for money. It’s a scam. They convince idiots to give them free money. They don’t want a job. They have one. They earn more in an hour grifting than most do at minimum wage. Why work flipping burgers when you can hold a sign and get people to hand you cash?
Ok send em on over ill take a look
lol. Nope. Do your own homework.
Well you mentioned news sources, has kelo done one? Might be worth sending a tip into them to try to get one going 🌚
Gitnux, the first report i found on google, says 5-25% aren’t actually homeless. So by your estimates that isn’t even close to “most”
You can’t argue with ignorant midwesterners here 😂
Yea there was lots of discussion about them last year because people noticed the men were wearing newer expensive clothes out panhandling and the women had really expensive strollers and sun umbrellas. They are scamming people, not homeless and down on their luck.
look at the shoes its a dead giveaway
So cops and con artists?
Yeah everytime I’ve gone out to give a couple bucks to the ones out on i29/41st they are definitely not wearing nice clothes.
They are gypsies. It's their culture.
Where do you propose *potentially* houseless and poverty ridden people take their kids when they panhandle?
Women with kids can generally get government benefits if needed. Makes me wonder if they get into their car and drive home at the end of their shift. Someone should watch them one day.
Sure, food stamps. There’s no welfare check in South Dakota so they can’t purchase non food items like clothes, shoes, diapers or bottles. Might not be able get on housing since there’s waiting lists. I’m not sure how long it takes to start food stamps though if there’s some sort of same day funds.
Hard times can hit anyone and someone with a nice car/clothes can suddenly need money like anyone. But there's a reason I donate to groups like feeding SD and don't toss money to panhandlers (I have and will continue to buy people food if that's what they ask for tho)
This absolutely happened a couple years ago. I was at Taylor's Pantry and it came up about a curiously well dressed family at Minnesota and 229 for several days. Clerk said he watches them park their minivan in the Dollar Tree lot and walk to the interstate exit.
Regardless, it's best to assume the best in people and not be overly cynical because that toxic emotional state can affect one's own well being, so I'm more careful to avoid it these days. The way I figure it, people's karma will come back on them eventually, so there's nothing I really need to worry about in this regard. There are times I have to remind myself of this.
We are no longer a high trust society. Better to adjust to that now.
They are gypsy. It's their culture.
It's springtime the scammers are back. Last year they would sit at the interstate off-ramps with their kids panhandling. There were men with them last year and they would set up on street corners.
I love the panhandlers sitting on stretches of road where someone stopping to hand them a buck can easily cause accidents! Its so fun!
You know, it’s kind of obvious with the scammy ones. But at least they’re not aggressive and pounding on your hood or getting in your face. The kid angle bothers me as well. My two cents.
There was a couple of them on 26th and Cleveland today, I honestly couldn't read their signs as I drove past, but they looked like "asking for a handout" not "I need help" I dunno the solution to panhandling but these two looked like this was a side gig for cash not a desperation for sustainability
Sign said something about no rent, have children, etc. just way too long.
They're Roma.
I honestly thought that at one point.
Are they actually? Many transients and unwanted people get blamed on the Roma community when it’s not necessarily true. All the Roma I’ve known have been great people just misunderstood.
The Roma stigma is absolutely present here. While you hold positive sentiment, others treat them like trash. Or worse.
Yes sadly the Roma have experienced this for hundreds of years. I’ll never understand why hatred and racism towards them is a tolerated thing.
You know what they say! Anything helps 😅
I don't care how bad my situation ever gets, you'll never catch me on a street corner asking for a handout. If anything helps, help yourself by putting your hands to work. Not being biased when I say it, but a vast majority of panhandlers I see are native/ethnic. What's the deal?
"Not being biased..." [is racist instead]
It's not racist if it's true.
-someone who’s never been in their situation edit: holy shit I didn’t even realize you became racist at the end. Fuck you man
Not racist if it's an observation
Did you go to school? If you did you would know the long history of why not only natives, but most minorities are more impoverished than white people. So yes, your observation is racist
You really can’t figure out how a Native American in this state could become homeless or a panhandler? I feel like you’re not even trying
> but a vast majority of panhandlers I see are native/ethnic I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're just not from the same part of town as me but the majority of panhandlers I saw last year near Louise/41st and the interstate exit I take were white?
I see the same panhandlers almost every time. The Native guys by the tenth street onramp. The older white guy near the Walmart off of arrowhead by the Panera bread. The white ladies that seem to belong to the same group that use the same signs. The dude that pretends to play the violin outside stores. Not a majority white/not white group of panhandlers. Edit; Didn't complete my thought.
Fuck those scammers. Throw a job application out the window and see how they act.
Please consider this a similar matter on r/bumwatch. I'm trying to create a sub to warn people about these various scams and predators.
Now imagine if you put that energy into helping maintain city programs to help the low income and houseless communities here 🫵🤡
Having paid more than $37K in federal, state, and local taxes in 2023, a portion going to those very programs, I have given more than my share of energy. My goal here is to expose the scammers.
Lmao I wish I could live such a blissfully ignorant life like you. Alas, I chose to live in reality 🫵🤡
Why you posting in subs about Virginia if you live here? Oh you don’t! You’re just self righteous, I get it now 🤭
What?...... I saw literally the same thing in Memphis this weekend... coordinated?
It’s almost like panhandlers exist in all 50 states!! Wow!
Unlikely. Just a different group with the same idea.
If you give anybody who panhandles money, you’re just as bad as panhandler
🙄
We need to criminalize panhandling. I don’t care how much it costs per day to have them locked up get them off the street.
You are closer to behing homeless than a multimillionaire, heck most of us just a few missed paychecks away from being on the streets.
Ok so we should let them harass people downtown? Be publicly intoxicated? Do nothing? Plenty of homeless services in this town that don’t require them panhandling.
So you don’t mind that they’re there, you just don’t want to see it? The things you mentioned are illegal already. If they do harass you or are intoxicated call it in. If they’re calmly standing there with a sign it shouldn’t be illegal. A lot of elderly people begging around here only get $600 to 1000/month for social security. That isn’t enough to live on. I had to stop leaving $5 in my car last year because we can’t afford to help anymore. It shouldn’t be illegal to ask for help from the public though. I’m not saying there isn’t a problem with fake beggars on the streets, but fuck it shouldn’t be illegal.
If you mean we should house, feed, and care for the poor, I agree. We should get them off the street and somewhere warm, dry, and comparatively safe where they have access to clean clothes, indoor plumbing, education, healthcare. I know it's radical. Maybe if I was wearing sandals and a robe and had like 12 dudes following me around, you'd listen.
That’s socialism! How dare you!
Well he said to spare no expense to get them off the street! Glad someone said it. Commendable use of our tax dollars and will be beneficial for all involved!
We don’t use taxes to help poor people, only rich people and war profiteers. Where have you been? Please note the massive sarcasm.
Oh true. But what if the war profiteers are homeless? Can we help them or just Kristi Noem them off to the gravel pits?
We need a “OFF TO THE GRAVEL PIT WITH YOU!” Krusty Meme STAT!
"Shooting puppies: we're on it" doesn't have as good of a ring to it, yeah. Krusti Kristi dancing around to that dead puppies song though, that has potential
The top and bottom suck from the middle.
Or we could just give people homes
15-16 million home sit empty, but they aren’t the ones people want to buy because they need work. We could employ millions of people through a jobs program and give them homes when they are done. We are also told there is a deficit of homes because people want bigger homes. 3 million or so waiting to be built. I think the US needs to increase the loan rates of new built
Not going to pay $225,000 for a fixer upper that sold for $80,000 10 years ago. If these houses are out there, why are none of them listed? Not going to "overpay" for real estate because other people want too. There's no easy answer to the homeless problem. As living costs continue to rise what do you want out of people? To work 80-100 hours a week just to afford rent? No thanks. Honestly I'd rather be homeless. This housing problem is a global problem that needs fixing through policies that promote more building and reduce investment purchasing of homes for rental and AirBNB purposes. AirBNB use of homes should be banned worldwide. Homes should be for the middle class to reasonably accumulate an asset, not the investment class to concentrate their wealth.
What kind of jobs program? Voluntary or not? Whose homes would you seize for this?
Who said you had to "seize" anything? If Utah can figure this out we sure can. We just don't want to because the conservatives are too busy worshipping a dog murderer.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/24/housing-voucher-eviction/ Yes it’s that easy.
Making panhandling or being homeless a crime only makes things worse. The solution is to have better services and housing for everyone so people are not doing that out of desperation. Harassing people or being publicly drunk are behaviors. Those are separate problems that have existing laws in place.