Aggressive panhandlers
 

Has anyone had to deal with panhandlers becoming more aggressive these days? A few years ago when I first moved downtown I posted up an incident where one shoved me around and since then I haven't had any issues. Now it seems like they're getting more and more ballsy.

I'm in line at the 7-11 and they're begging everyone for change. I'm driving down the street and they don't even offer to clean windows anymore, they just come hammering on windows for money.

The coup de gras came today when I was crossing the street. Seriously, thats all I was doing. Crossing the street.
One of them kept getting in front of me like he was trying to collect some sort of junkie crosswalk tax.


Anyone finding they have problems with this trash?

I've actually noticed it being the entire opposite from you. For a while now I seem to be running into nicer panhandlers. Asking me extremely politely and even if I say no they thank me anyways. I've definitely been in your situation though I can't stand aggressive panhandlers who think just because they got nothing that we MUST give them something or else.

I just say the samething my Grandpa and and Dad taught me to say. "Why don't you get a fucking job you bum?" I've continued the trend with my son, my three year old tells my dog to get a job minus the cursing everytime he begs. It's foolproof and to the point and it also makes me laugh everytime.

I was actually going to start a similar thread the other day. There's been a few times now where I've seen a couple people with "Hungry - Need cash for food" style signs in front of them. Three people now I've asked if they wanted some food I happened to have with me or in my car, or even if I could go buy 'em something. The first guy in Kamloops I asked if he wanted some fresh fruit I had just purchased a few minutes ago. He wrinkled his nose and said, "Hell no." Another guy in Vancouver a few months later was panhandling down the road from a pizza-by-the-slice joint on Granville and I offered to buy him a drink and some food. He also turned down the offer, albeit in a slightly nicer manner than the guy in Kamloops. The last time was just down the street from Macaroni Grill in Vancouver. I had some leftovers from dinner and we were walking to Stanley Park with the doggybag in hand. Some guy walks up to me and my (then)girlfriend asking if we had any change so he could go buy some food. We both offered him our leftovers and after we told him what it was (some pasta and salad) he said no. :confused:

I realize that a lot of people use the excuse because it sounds nicer than saying "I need change for drugs," but when people at least offer you food, at least pretend to take it and give it to someone else who may actually want/need it.

never had a problem with panhandlers... never expieriences or seen aggressive ones either

maybe aggressive is the wrong term



they do seem to be more desperate these days tho, i think less ppl are as giving as they used to be




ive seen more people ask for food or money for food and they even say "you can buy me the food" (being near a mcdonalds or food court etc)


and to Lomac offering leftovers to someone is pretty demeaning to them, sure they may be hungry and homeless but at least give them some respect :/ i offered a guy some burgers i bought but they were still wrapped etc and he took em

on another note a guy asked for money for some food in front of a save-on once and i gave the money to him but he just walked right passed the entrance -_-

Oh, I understand that and it's not that big of a deal. But even offering to buy them food or to give 'em some stuff that I had just purchased from a grocery store and having them say no? I dunno...

I'll give them respect when they respect themselves. Its not like they don't have resources to get themselves off the streets, especially in this city.

LOL reminds me when I was in HS and bums would ask for change to take the bus. I whip out a bus ticket from my book and their like fuck no. Stupid fucks shouldn't be so picky if you ask me. Treat them nice and they disrespect you, treat them poorly and you get the same treatment. That's why I don't bother with them because it seems to be a no win situation with them. Of course there are always some "decent" panhandlers but too many of them are jerkoffs.

There's one guy that used to come by my work everyday, usually at the same time. One day a co-worker and I were outside when he came running by with his bag of popcans and ended up chatting with him for a bit. He'd run almost an entire circuit of Langley city every day, looking for bottles and cans to return. He said that while he's considered homeless, he doesn't panhandle, nor beg for food or money from others. He's doing what he can, how he can. My co-worker even offered him a smoke and he told her that he hasn't had one since he's been homeless, and that he'd rather not get addicted to 'em again, that they took too much of his money. He's doing his best to save up and get back to a proper life. He was a real nice guy, and every once in a while, we'd chat and this and that. It's too bad that a lot of people out there don't have the same drive that this guy has.

Great work by him. I give mad props to homeless people who are like him. So your a homeless guy ok fine that sucks I know but when you do absolutely nothing in your power to get back on your feet and all you do is beg for money that ain't so cool in my books.

Being stereotypical, I tend to think at first why they can't get a job, especially those who are not missing a limb or blind or have any other visible disabilities.

I've had a squeegee guy make fun of my car.

i dont know about that, as the saying goes, beggers can't be choosers. if i couldnt afford food, i wouldnt be too proud to reject someone's leftovers if that's what it took to survive. a lot of people out there in the world eat a lot worse than a doggy bag from a restaurant.

someone asked for my leftovers before and i gave it to them, i figured it was ok. though i can see what you're saying though.

We had a project at Richmond Center the last few weeks. Every single morning there is this bum sitting against a building just west of the mall on No 3 Road that just sits there with his hat beside him. He's probably late 30's maybe 40, I really want to kick him in the face. I hate going to work but you gotta do what you gotta do.....

I was in Washington today. Stopped at a red light I saw a teen at a light holding a "spare a dollar for food" sign. She had that pink streaked, vans shoes, wannabe punk chick image. I was like she doesn't look that poor (then again, a lot of homeless kids you wouldn't be able to tell are homeless if you just saw them on the street). But anyways, she then lights up a cigarette and I was like wtf nocash4u if you're gonna blow it on a money sink like cigs.

I still remember the time a long time ago, there was a homeless person sitting outside the London Drugs on robson street. He had with him a golden retriever and held up a sign that said something along the lines of 'please donate money so that my dog can eat'.

I went inside the London drugs to purchase a bag of dog food as well as a pack of doggy treats and handed it to him. He was very polite and thankful.

^^
Being a owner of 3 dogs and just a huge dog lover I hate seeing homeless people with dogs. The look on the dogs faces is just so sad. However, i suppose it could be a lot worse for these dogs as so many are just abandoned straight up. Also although these homeless people can't offer much it does seem they try to treat these dogs to the best of their ability which is better then a non homeless person who doesn't give a shit about their pets and end up abandoning them.

anyone notice those homeless/hippies at the terminal stop(broadway, comercial) for the the 99-bline?

those guys always hold up sings that ask for food. They are really nice guys, but at the same time they would ask for cigs.


however, I do notice an increase in aggressiveness attitude for those hobos.

chaaaange?

that's not going to be enough. Their population is growing faster than what just one .50 caliber rifle can kill.

In downtown, there's literally at least 1 hobo on each block.

I wonder if i could successfully panhandle on the internet...anyone wanna send some spare change to my paypal account i need food.

Line them up :P would probably go through at least 3 heads... Lol

fuck that reminds me of that scene in Schindler's list where the Nazis lined Jews up in the ghetto and fired their K98s point blank... uncool.

You wouldn't happen to be walking by down thurlow just passing melville would you?

I saw the exact same thing. It was a black guy and he looked sketch! All of sudden it goes up to a guy as the crossed the street and asked for change or something. I had my ipod on so i didn't hear the convo but it wasn't something you'd see everyday.