being targeted by panhandlers

[KellyHabersham]

*Just a minor gripe which I have.........had problems with this on and off when I still lived in my apartment and had to walk everywhere*

I hadn't been approached by panhandlers in a long while, but had three incidents within the past few days. Two of them occurred within a minute or so of each other - I'd gone to the store during my lunch hour at work, and while walking back, was first approached by a guy asking for change. (the guy had seen me getting something from one of the soda machines outside the store)

Not too many feet away, I had a guy try to sell me a bus pass......I didn't look at it to see if it was valid, but I already get one for free through my job.

Then this afternoon, I took the bus to Subway to pick up some dinner for my daughter, and had a woman ask me for change or something.....she said she needed help paying for medical care for her little girl. (no idea if this was true or no, she was alone)

Anyhow, while I understand that people are sometimes in bad situations, I sometimes feel like I get approached just because I'm a young, solitary female.

[jackfaire]

The targeting is dependent on multiple factors all tied into how likely they think you have money to spare.

Dressed nice because your coming from work and you have to dress up for your job where you make getting by check to check wages they assume you have plenty to spare.

Have a nice piece of technology that took you a long time to pay off. You must have lots of money to spare.

Unfortunately if you trigger their "they have money" radar it doesn't matter how little you have.

[telecom_goddess]

I get so sick of this too. I'm forever getting hit on for change and cigarettes. Plus the petition signers are out in full force bugging everyone on the train going home. I just wanna go home leave me alone

[guywithashovel]

I get this sometimes at the local gas stations. I guess I get targeted if I'm stopping there before or after work because I dress up for work (dress shirt, tie, and dress pants), and they probably see that and think, "Okay, he must make loads of money." (Side note: Wearing a tie to work does not automatically mean the person makes six figures a year). Fortunately, it doesn't happen that often.

But yeah, it is annoying, especially if it's somewhere wearing clean, new-looking, name brand clothes (which it usually is).

[mikoyan29]

I keep seeing the same people around time at the exit ramps mostly. I sometimes wonder if they have a ring.

[blas87]

They do it around here mostly in the spring/summer, same highway entrances/exits. Cardboard signs and all. One time, I was on my way to my bf's place, had to stop at Wal-Mart's pharmacy on the way, there was a guy holding a sign. When I left, a woman was holding the same sign, and the guy was in their car, that was parked in the grass by the median.

I'm just glad my car is always locked when I'm in it. Some of them stand so close to where cars stop at lights down by the big mall and then the surrounding roads are mini-malls, at the bottom of the hills where the stoplights are.

[powerboy]

I hate when that happens to me. I just usually dress casual and people thinks that I have money.

[Andara Bledin]

I just tell them that all I have is debit.

I also never give money, anyway. Most recently, I gave away a berry smoothie from Costco to a guy on an offramp. He must have said "thank you" a dozen times before I got out of earshot (the light was green as I passed, so I only slowed down, not stopped entirely).

^-.-^

[Nekojin]

"I don't carry cash, sorry."

[siead_lietrathua]

if i have change, i'll give it out. sometimes hang and shoot the shit with them too. some have really interesting stories.
i'm aware i have it pretty well off for a minimum-wage lacky and don't mind sharing what i can.
but never to the ones that chase people down for money, or are rude.
last time i met some street kid, hung waiting for a light to change, and gave her enough to buy a meal. talked subculture and how people base everything on apperance. bright kid, sad to see her panhandling.

[Akasa]

Around my apartment there's 4 regular panhandlers, all of them insane. They all ask for "bus money" but are pushing shopping carts. As if the bus would let a shopping cart on it? No, no money for you.

[KellyHabersham]

Mainly what bothers me is when the panhandler asks if they can have or use my bus card........I receive mine through work, and would get fired if anyone but me uses it. (Not that I would expect everyone to know that, but this particular bus card doesn't look like the bus passes which the general public would use)

[freeatlast]

A couple of years ago I was working at the Home Show which is held at the State Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds are located in a really bad area of town, and to get back to my office I had to drive through several back streets with lots of stoplights. I usually drive with the window down about 3 -4 inches because I smoke while driving. While stopped at a light, I had a panhandler come up to my window to ask for money. I didn't see him approach and when he spoke to me it startled me. I just shook my head and put the window up. Fortunately, the light turned and I could pull away. Made me very nervous to have anyone come up to my car in that neighborhood.

[blas87]

As I said before, that's why I'm so glad I am always locked in my car. I mean, I always used to manually lock my Neon, but my current car is a lot newer and niftier, I can set it any way I want, but it defaults to lock as soon as I shift into drive, and won't unlock until I park. And not all the doors unlock when I park, so no one can just hop in.

[fireheart17]

There was one guy I encountered outside the DMV when I was going for my licence test.

Two stupids with this:

1) he was asking for bus fare.
2) he was asking outside a GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

He was promptly escorted away.

Otherwise, I seem to miss most of the panhandlers for some reason