urbanSTL

in any major city in the US.

I am also sick of these people making the bus stop at west of 14th street on Wash. as their own personal space. Anytime I go past there, someone jumps out trying to bum some money from me.

The last straw was my date and I walking last week to the Dubliner and this bum followed us asking for money to the Rue 13 from that bus stop. I finally confronted him and told him to back off. He mumbled something and turned around. My guess is they think if a guy is walking with a girl, they will cave in and give them money.

RANT ON



Man, what a bad day. Even using the best don't-make-eye-contact-walk-on-the-far-side moves I got panhandled 6 times today. Once on the way into work, three times at lunch and twice going home. Dude on the Metrolink platform started getting aggressive and started cussing me out. He was about 9 inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter than me so I shot him my best glare and he took off mumbling.



I hate this sh*t. I'm starting to understand why some people hightail it out to the suburbs.



RANT OFF

Sucks for you. Dare I ask, which station were you at?



Not sure if it's the same as panhandling, or been discussed before, but how do you all feel about street performers? Do you ever give them spare change?

High fives for the F's that give these people money! YOU are contributing to the a potential failure of a redeveloping downtown!

If people didn't give these bums money, then they wouldn't be out asking for it. You don't feed the pigeons...

I give street performers change if they are good. Good street performers can add so much to a city's liveliness. New Orleans comes to mind. Now they have some serious street performers.

I dig the street performers. I love the ones painted silver in New Orleans. I could go for that here.

The begging problem is common in most major cities. If someone asks me for money, I just look them in the eyes and say sorry, but no. They often thank me for the fact that I even acknowledge their existence, and I go on my way. However, I agree with a lot of the frustration with everyone here about the downtown St. Louis problem. Lucas Park and some of the other areas look like trash dumps. What’s with junk hanging from trees lately?



In London, homeless people tend to congregate in park areas, sit on benches and drink beer. The more clever ones beg during the daytime and have adopted stray dogs as pets. The dogs tend to appeal to the dog-lovers resulting in more donations. On a few occasions, I even saw parents bring their children up to homeless people to give them small bags of change, which I assume the child had saved up. They are just part of the urban life.



Its good to support street performers, it makes the city more interesting and can sometimes provide good entertainment.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:If you don't make eye contact, they might think you didn't hear them. Do what I do - I stare right at them, but keep walking. That way it is crystal clear that I can hear them, but cannot be bothered to even acknowledge that they are speaking to me. Works like a charm.

Most of the time I avoid eye contact. When there's eye contact, I usually do what you do and just keep walking. If I do say something, I say it without slowing down my pace, and oftentimes I'll simply mumble, which leaves the panhandler frustrated or confused.



I guess I've been lucky. I've spent a lot of time downtown lately and I haven't noticed many panhandlers. It's been weeks since one has confronted me.

Got hit up leaving Broadway Oyster Bar last night. This lady followed me and my friend for half a block, I said 'Sorry, don't carry cash' 5 times. This is something that has always worked for me, but this time the lady didn't seem to understand. She said, I'm just asking for some change... What is that? CASH. OF WHICH I DON'T HAVE ANY!



I don't mind being panhandled, but don't harass me. I understand where I am, and the likelihood of being asked for change. But when I say no, kindly leave.

Some county lady was actually bragging in a letter-to-the-editor recently that she gave $20.00 to one of those highway-offramp-sign-carrying people.

Doug wrote:Lady asked me yesterday at Delmar Station if she could have money for her kid. She really wanted liquor or smokes. Maybe if people were honest I might give them some money. At least they wouldn't be insulting my intelligence.

The other day here in KC, a guy came up to me and asked for money. He said "I'm going to be honest with you, I just want a cold beer." I wasn't going to give him money before that, but I went ahead and gave him the change that I had, I think it was about a buck fifty, that'll get him a doulbe deuce.

"I'll be honest with you, I just want a cold beer too........................BUT I'M ON MY WAY TO WORK SO I CAN'T HAVE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Panhandling is an irritation, not a problem.

<B>Aggressive</B> panhandling is a problem. It ruins your day and gets the aggrssion built up inside you. Simple fact of psychology...... Anger begets anger.

Our DT is on the verge of becoming a "place to hang out" again. Who would want to hang out in a place where people are constantly harassing you and cussing at you? The civic leaders need to wake up.

^ True.



On my way through the CWE metrobus station this morning a very sweet old woman asked me for enough money to get a pack of cigarettes. It did kind of piss me off - she's used her little ol' lady act to panhandle! - but she was quiet and didn't ask twice.

In the train station in Milan, a Gypsy carrying a toddler asked me for money. When I said no, he whispered in the kids ear. The kid started spitting on me. I wanted to stilleto the man and spike the kid like a ***** football I was so mad and disgusted. I guess that is why I don't get mad very often at St. Louis panhandlers who (in my experience) are more of a nuisance than a plague. But I do want our city parks back.

^ Don't get me started on the Gypsies! At least our pandhandlers don't mutilate their children in a bid for sympathy! Now that I think about it, our pandhandlers are almost cuddly!

Grover wrote:^ Don't get me started on the Gypsies! At least our pandhandlers don't mutilate their children in a bid for sympathy! Now that I think about it, our pandhandlers are almost cuddly!

If you can call cracked out/methed out cuddly.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

TGE-ATW wrote:In the train station in Milan, a Gypsy carrying a toddler asked me for money. When I said no, he whispered in the kids ear. The kid started spitting on me. I wanted to stilleto the man and spike the kid like a f***ing football I was so mad and disgusted. I guess that is why I don't get mad very often at St. Louis panhandlers who (in my experience) are more of a nuisance than a plague. But I do want our city parks back.

I would have spit back.

And you would have been pummeled by more gypsies than you can count! Seriously - that's one group you don't want to mess with.

Can someone elaborate? Are gypsies like the homeless people of Europe, or are they what popular lore has them as (travelling magic people)?

bsharmastl wrote:Can someone elaborate? Are gypsies like the homeless people of Europe, or are they what popular lore has them as (travelling magic people)?

Gypsies are more well known for pickpocketing and other forms of thievery rather than simple panhandling. I was in Rome and saw gypsies pickpocketing on the bus I was on. The locals warned me to look out....



Check here: http://www.reidsguides.com/t_sc/t_sc_gypsies.html



And more info on the Romani (gypsies): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people