Handling Panhandlers: Tale of Two Playa Azuls

Handling Panhandlers: Tale of Two Playa Azuls

Few weeks ago at Playa Azul on Broadway, a raggedy man shambled in asking for money. Disheveled and very smelly, he rolled over to our table and burbled a few indistinguishable words. “This is not right,” I said to him, not unkindly but, I hoped, with stern reasonableness. He careened over to another table. In about a minute or so, a little baby at the table started crying uncontrollably, as though in response to the raggedy man, who then went to the front door, wept himself, pissed himself, and left. Though the seafood salad and scampi were divine, I felt very bad about all this but was not entirely certain why.

Tonight I was at Playa Azul on 18th, sitting in the restaurant all alone, and a raggedy man came in. He started talking, said he was hungry, so I gave him two bucks. He handed me a statuette and directed me to give it to my wife (not wearing a ring, I must look married):



Though the huachinango and carne asada were god-awful, I felt very good about all this but was not entirely certain why.

Back home, I gave the figurine to The Wife, as directed. Then, later, when she wasn’t looking, I took it up to my office and put in on my desk, where I can look at it and consider things like responsibility, charity and grace.

Hammond

I guess it is a good thing to help those in need, but I feel I am too jaded. Maybe because I am a girl. All of my encounters with panhandlers have been
awful. Too many scary, perverted incidents for me to ever give to a panhandler ever again.

If you eat in the neighborhoods where much good chow is found, you're certain to be panhandled. You handled it well, Hammond.

Last Saturday as I sat at the intersection of Diversey and Western, I watched a panhandler work his way between cars ion the zero degree weather. How silly is it, I thought, when I'm so fortunate, to make this man humilitate himself in bone chilling cold to gather enough pocket change to get some food.

I gave him twenty bucks which was enough to feed him for two days so that he could go find some warm place to huddle against the brutal weather.

There's a sense of satisfaction in that kind of logic to me.

JeanneBean wrote:I guess it is a good thing to help those in need, but I feel I am too jaded. Maybe because I am a girl. All of my encounters with panhandlers have been
awful. Too many scary, perverted incidents for me to ever give to a panhandler ever again.

As a woman also, I wouldn't say all of mine have been bad, but a few experiences made me rethink the wisdom of rummaging around for money while talking to a stranger on the street. Now, I keep small bills and protein bars in the outside pocket of my bag. The bills are for Streetwise and the bars are for people who want food.

I acknowledge bibi's implicit reasoning about drug abuse and hence the solution of protein bars, but as a former addict (and current eater) I must say that protein bars are aboslutely disgusting and I think even the homeless should have the option of eating things that actually taste good. So even if some, if not all of my money goes to something other than food, it's something I'm willing to live with. no judgment here, just a comment.

At risk of pushing this thread right on over to "Not About Food," here are my two panhandler stories, one short and sweet, the other long and even sweeter. These are examples of giving to panhandlers that went well. This is a minority of panhandling stories; I generally don't give, I check out my charity a bit ... and I watch some of the scams ("I need $27.89 to get to the car impound lot," "My husband needs $7.89 to fix the flat tire on our car" -- the panhandling actors with scams, the ones I used to see two or three nights a week walking across the Loop when I was in law school, for example - same face, same fake story, week in and week out. Those I DO NOT help; and I've saved a few from being drawn in by these frauds.) Anyway, now for the good news.

Short Story: I pull off the Kennedy at Fullerton, my exit. It's just started raining and its clearly going to be a real cloudburst. As there is always at this offramp, a panhandler with a cardboard sign (they all say "God Bless!") is hunkering down for a good soaking this evening. I roll down my window, call him over, and hand him the Totes umbrella I keep in my briefcase. Plus a dollar. That made his day and mine.

Long Story: I haven't seen Matt in two years, and I'm glad. Between about 2001 and 2004, I was Matt's regular mark at the corner of Clinton and Monroe, every day when I went out to get lunch, run an errand, or whatever else might take me out of the office. Matt was a panhandler, but only part time. He also had other, legitimate part-time jobs, that came and went. But he was clearly committed to getting permanent, full-time employment, and though he had his problems, he was sincere about that. Here's a panhandler who maintained a valid driver's license, for example. And he was funny as hell, and interesting to talk to. He wasn't a drunk or a drug user; or if he was, he hadn't burned out. After a few months, I not only did not dread seeing him, I looked forward to it, most days. I gave him a lot of money, sometimes more than I felt comfortable giving, but still. I bought him a lot of lunches, once or twice gave him a lift in my car. After a while, I started to notice some changes, that I thought were in a good direction, for him. He started showing up only infrequently on the corner by my office; he had found steady work. For a short while, when he did show up, he did so driving a car; it was his car. In a strange little way, we were friends. Then I never saw him again; probably two years since the last time I talked to him. I don't expect ever again to have that kind of relationship with a panhandler; Matt wasn't typical. Still, it might be some inspiration for people to keep looking and keep trying. I like to think I made a difference in this case.

All I have to say is that when I start feeling bad I think about the people that bag groceries at my Jewel. Most of them have mental problems and a few have SEVERE disabilities. Yet they go to work every day. One man uses a stick to scoop the groceries towards him becasue he only has one arm and it is very shriveled. Then I see the guy at the offramp begging, and it is hard for me to feel real bad. Like I said, I am jaded. I have been the victim of too many "incidents" to feel bad.

trotsky wrote:I acknowledge bibi's implicit reasoning about drug abuse and hence the solution of protein bars, but as a former addict (and current eater) I must say that protein bars are aboslutely disgusting and I think even the homeless should have the option of eating things that actually taste good. So even if some, if not all of my money goes to something other than food, it's something I'm willing to live with. no judgment here, just a comment.

Congratulations on the former addict part!

I give out a certain amount of cash to Streetwise vendors already and I feel safe doing that. Giving out money to other panhandlers [edited to add: Sorry; I don't consider Streetwise vendors to be panhandling; that was a slip.] is not objectionable to me only because it may not be spend on food; it's the nature of the encounter. I feel a little more worried about someone following me if I give money. I don't want to completely ignore homeless people though because I find it too depressing to act like someone is not there. Giving food is the compromise I have worked out. (Yes, this is all about my comfort and is not all that altruistic.)

I'll think about the protein bar thing. I started giving them out by accident. I had them in my bag because I eat them and, well, I like them. The first few people I gave them to seemed happy so I just kept it up. What else could I give out that would be compact yet nutritious? Nuts? Trail mix?

JeanneBean wrote:All I have to say is that when I start feeling bad I think about the people that bag groceries at my Jewel. Most of them have mental problems and a few have SEVERE disabilities.

Good for them. That would put them in the same category as my cousin Anne, who has Down Syndrome, has worked in a grocery store and is also a pretty storied Special Olympian. But not everybody has that kind of pluck, or that kind of supportive and capable parents. And the world of personal charity elections is not just divided between "poster child" Down kids working hard at Jewel versus hopped-up, scamming, lying and cheating panhandlers looking to make you. The point of my post, a post made by someone who has seen a few slices of humanity, is that there are some people in between who deserve a break, or at least careful consideration.

bibi rose wrote:Giving food is the compromise I have worked out. (Yes, this is all about my comfort and is not all that altruistic.)

It is not all about your comfort. Two people are comforted. The recipient of the food you give receives the greater part of the comfort -- the comfort of not starving, at least for half a day. Your comfort is a minor adjunct to that. Don't feel guilty about giving to people who need your help.

The "Why"

and

The Enabling Myth

gleam wrote:The "Why"

and

The Enabling Myth

That blog is really interesting. I read through most of it when he started getting press attention. I think it really gives you a good idea of how someone can get to be continually homeless. Somewhere on the site, he's got a list of things you can give homeless people that will help.

I think most people completely ignore or disdain the homeless and/or panhandlers and so I agree with JILS and I'm not at all judging people who actually respond to them as people and give them something (anything) to eat.

I also have resorted to eating protein bars myself when things get too hectic at work. Luna bars are better than most I think, the rest taste like grains and very thick paste IMO. (and thanks bibi! I've noticed my interest in food shot way up as a consequence. one vice for another...)

Hi,

My Dad used to drive regularly from Moscow to Italy. On a few occasions I accompanied him, which was quite an adventure. We were driving somewhere in the middle of no where Ukraine when we came upon a distressed vehicle. Much to my surprise, my Dad blew right past it when my inclinations were to stop to assist. My Dad advised it may be a staged situation where there might be others hiding in the woods who will overwhelm you to rob you or worse.

During Iron Curtain period, there were no obvious homeless people like you observe today in many of the former Eastern Block countries. There were Gypsies who panhandled. Apparently the Gypsy children impressed my then 6-year-old sister with their pleadings for, "Bon bons and gum." We were in a hotel in Bucharest, Romania when we realized my sister was not with us. I looked out the window to see my sister begging along side the Gypsy children. I didn't wait for the elevator, I ran down the stairs hoping to catch up with her before there was any possibility of her disapeering.

My favorite gas station is where there have been occasional attempts to scam me. Phoney stranded motorists always want money without any offer to return the money in the future. If they actually attempted to exchange information to return your money, then I might just fall for it.

My all time favorite was the guy seeking $5 because he'd run out of money for gas while collecting a casket. There happened to be a casket store just a few miles north, which gave a slight ring of truth. When I suggested the gas station could work with him to make arrangements. He got angry, walked away, slammed the hood on his station wagon and drove off. Meanwhile I am craning my neck doing my best to see if there really is a casket in the car. When I went inside to prepay my fuel I told them about the guy and his casket, "Oh that scammer is out there again. I have to call the police on him."

Some years ago I went down to Springfield for the State Fair. Before heading home, I took the family to see the Abraham Lincoln homestead. Sticking out of the trunk was quilt rack, which obligated me to sit with the car. A woman ran up to me all very excited because she had found a large sum of money. In my best North Shore reverse snobbery, I just looked at her and said, "So what?" She froze in her tracks, then high tailed in out of there. It later dawned on me this was just act one of a scam which begins with money found, then my 'helping' them.

The first real homeless I regularly encountered lived on the heating grates near my apartment in Washington, D.C. One guy in particular was referred to by the locals as Aqualung, I believe there is a song about him, who was rumored to be a former college professor gone wrong.

My favored way with dealing with the indigent is through charities dealing with the homeless. I also don't mind cooking and serving the occasional meal to folks at Inspiration Cafe or the Katrina victims last fall. I think I have participated in almost every charitable outreach organized through this board and the prior one. I just resist a direct handout where the outcome of the gift may not be food or shelter.

Regards,

JimInLoganSquare wrote:

bibi rose wrote:Giving food is the compromise I have worked out. (Yes, this is all about my comfort and is not all that altruistic.)

It is not all about your comfort. Two people are comforted. The recipient of the food you give receives the greater part of the comfort -- the comfort of not starving, at least for half a day. Your comfort is a minor adjunct to that. Don't feel guilty about giving to people who need your help.

I was walking back to my car from Maxwell Street Market one morning with a big box of apples on my shoulder. A guy came up and started talking about what he needed, and I said, "How about an apple?" and flipped one to him. He smiled, and said "Thanks!" like he really meant it. I think we both felt that this was a mutually beneficial exchange.

Hammond

I have to agree with the person that posted as a woman I'm not all that comfortable with opening up my bag/purse and handing out money. If I have money in my pockets on the side I'll usually give it to someone. The other evening when we were out walking around in Chinatown a person stopped and asked us for money to eat Chinese food on. When I offered to pay for a meal for him he acted angry. I didn't have any cash in my pockets to give him but I would have paid for him a dinner to eat.

One Christmas Eve we were driving someone home and got off I94 on the Irving Park ramp. A woman was standing out on the offramp begging for money saying she was cold, hungry and alone with no where to sleep. Once again I didn't have a lot of money but I emptied out what I had and gave her a big container of leftovers I had from our dinner. I'll never forget how happy she was to get the food and commented it was still warm.

There's a woman that always works the parking lot where my local Hobby Lobby is. She's always asking for 'a quarter to make a phone call' and if you move to give her that quarter it starts to climb up into 'bus fair/cab money' ect. When I was a kid she used to work the other end of the parking lot by the currency exchange, catching people as they were coming out on Friday afternoons.

Years ago I decided that if someone on the street asked me for money because they told me they were hungry, the answer was simple. Feed them. 9 out of 10 times my offer is welcomed. We all deserve dignity. And if offering someone a meal affords us both that dignity, then we are all well served.

I highly recommend this fascinating and moving New Yorker article that explores the public cost of homelessness and some interesting statistical analysis of the average amount of time that people remain homeless. It's surprisingly short: like one day. The vast majority of the homeless are temporarily homeless; the few that are persistently homeless are responsible for a staggering public cost.

The New Yorker wrote:Culhane then put together a database—the first of its kind—to track who was coming in and out of the shelter system. What he discovered profoundly changed the way homelessness is understood. Homelessness doesn’t have a normal distribution, it turned out. It has a power-law distribution. “We found that eighty per cent of the homeless were in and out really quickly,” he said. “In Philadelphia, the most common length of time that someone is homeless is one day. And the second most common length is two days. And they never come back. Anyone who ever has to stay in a shelter involuntarily knows that all you think about is how to make sure you never come back.”

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/a ... 213fa_fact

Seth Zurer wrote:I highly recommend this fascinating and moving New Yorker article that explores the public cost of homelessness and some interesting statistical analysis of the average amount of time that people remain homeless. It's surprisingly short: like one day. The vast majority of the homeless are temporarily homeless; the few that are persistently homeless are responsible for a staggering public cost.

The New Yorker wrote:Culhane then put together a database—the first of its kind—to track who was coming in and out of the shelter system. What he discovered profoundly changed the way homelessness is understood. Homelessness doesn’t have a normal distribution, it turned out. It has a power-law distribution. “We found that eighty per cent of the homeless were in and out really quickly,” he said. “In Philadelphia, the most common length of time that someone is homeless is one day. And the second most common length is two days. And they never come back. Anyone who ever has to stay in a shelter involuntarily knows that all you think about is how to make sure you never come back.”

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/a ... 213fa_fact

But how good of a proxy is shelter use for length of time homeless? I don't know the answer, but am curious.

z

I'd say, read the article, it makes a pretty compelling case.

My response to the panhandler problem is, I believe, compassionate--although some here will surely not agree.

I give generously to "food pantries" (like the Lakeview Food Pantry and the Chicago Food Repository) because I think it's at those places that the homeless and hungry should be taken care of. When I see a panhandler on the street, I resist giving money or food, because I don't particularly want to "reward" his behavior (and thereby encourage more panhandling on the street). I do believe the streets will be overrun with panhandlers (and, God forbid, the interiors of restaurants as well) if panhandling pays. There's no reason hungry people shouldn't go to shelters and food pantries, which exist solely for the purpose of taking care of them.

You may show me studies that "prove" that rewarding panhandling doesn't encourage more panhandling. I don't believe them. I think my donations to organizations are the right, and compassionate, response.

riddlemay wrote:My response to the panhandler problem is, I believe, compassionate--although some here will surely not agree.

I give generously to "food pantries" (like the Lakeview Food Pantry and the Chicago Food Repository) because I think it's at those places that the homeless and hungry should be taken care of. When I see a panhandler on the street, I resist giving money or food, because I don't particularly want to "reward" his behavior (and thereby encourage more panhandling on the street). I do believe the streets will be overrun with panhandlers (and, God forbid, the interiors of restaurants as well) if panhandling pays. There's no reason hungry people shouldn't go to shelters and food pantries, which exist solely for the purpose of taking care of them.

You may show me studies that "prove" that rewarding panhandling doesn't encourage more panhandling. I don't believe them. I think my donations to organizations are the right, and compassionate, response.

I agree completely.

Hello,
This has been the most congenial message forum discussing homelessness/panhandling that I've ever read. I saw the back link to my blog and thought I'd check it out.

I say that it's better not the give to panhandlers as it does encourage more panhandling. They are like stray cats - you feed them once, and they never go away.

But that doesn't mean that you should completely ignore the panhandler. He is obviously in need of some help - I just don't think that supplying his drug/alcohol habit is the answer, (also, if you give food to a panhandler he/she is then able to keep more of their cash for the booze and drugs.)

I always encourage people to get to know the homeless and panhandlers in their area personally. In talking to and getting to know them, you are able to find out what their real needs are. If then you want to help, then help with those things. Unless you really know you can trust the person, and most homeless people know that they can't even trust themselves, then take the effort to go to the store and buy a pack of socks (or whatever) and deliver them personally. That personal envolvement makes a big difference - it's a statement that says "I care about you." Hearing and/or seeing that other people really do care about them makes the biggest difference in the world. Sure, it may be easier to just donate to a local charity - but that message that you care often gets lost in the translation of that middleman.

Peace,
Kevin

Thehomelessguy wrote: if you give food to a panhandler he/she is then able to keep more of their cash for the booze and drugs.

That's an interesting take on what seemed like a more responsible approach. I briefly checked your blog to find your insight is from personal experience.

Thanks for a very thoughtful contribution to this topic.

Regards,

For those of you truly interested in helping the homeless learn to feed themselves, I encourage you to make yourself available to assist at the facilities of Inspiration Corporation.

In addition to feeding the hungry, participants receive counseling and job training through a structured program that is designed to slowly integrate the person back into the normality of structured society.

I am on the board of that organization and I am very proud of its efforts.

www.inspiration.org

Cathy2 wrote:

Thehomelessguy wrote: if you give food to a panhandler he/she is then able to keep more of their cash for the booze and drugs.

That's an interesting take on what seemed like a more responsible approach. I briefly checked your blog to find your insight is from personal experience.

Thanks for a very thoughtful contribution to this topic.

Regards,

Thought 1: It may be true, but it's fallacious to conclude this is a bad (or worse) result than the alternative.. Sure, if the panhandler doesn't have to split his panhandled cash between food and intoxicants (because the food part is taken care of by the Clif bars from helpful marks), then he'll have more money for the intoxicants. But this ignores the fact that, in addition to the intoxicants, he WILL have something to eat. Which he won't otherwise (unless he chooses on his own to split his take).
Thought 2: If me giving a hamburger and fries to my panhandler buddy Matt was evil (or at least imprudent) because it freed him up to buy a dime bag (I'm not saying it did), then aren't organized foodbanks, handing out thousands of pounds of dangerous food, magnifying the drug problem ten thousand-fold? I mean, my God! The LTH food drive collection at the Klas dnner must've fueled a thousand crack pipes! (That, by the way, is an argument reductio ad absurdam, for those keeping score at home.)
Thought 3: If you gave the panhandler a pint bottle of Jack Daniels or a lid of pot or crack or meth or whatever, do you think he'd buy more food with the cash that saves him? 'Cause then maybe we should start handing out shots and hits to panhandlers, jjust to make sure they can afford to go get a good meal.
Thought 4: It's wrong to overanalyze giving. A person is in need. You can see he's not scamming you (i.e., it's not one of those "my car's flamed out in a bad neighborhood and I need to get to Downer's Grove -- can I have $17.48?" deals), then give to him. Or not, but don't be sanctimonious toward those who choose to give in the same circumstances. And, for Pete's sake, DO continue giving to organized charities. Of course they do more good than any "random act of kindness," at least in a utilitarian sense. But as homelessguy points out, the personal impact of showing you, an individual, care about the panhandler has its own value and helps confirm the basic humanity of basic humans.

No one is disputing that there are plenty of hustlers out there. Anyone living in an urban space has grown up hearing many of their stories ad nauesum, all of which don't need to be repeated here as proof that not everyone you encounter on the street is being "honest" or truly "deserving". I'm generally not honest about a great number of things and I have a cush job, I'm well fed, and I read food and travel blogs all day. I don't have to hustle people for money, I've somehow managed to convince an institution to pay me lots of money for not so much work.

There are a few times when I've actually had to ask strangers for money or a ride (out of sheer carelessness/irresponsibility/bad luck on my part, not because I was actually down on my luck) and I was surprised at how exceedingly difficult and humiliating it was. I missed the bus when I was a grad student and waiting for the next one meant I wouldn't make it on time to teach my class. It was totally mortifying to approach people in La Jolla to "tell them my story," and then ask for either 1. a ride or 2. money to jump in a cab on the corner (I had left my wallet back in the apt). The wary, jaded looks on people's faces, that cried out, "Oh God, who the hell are you and why are you walking towards me?" was harsh but the worst were the people who just ignored me and walked away. I was one of many grad students who were completely full of themselves and I felt demoralized and totally worthless in less than 5 minutes.

trotsky wrote:There are a few times when I've actually had to ask strangers for money or a ride (out of sheer carelessness/irresponsibility/bad luck on my part, not because I was actually down on my luck) and I was surprised at how exceedingly difficult and humiliating it was.

I had not thought of asking for rides as similar to asking for money, but in a way, it certainly is. In 1969, I hitchhiked from Chicago to Boston in under 24 hours -- though I did have the advantage of traveling with a long-haired hippie chick, which helped getting rides... a lot...but still, it was more sport than anything else, and I sometimes wonder if the people who ask me for money are not playing a kind of game. This is NOT to say that some of the folks -- probably MOST of the folks -- actually need the money, but there's a certain gamesmanlike attitude one must adopt, a kind of confidence man type approach, insinuating oneself into another's good graces to get something from them, and I been there myself, is all I'm saying, though until this moment, I didn't think of it that way.

David "Humility is good for the soul" Hammond

Regarding the gamesmanship aspect, yes, one would certainly have to adapt to the circumstances quickly to not become completely abject. But at the same time, I feel like most people want the homeless to be totally abject, pathetic, and self-loathing, otherwise, they feel they are being hustled.

I do have a problem delineating what is obviously a gray area.

I think that when a person has an option in helping a homeless person, that they should look for ways to become more personally involved. Yes, feeding a homeless person is good, though there are consequences, but taking a homeless person with you into Taco Bell and eating a meal with him, and using this as a way to begin a dialog, is a whole lot better than just handing your doggy bad out the window as you drive past him.

that's more of what I meant.

Thanks for helping me see this better.