Halfway_Home Wrote:
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> Another problem you run in to is that while you
> may want to make it illegal in your county, most
> people panhandle on state roads due to the volume
> of traffic, so any county ordinance for these
> individuals would be moot. I don't live in Fairfax
> but I live and work in a nearby jurisdiction. The
> county I live in looked in to banning panhandling
> not too long ago. We decided not to go with a
> permit system because it is kind of stupid. We
> went with educating the people who think that
> giving $1 or $5 is really going to make a
> difference in a panhandler's life. Giving to a
> panhandler is more for the giver than the
> recipient, a magnanimous moment that leads to more
> problems than it fixes.
>
> I had to do outreach to the homeless and
> panhandlers for my job. Panhandlers can easily
> make anywhere from $500 to $800 a day
That amount is a bald faced lye! And only if any one gives a SUBSTANCE ABUSER monetary help does it not do any real good to give money.
Some, but rarely, are truly in need of the gift of cash. And if any given person is simply LEGALLY asking for help and nothing more, such as directly asking for money, it is legal and can not be interpreted ad panhandling. And if any given person offers money as help as an un-cohersed gift, the given one requesting the help can LEGALLY accept it as a gift. And the one asking for help can not be weasling out a cry baby story in between time making any potential references of money, either. That can LEGALLY be interpreted as panhandling as well.
Then, of course, you have 'corporate townships' inside county's like FX, VA. that 'rule the roost' and sometimes permit 'non-aggressive' panhandling -
Because, this type of panhandling, is, of course, not suggestive of a substance abuser. Substance abusers always get aggressive in their requests/demands for $CASH$. IMPATIENT for their next FIX of the alcohol or drugs they are addicted to.
And the ones making SUPPOSEDLY making more than one or two hundred a day - depending on how long they spend daily panhandling - are usually the substance abusing, highly aggressive ones that end up getting themselves in trouble with 'The Law'. Get mixed up busted more often than not for one thing or the other. They end up having to pay their way to stay out of jail with the money they do hustle up. If not, they stay in jail. And if they do not pay the court fees and/or fines? Well, then they usually end up back in jail. They lose their drivers license. And can not get another one until the money I'd paid to the local justice system.
Trick is, is to keep it honest. Then the one or two hundred you might get asking for help actually helps. It take about four to six hours of doing it honest. And the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on such a matter maintains your right to sply ask for help. Local 'ordnances' (and some asshole minded cops) just simply love to over ride the higher authority court. In which, in reality, overrides their simple minded asses!
Take this lesson from 'the horses mouth' (me) that has 'been there, done that'.
Then, you also have 'asshole citizens' that see you standing around with a simple 'Help' sign, call the cops on you, bald faced lying to them trying to accuse you falsly of panhandling directly. If you are 'straight', honest about it when they show up, 100% of the time with the bald faced false accuser never to be their like the puss they are, the cops will leave you alone. If you give them any slack (shit) that slightly inducates you are substance abusing and the like, you are ran off out of there and have to start all over again at a different locale. So, if you are considering such an endeavor, you need to 'Get Smart' and simply stay of the substance abuse wagon. Most cops no how to 'push the right buttons' in/with a brief interrogation like discussion with any given street bum. Just don't be one if you plan on doing it. Even so, on occasion, you will run across that one or to rare, purely asshole cop that will give you a false 'jay walking/impeding traffuc' bullshit ticket. You just pay the fine ($10 plus court cost) and move on. A small price to ocassionally pay to receive a few hundred bucks a week in gift s/gift money. And, again, you must pay the tickets issued off, or your looking a a hole new bag of worms such as mentioned, above.
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