Pan Handling gone TOO FAR??

[Ref]

The people in the city have the power to stop panhandling - Stop handing out money!

As long as people give money to panhandlers, they will always be there demanding more.

They are like seagulls. Shut off the free supply and they will leave.

 

[Scarey]

To make a long story short.About 5 years ago a buddy and I drove from Halifax to Toronto(he to see his gf and me to honestly go to one of the TERB christmas parties ).Dropped him off in scarberia at about 1 am and went to drive to a friends house in Missisauga..and got lost(country mouse to city type thing).


soooooo while i'm driving aimlessly around I pull up to set of lights TAP TAP!!"my car ran out of gas around the corner...can i have 10$ to get home"....I politely decline and keep driving ....about 10 minutes later same idea..only this time 10$ for food....I decline and begin to drive away when I hear a THUD!! on my car.I look in my side mirror and the guy's standing there with a SCREWDRIVER!! in his hand that he had just poked my car with!?!....the rest of my flashing reds for the nite were rolling yellows

 

[alexmst]

I went into the LCBO at Dupont near Bathurst - as I walked towards the door a guy said "Can you spare some change, I haven't had lunch". So I say "No cash - I'm paying with debit" (true). I make my purchases and get a free airplane-size vodka bottle attached to the full size bottle I'm buying (which wasn't vodka). Some promotion. Don't want this mini vodka bottle - don't drink vodka. So as I leave the guy asks me again for change. I say "Here, you can have this vodka instead" and snap it off and hand it to him. He gets a big smile on his face and says "Thanks - actually that's exactly what I really wanted the change to buy - vodka". He then opens it and swigs back the mini-bottle in one shot. Obviously he wants drink - why else would he be asking for money outside an LCBO store? After I walk off he throws away the empty bottle and go back to asking for change to buy 'food'. Now he was smiling and polte, not in my face or rude, so I didn't have an issue with him. However, guys who get in my face on the street by walking alongside me or who come up to my car at lights I have no patience with and they don't get anything. The guy at the intersection of Rosedale Valley Rd and Bayview Ave for instance who walks up to all the cars and staries in the window really bugs me.

Only other time I gave anything to a bum was at 2 days before Christmas this bum guy knocks on my door at 1pm in the afternoon. I open it and he says "Merry Christmas Sir - alms for the poor?" I think 'alms for the poor? WTF is this a 19th century Charles Dickens story and am I in London now? I say "I only give to door to door carolers". So he clears his throat and starts to sing a bit of Jingle Bells. I couldn't believe it. When he finishes he does a little bow and holds out his hand. So I gave him a Loblaws Christmas cake that I had three of for a party I was having later. He took it, thanked me, and walked off down the street with it tucked under his arm. Never saw him again. I still tell this story at office parties- bums going door to door in residential areas calling out "alms for the poor" .

 

[Capital Amatuer]

Pan-handling

must be getting desparate. Generally I only have change in the glove box for Tim Hortons. Since I quit smoking I rarely have cash on me, debit & credit cards.
I suppose one day, the pan-handlers will have wireless POS terminals !
My $0.02 -can I put that on debit ?

 

[The Bandit]

thats right we should ship them to mississauga

No thanks, keep them in T.O.

 

[C Dick]

Getting people together to not give money to the poor will never work, there will always be too many bleeding hearts who give them money. I used to be harsher with bums, but now too many of them seem to have hostile attitudes, they might attack you. I just say no, no, no and take off. I think the only solution is a political solution which would include:
- Recognition that begging has two major causes, laziness and mental illness.
- Make it more worthwhile to work, and less worthwhile to beg (e.g. punishment for begging).
- Have policies to work on detecting and treating people with mental illnesses.