Panhandlers?
- Thread starter kkelso
- Start date
This summer is particularly annoying for some reason and I only frequent a small radius downtown--maybe it is getting a touch worse. A day doesn't go by without a panhandler asking for money, and as a bonus passing Sick Kids and sometimes other canvassers every single day. It's fucking annoying, at a certain point it just becomes visual pollution.
You need people to not give any money whatsoever. It's like those idiots who feed pigeons in the parkettes downtown, throwing sackfuls of seed for them to eat. These people feeding these vermin need a baseball bat to the head.
You need people to not give any money whatsoever. It's like those idiots who feed pigeons in the parkettes downtown, throwing sackfuls of seed for them to eat. These people feeding these vermin need a baseball bat to the head.
Sqeegy Bums and Hug Enthusiasts
Ah! Step by step..inch by inch.. Just make your eyes really big and start screaming, "Get Away from the god damn car!" as loud as you can.
To all those well meaning but ugly people who kept asking the Prez if he wanted a hug during the Canada Day - Fourth of July week. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That also seemed to be effective.
If I can quote the lyric from that hit tune from the 1950s, "Dip dip dip dip dip dip dip dip baw baw baw baw baw...Get a Job!"
Ah! Step by step..inch by inch.. Just make your eyes really big and start screaming, "Get Away from the god damn car!" as loud as you can.
To all those well meaning but ugly people who kept asking the Prez if he wanted a hug during the Canada Day - Fourth of July week. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That also seemed to be effective.
If I can quote the lyric from that hit tune from the 1950s, "Dip dip dip dip dip dip dip dip baw baw baw baw baw...Get a Job!"
W3bster said "It's fucking annoying, at a certain point it just becomes visual pollution.
You need people to not give any money whatsoever. It's like those idiots who feed pigeons in the parkettes downtown, throwing sackfuls of seed for them to eat."
Agreed. Annoying as hell. Imagine what tourists must think. How did it ever get this way in Toronto?
Some dink at Kingston Road and Lawrence walks the median in clothes that look like they haven't been washed in a year holding a sign that reads "Good Karma". Yeah right. Contributing the the human pigeon problem is going to help us in the end? I don't think so.
You need people to not give any money whatsoever. It's like those idiots who feed pigeons in the parkettes downtown, throwing sackfuls of seed for them to eat."
Agreed. Annoying as hell. Imagine what tourists must think. How did it ever get this way in Toronto?
Some dink at Kingston Road and Lawrence walks the median in clothes that look like they haven't been washed in a year holding a sign that reads "Good Karma". Yeah right. Contributing the the human pigeon problem is going to help us in the end? I don't think so.
I was approached in the suburbs by a girl about 19 or so a couple of weeks back at like 3AM outside a 24 hour Metro Grocery store and she asked me for $20. for a cab because the buses stopped running and she needed cab fare to get back to her dad's house.
I'm such a sucker I actually was concerned for her and thinking of giving her the money for a couple of seconds; but, then I noticed she and a guy with a German sheppard 50 yards away kept looking at each other and I thought to myself, he sent her over here to mooch money off me; so, I decided to just let them walk home. I'm not going to spend money so a 20 year old dude can get a cab home at 3AM. Screw him.
They were hanging out together when I left the store.
I'm such a sucker I actually was concerned for her and thinking of giving her the money for a couple of seconds; but, then I noticed she and a guy with a German sheppard 50 yards away kept looking at each other and I thought to myself, he sent her over here to mooch money off me; so, I decided to just let them walk home. I'm not going to spend money so a 20 year old dude can get a cab home at 3AM. Screw him.
They were hanging out together when I left the store.
they are everywhere. My dad was at casino niagara playing some slots. Some older guy came up to him and asked for 20 bucks for gas to get home since he had lost 5k that day and didn't have anything to get home. He showed his id and asked my dad to write down his address so he could mail it back to him. My dad declined and he was off to the next person.
I've noticed a few ladies walking through the parking lots of malls and outlet stores holding large cardboard sign saying 'I have 4 hungry children. I have no job. I am new to this country. Please help me.' Sometimes they even weave through stopped traffic. Always have a sad face and EI background.
Few weeks ago I was downtown off Yonge Street waiting for an appointment and thinking it would be nice to have a can of beer for the evening, and tried to ask some people that passed by into an apartment building where the beer store was. They just walked by, no eye contact. So, I walked towards Yonge Street, and got in front of someone coming towards me and asked again. The guy was apprehensive to talk to me for a couple of seconds, but then became comfortable/friendly and started telling me where everything was.
As we where talking 2 beggars came up to us and started pestering us for money, wtf.
I’m thinking all these beggars could be one of the reasons people in the city don’t talk, don’t acknowledge others, and look unfriendly.
Got to feel sorry for tourists to the city who are trying to move about.
I agree with other posters, don’t give beggars any money! They are like ducks in the park. You feed them, they multiply, and soon you have a park full of aggressive ducks that feel entitle to food.
As we where talking 2 beggars came up to us and started pestering us for money, wtf.
I’m thinking all these beggars could be one of the reasons people in the city don’t talk, don’t acknowledge others, and look unfriendly.
Got to feel sorry for tourists to the city who are trying to move about.
I agree with other posters, don’t give beggars any money! They are like ducks in the park. You feed them, they multiply, and soon you have a park full of aggressive ducks that feel entitle to food.
I don't as a rule give money to them however if I see and feel they are in bad shape I will get them a sandwich coffee etc. I feel money only goes to booze and drugs.
There's 2 kinds of beggar.
Type 1 - Genuinely down and out street person with nowhere to live and no hope. They will never be able to work. They have mental issues, or physical issues or both. Interestingly, these guys usually don't hassle you for money.
Type 2 - Doesn't want to work, doens't want to play by society's rules. Perfectly able bodied and able minded, but for whatever reason chooses to harass others for money. These are the guys you see most of the time at the base of the Gardiner, in the parking lots, working the angle. IMHO, there are far more Type 2's working the streets and they make up the vast majority of beggars. I will not give them a dime because it only encourages them to live this lifestyle.
The Type 1 I truly feel sorry for and wish that the gov't would do more for in terms of finding them a place to exist.
My opinion (worth nothing) is that the gov't should do more for the truly needie and take a lesson from NYC where the cops deal with the others.
Type 1 - Genuinely down and out street person with nowhere to live and no hope. They will never be able to work. They have mental issues, or physical issues or both. Interestingly, these guys usually don't hassle you for money.
Type 2 - Doesn't want to work, doens't want to play by society's rules. Perfectly able bodied and able minded, but for whatever reason chooses to harass others for money. These are the guys you see most of the time at the base of the Gardiner, in the parking lots, working the angle. IMHO, there are far more Type 2's working the streets and they make up the vast majority of beggars. I will not give them a dime because it only encourages them to live this lifestyle.
The Type 1 I truly feel sorry for and wish that the gov't would do more for in terms of finding them a place to exist.
My opinion (worth nothing) is that the gov't should do more for the truly needie and take a lesson from NYC where the cops deal with the others.
james t kirk said:
The question has come up anyh number of times but council refuses to pass any bylaws to limit the panhandling , apparantly they have a right to annoy everybody. The NYC system started up as a result of a program that started at the grass roots of crime, they started enforcing turnstile jumpers graffitee artists jaywalkers panhandlers etc. They also started documenting and registering the homeless, a concept in and of itself, hey lets find out how many there are and start helping them, the hostels and homel;ess shelters also register everybody every night , the city can actually manage its resources.
The usuall suspects of course imediatly got up in arms over the rights of the " homeless" to do what they want. The mayor replied they can do what they want but not with the cities money or resources.
NYC had an immediate reduction in the lessor crimes ( misdemeaners) which allowed the police to start working their way up the food chain resulting in better policing. The shelters got their budgets under control and people who needed and wanted help got it.
Its not perfect but it was a start. Butr then again the city council and mayor actually had leaders who were not afraid to take a bit of heat.
Welcome to Miller's Toronto. You can't walk a block without a dozen people asking you for money, selling you stuff you don't want, donations for a worthy cause or converting you to some religion. And don't get me started on the sandwick boards, cyclists on sidewalks, patios, etc. It is a mess out there! At least our overpaid garbage collectors got rid of the garbage.
Nefari said:
james t kirk said:
I was at Lakeshore and Jarvis a few weeks ago. There was this dude, nicely trimmed beard, clean relatively new jeans, clean shirt. He was begging for money!!!
It was the worst homeless act ever! After that, I don't give any money to anyone in that area. My suspicion (I'm not from the area), these guys are collecting money before their next trip to the LCBO or something.
I feel sad for the homeless, but some of these dudes aren't homeless.
