PANHANDLING, A NEW INDUSTRY

By Dell Arthur

It seems a new industry has emerged here in the United States; the professional panhandler.

At many intersections it is common to see someone holding a cardboard sign professing a need for money. Some state, “Family of three homeless,” or “Out of work,” or “Hungry anything helps.” And there are others who profess “Will work for food.”

All for the most part are phony pleas for money, period. For those with altruistic feelings they keep these folks in business—and some make out rather well. One friend of mine offered a vagrant who had a sign stating he would “work for food” five dollars to wash his car and the guy turned him down!

True, there are some folks in actual need but for those I have personally talked with most prefer to sit on the sidewalk and beg.

One of the most outlandish and dishonest sign holders I have encountered is a guy sitting in a chair at an intersection holding a sign, “DISABLED,” in large letters and below, “VETERAN.” The caveat, however just below the “DISABLED” in incredibly small letters hardly identifiable are “and a.”

Deception, obviously, has its own benefit.

It happens that a friend, Jim Pace, a 100 per cent disabled service connected Vietnam veteran himself, and who also is a service representative for veterans, stopped and talked with this “disabled veteran.” What he discovered was more than interesting.

Jim told the panhandler that if he was a service connected disabled veteran there were numerous programs to help him get off the street. As it turned out the guy was in fact disabled but his disability had nothing to do with military service. And as a veteran he told Pace that he wasn’t interested in any programs—he was satisfied sitting along the intersection, holding his sign, sipping coffee and waiting for the next sucker to feed his pocketbook.

Many of the people begging on the streets do have actual need. But ever since the State of Washington, where I reside, closed the state mental health hospitals, the result of the ACLU efforts to close them, there is no place these unfortunate people can go for proper medical care. Public charities are crowded and are overwhelmed with those seeking shelter and food. But for the professional panhandler they have taken advantage of people who truly want to help in some way.

I had the occasion to talk with many of the sign holders only to learn that the majority of them find begging more profitable collecting money from strangers than work. One fellow told me that “…I’d rather be out here than flip hamburgers!”

Looking through the local daily newspaper the classified employment section lists all kinds of jobs unskilled people could qualify for. Another friend of mine in his 80’s decided to get a job with Safeway Markets with full benefits. He got it! Now if a guy at 82 can get a job, then how can obviously physically younger men justify standing on a corner holding a sign begging for money?

In addition it also turns out that many vagrants in our community qualify for food stamps, free cell phones and many other benefits. These by the way are the folks who are most critical of our liberal government! They say they need more.

Yet the answer seems for many of these people to be the lack of proper medical help. I saw one vagrant patiently holding his sign next to a parking lot adjacent to a super market. A day later I visited this same market and in front of me in the checkout line was this same vagrant holding a gallon of cheap wine. This apparently is how he spends his money once acquired by begging.

A lot of these people are unemployable because of their alcoholism or drug usage. Is there an answer for this problem? Yes but it would take the cooperation of the person in need. Again going back to the guy who said he would prefer to beg rather than “flip hamburgers.” He related that there is a group of vagrants who live in the nearby woods. They have established a social and economic community and share (or steal sometimes he said) whatever they have. This includes tents, bedding, canned foods donated by local food banks, and other necessities. All in all they live in a form of comfort even during the rain and snow seasons. You simply learn to adapt he said. Once you learn how to live on the street everything becomes simple.

This same fellow told me that in this community you may find vagrants who once held professional positions and had families. One person he said, had been a practicing lawyer. What circumstances reduced him to a life on the streets was unknown. One rule of this vagrant community is you never ask questions.

As troubling as it is, it is distressing to see these people living as they must just to survive. Yet it is a choice. In the greatest country in the world abounding with opportunity the answer to the need of these unfortunates is completely missed. More liberal government has never corrected the error of modern society. In fact government has added to the problem. With legislation such as legalizing marijuana and other “recreational drugs” the pattern of degeneration of society continues unabated. Freedom has responsibility and unfortunately those living in desperate need have not fully come to the fact that in order to survive they must make an effort to change their lives. Also service organizations, especially churches, have the responsibility to meet the needs of these people without hindrance of government intrusion. But for those who simply do not want to participate or earn their keep there is no solution.

The truth is there simply is no such thing as a free lunch—even for the professional panhandler.