I’m through falling for panhandlers

Published 9:53 am Friday, April 30, 2010

Why not do an in-depth article(s) on panhandling? How much they collect in a day. The types of scams that prey on the guilt of others, etc.

This has been my experience:

• Man holding sign that reads, “Need job. 3 hungry kids at home. Please help.”

He stood at the entrance to an Albertson store in North Seattle with a collection can for money. My husband stopped the car and offered this man a job in construction.

The man’s response was, “No way man, I make more money doing this than I would for you.”

• Man sitting with his dog on walkway bridge to Colman Dock ferry, styrofoam collection cup by his feet. Sign read, “Need work, will do anything.”

It was a hot day in Seattle and the German shepherd’s tongue was hanging out and panting. I walked back to a corner book store and got a bowl with water for the dog.

While there, the owner told me how this man sits there three or four half-days a week and he has seen him take in over $600 a day from that spot.

I tore out a help wanted ad from a newspaper, walked back with the water for the dog and put the ad in his collection cup.

• Young woman standing outside of ferry door entrance going up to passers by asking for money so she could buy a ticket to get to Bremerton. She had lost her wallet and her money.

I handed her one of my frequent-ferry-user tickets instead. A few minutes later I saw her trying to sell this ticket for cash.

I guess she changed her mind about Bremerton?

• Man holding woman to his chest at State Route 16 exit ramp in Port Orchard, she looked liked she was crying.

Sign read, “Stranded, need help getting home. Please help.”

I rolled down my window to give them $20. He saw me and motioned for her to go get the money.

She turned and ran to my car, grabbed the money and said thank you.

She appeared to be five or six months pregnant. Then she ran back to her man and resumed the heartbreaking pose.

I pulled off the highway and walked over to them to get more of their story.

She and he started with one story of woe, but got caught in a lie and changed their story three times before they finally walked off.

They were apparently living out of their car as it was piled full of clothing and bedding.

I later found out that they had staked out this exit ramp and had been posing this ruse for three weeks, pulling in hundreds of dollars a day.

I called the Sheriffs Office and was told that panhandling was legal as long as they were not being violent about it.

I guess I’m the dumb one for working eight hours a day to earn $100.

Shoot, I could have been making hundreds of dollars in a few hours sitting or standing in the sun and looking pathetic.

What a fool I was.

I refuse to give money to those who look like they were alcoholics or on drugs, since my money would only enable them to continue to kill themselves.

People who look like they’re just on hard times are the ones that were just stealing from the rest of us.

But they’re saying please, at least.

So why do we give to panhandlers? Because we feel guilty for having something that it appears they do not?

What fools we are.

Better instead to make panhandling illegal totally, and for the rest of us to just give to Salvation Army, Tacoma Rescue Mission, etc., as these

groups will feed those in need, clothe those in need, and help to sober up those on alcohol and drugs.

The rest of the posers can just go get a job like the rest of us.

It used to be that panhandling, also called loitering, was illegal. That is until well-meaning yet stupid liberals thought it just awful that we would toss people into jail just because they lost their job and had lost everything.

Well, all actions have consequences, especially the well-intentioned.

I wish that politicians were like doctors in that, first, they did no harm.

Anyway, now people are not picked up for loitering. Therefore, on the streets are those that are mentally deranged, off their medicines, or addicted to drugs.

We used to send those to Harborview and Western State Mental Hospital for help. Now we just ignore them on our streets where they terrorize other street people, vendors, and average citizens on a stroll.

May God help us from fools and politicians — and show us that there is no difference.

Pauline Cornelius is an Olalla resident.