Street panhandling as an income enhancer...

[Bogie]

There's a busy corner a few blocks away that gets occupied by various urban outdoorsmen... Santa has considered making a sign - "Ho-in's Hard" - and doing a morning rush hour closer to the big night...
 
1) Is this tacky?
 
2) Should Santa do it?

[HankB]

I've heard panhandling at a good corner can generate upwards of $80k cash - tax free cash - per year.

As for being tacky - do you really care about that if you're a panhandler?

[dogmush]

80K seems optimistic, unless it's a really good corner in NYC or San Fran.

The local (Tampa) news did a story about 5 years ago and interviewed a bunch of panhandlers locally.  The consensus was $20-$25 an hour was doable for the couple hours of rush hour, and $150 ish a day was pretty common.  Every panhandler they talked to had an apartment, and most had cars they used to get to good corners.

And yes, begging for money when you are able to work is tacky, whether you do it on a corner or on Gofundme.com.

[Ben]

I've mentioned before in the panhandler threads that I used to watch a bum through my office window at the Santa Barbara Harbor. He would at least once through the day have to empty his money bucket so it looked empty again. It was Santa Barbara, so people were dropping bills in it, not change. I don't know how much he made every day, but it had to be at least $100-$200.

[Bogie]

Well, I guess there's always selling plasma...

[Pb]

The other day I saw a beggar with his cash app ID scrawled on his cardboard sign.   

[Boomhauer]

My FIL has some well, garbage, siblings. They came to visit and stay with him for a few weeks over Christmas. He almost wrecked his truck when he saw them on the street corner panhandling just down the road from his work.

Over a two week period they had made $8k. In a modest smallish city.

[Perd Hapley]

Keep in mind you might be taking someone else's corner. Don't wanna hafta shoot nobody. No, wait, maybe you do. 

Don't you think you could make more working part time at Big Lots for a few weeks?

[makattak]

Keep in mind you might be taking someone else's corner. Don't wanna hafta shoot nobody. No, wait, maybe you do. 

Don't you think you could make more working part time at Big Lots for a few weeks?

IIRC Bogie is in a fairly good sized city.

So, no, he's not likely to make more at Big Lots.

Panhandlers can make serious bank.

[HankB]

IIRC Bogie is in a fairly good sized city.

So, no, he's not likely to make more at Big Lots.

Panhandlers can make serious bank.

I remembered John Stossel did a TV special which addressed panhandlers - then I looked, and, sure enough, YouTube has part of it. At least one (female) panhandler was making around $50 an hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHoiVnID8vY&ab_channel=JohnStossel

[MillCreek]

The local PD did an article on the local newspaper about female panhandlers at the freeway off ramps, and that in the evening they were turning tricks in the local WalMart parking lot. They estimated that the panhandling was bringing in $ 100-200 per day, but no estimate was given for the blowjobs at WalMart.

[cordex]

The local PD did an article on the local newspaper about female panhandlers at the freeway off ramps, and that in the evening they were turning tricks in the local WalMart parking lot. They estimated that the panhandling was bringing in $ 100-200 per day, but no estimate was given for the blowjobs at WalMart.

That is an odd thing for the PD to advertise.

[MillCreek]

That is an odd thing for the PD to advertise.

There was a lot of concern given that there were two visibly pregnant panhandlers at one of the main city intersections.  Police and social services were being called frequently to provide assistance.  It turns out that both of them were not actually pregnant, but were wearing a fake pregnancy belly to create sympathy and more cash handouts.  Due to state law, the police cannot really do anything about panhandling. So the article was to address the concerns of the community, encourage people to not give money to them, and to inform about the increasing panhandling traffic and associated crime in the general area. 

[cordex]

There was a lot of concern given that there were two visibly pregnant panhandlers at one of the main city intersections.  Police and social services were being called frequently to provide assistance.  It turns out that both of them were not actually pregnant, but were wearing a fake pregnancy belly to create sympathy and more cash handouts. 

Next you'll be telling me that not all the 40 year old panhandlers claiming to be Vietnam vets are being completely honest!

Due to state law, the police cannot really do anything about panhandling. So the article was to address the concerns of the community, encourage people to not give money to them, and to inform about the increasing panhandling traffic and associated crime in the general area.

Sure, telling folks that their night gig is getting giggity-giggity is one thing, but it seems like directing interested customers where to find them might not be necessary.

"So in conclusion, these ladies are also available at a very reasonable rate for oral sex from the hours of 9pm to 3am in the south lot of Walmart across from where the automotive entrance is.  Park over by the bushes and honk twice."

[RoadKingLarry]

That is an odd thing for the PD to advertise.

The more the girls make the bigger their cut is.
Advertising works.