Spare change you moron?!!!

[cracked]

Spare comes from within!

[slothrop]

I hope you don't show them the elephant's trunk!

 

They pay me for that.

 

Paul, your pagetop poaching is pathological.

Edited May 26, 2004 by slothrop

[EWolfe]

When I was a courier, I learned that speaking their language insured you wouldn't be bothered anymore:

 

"I ain't got it, Man!" with a direct look always works for me.

[fenderfour]

Being a bigger guy makes it easy. Look them in the eye an solemnly shake your head before they even say anything.

 

FYI - this doesn't work with the blind ones.

[MervGriffin]

Panhandling is becoming big business in the Northwest, second perhaps only to Berkeley where the average is perhaps three contenders per block. Accumulations of these neo-beggars tend to form in areas where there is a known quantity of suckers free with their cash. The University of Washington vicinity is quite popular. A couple of examples will suffice:

there's a guy who hangs out at the back door of the UW Bookstore. He sits there with a pile of these little newspapers to raise money if not your consciousness. I used to give him a buck once in a while because I thought it was a temporary situation. Nope. A couple or three years later he is still there and in essense it has become his "job". Just sits there, and waits for the guilt-ridden elitist children to hand him some dough.

The other example is the southbound exit to I-5 from 45th st. It's prime territory because it has a metered light. Two, three or more will work this spot and I have actually seen them change shifts on the half-hour. Apparently they can negotiate a system and maybe even barter or share the extra food they often request but which I have also seen tossed over the shoulder.

Interesting culture. Requires further exploration.

 

The only one laughing is you, pal!

 

AND PLEASE DO NOT GIVE ANY CHANGE TO ANYONE WHO LOOKS LIKE THIS:

 

And here's another growing (international) handout industry: Peruvian panflute players. I saw about four different troupes of these guys last time I was in Portabello Market in London:

 

I, too, was tapping my toe and gaining an ethnic buzz.....for the first five minutes, and then they kept on coming!

[redneck_rocker]

I saw this punker kid beggin for money in eugene. He had a sign that read

"Spit on me $1.00"

effin wierdos

[Dave_Schuldt]

When I was a bike mesenger I got totaly sick of the bums. They would bug me for $ and ask to barrow my bike. I was afraid to vent my frustration on them because I was afraid they would mess with my bike. The new Seattle Library will be a great daytiime shelter for them.

[lummox]

um. i was gonna axe some of you for a little help. you know: with the spare change and shit. but i changed my mind.

[Skeezix]

I always tell them "Change comes from within."

 

How many psychoanalysts does it take to change a lightbulb?

 

Only one, but it has to want to change.

[sk]

I always tell them "Change comes from within."

 

this is the best respons

[ChocChick]

http://www.mylifeasafischer.com/heresyoursign/

 

I can't seem to make this work on my computer, but maybe some else can. It is a fun idea!

[Dustin_B]

When I was a courier, I learned that speaking their language insured you wouldn't be bothered anymore:

 

"I ain't got it, Man!" with a direct look always works for me.

 

"Ain't got no shizzle for ya ma nizzle" works too.

[foraker]

When I was in college in Chicago, there was this one guy who used to be out in front of the admin building (the side facing the street, not the side facing the quads). Had to be the perfect beggar. He had this sorry ass Sad Sack look on his face and had somehow managed to train a kitten to sit on his shoulder (or maybe he used tap or glue or something but the kitten didn't seem to mind). Anyway, he never had to say a word. The girls would practically throw money at him. I wonder how many kittens he went through? What did he do with the cats when they got older?