Just back from the market; had to pick up a few essentials.
On the return trip, as I was exiting the parking lot, I had to pause a few moments adjacent to the professional beggar who was manning the usual Panhandler’s Spot next to the left turn lane.
There is quite a competition for this choice spot (I’ll call it “A”), because it is a lot better than the one a few hundred yards down the street at the I-15 northbound off-ramp (the “B” spot). And, that one is probably superior to spot “C”, which is at the top of the southbound I-15 off-ramp just down the street. No shade there, and it’s a long walk over to the restroom at McDonalds.
We’ve lived in Bear Creek for thirty years, and, back in the old days, there was no commercial development up at the freeway interchange (I-15 and Clinton-Keith Road). In fact, there was nothing but one stop sign half the way to our brand new golf club community.
In the intervening years, the area between our community and the freeway has exploded with retail commercial activity. So, there’s lots of traffic, going in and out, lots of cars slowing down in turn lanes, etc. In other words, its choice real estate for bums to panhandle.
I recognize many of these guys (and, occasional gal); they’ve been plying their trade at locations A, B, and C for years. Some have the same folded cardboard signs that they’ve been using (or, abusing) all along: “Will Work for Food”; “Have Compassion”; “Just Laid Off — Two Kids to Feed” (usually, that’s a woman); “Christian — God Bless You”; “Any Spare Change?”, etc.
That’s the dead giveaway…the folded cardboard sign. It means that they use it often…it’s their “business card”, so to speak.
These pros are tough-looking; many have rotten teeth…like you would expect of a meth tweeker. Sometimes they have a dog sitting next to them for sympathy.
Occasionally, it’s a young child. I hate those shameless creeps, who are teaching their kids how to beg. Saw this one on the Internet: a pregnant lady with kid. The news story said that she drove to the panhandling spot in a Mercedes!
Most of our local beggar dudes look sturdy enough to work. It’s not easy (I’m sure) standing out in the open all day long, holding a sign, and trying to look honest and earnest. One guy has an elaborate routine he goes through (like a Catholic priest), “crossing himself” whenever someone throws him some change.
I’m not a totally unsympathetic guy, and I’ve been known to donate money to charities, help neighbors in need, and do good deeds simply because it feels right and I’m lucky that I’m not in their shoes.
But, these professional beggars get under my skin. They’re just playing on the sympathies of passersby…involved in a criminal conspiracy, if you ask me. There is no doubt that the “crew” that mans our local choice panhandling spots is being run by a facilitator. Like I said, it’s the same guys (probably a dozen), rotating back and forth from a couple of freeway interchanges in the area.
Some years back, when Charlie and I lived in Riverside, there were four choice panhandling spots at the Tyler/91 Freeway interchange, one at each ramp. When I came out of the sporting goods store, I noticed all four of the professional bums walking over to a Cadillac that was parked well back in the large parking lot. I observed them get in and get handed their lunch by the driver. It was Christmastime, and I’ll bet that crew was making some pretty good money for their “pimp”.
If I lived up in La Cresta (the hills behind Bear Creek) and had horses, I think I’d take up one of these earnest beggars who advertise their willingness to “work for food”…and have them muck out horse stalls for a couple of hours. Of course, that presumes that the guy would actually get in the car and head off for some real work. I’m pretty sure that “Will Work for Food” is just a ploy, and that the panhandler would rather go hungry than actually get his hands dirty.
There is a homeless guy (?) that has worked this area for many years whom I think is actually legitimate in his need. I believe that he lives in a heavily-treed area just down the street from the freeway. He doesn’t beg like the pros; rather, he has a routine pretty much every day where he collects cans and bottles and takes them to the nearest recycling center. I respect this guy because he’s out there, working his route, pretty much rain or shine…even in the Summer, which can get really hot here. It’s work…and it’s honest…although he might only bring in $15 a day.
I befriended the Recycling Guy a couple of years ago by handing him a couple of bags of cans and plastic bottles that I had collected. He seemed very grateful. I did it a couple of times and felt pretty good about it. Then, one day, I tracked him down and gave him a big bag of aluminum cans…and he kind of turned his nose up at it. I was puzzled, and then…annoyed…when he asked me if I had any “spare change”. I realized afterwards that the recycling center was closed on that day, so the guy was probably miffed that he would have to carry the bag all the way back to his tree house. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t! He’s probably told his buddies what an asshole I am.
There are gas stations at all four corners of the I-15/Clinton Keith intersection, and they are the focus of gas-related scams by the same professionals. They’ll approach you when you’re filling up your tank and break into a sad story about how their car just ran out of gas…and point to it over in the parking lot. “I just need a gallon to get home…I left my wallet there!” It’s a pretty productive scam, if you think about it. At the corner, panhandling the folks coming out of the grocery store parking lot, they might get a dollar handed to them every so often. But, a gallon of gas…well, that’s about three dollars. So, time is money, as they say; these guys have figured out how to make the big bucks.
It would be interesting to know how much money these skunks pull in over an 8-hour shift. They must do OK, for themselves and their handlers, because they keep coming back, day after day.
I saw these items on the Internet: dudes who made pretty good money for a day’s begging.
I saw my friend George, who’s pretty tight with his money, hand one of the “regulars” a dollar last week. Go figure.
It must be nice, not having to work like normal stiffs.
