Panhandlers in DC who look like random, able-bodied late 20s aged men - is this a thing now?

[Anonymous]

A few nights ago I was walking home at night and a man stepped out from the shadows by a Tenleytown fast food joint and asked for money. What struck me was he looked able-bodied, well spoken, dressed for the weather, good jacket, boots. Basically a presentably fit young man I wouldn't normally look twice at. I walked right on by - no way I stop and engage -and then I thought--the guy is literally standing next to a place where he could put in a job application. Instead, he's asking me who works, for my money. I mean, WHY IS HE PANHANDLING? And then I thought, OK, maybe he's adjudicated and has had trouble getting a job, though I know there have been massive changes in recent years about the legality of asking for criminal history on job applications (curious where DC is on this). So then IF he is adjudicated and that's why he's devoting his health, intelligence and skills to something so basic and awful- I questioned the quality of DC city services of putting released prisoners (we seem to have oh so many on early release) to gainful skills rather than alternative economy. Lots of questions! It reminded me a lot of the 90s when doorways seemed to be full of these guys with a semi-belligerent hand out. Haven't seen this in a while though. It was a really bad throwback and I'm hoping a one-of. But I'm doubtful given all the other trends.
Insights? What is happening?

[Anonymous]

Clean cut guys need drug money for right now.

[Anonymous]

What's happening is that he needs money for drugs. He is at the start of his addiction. He won't look this way forever. He hasn't fallen far yet. He will.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you're being ageist, ableist, and misandrist with all the assumptions you're making.

[Anonymous]

LOL @ PP trying to shame you for this observation. My husband won't give money to a panhandler unless they're missing 2+ limbs. I remember in 2013 I lived in Columbia Heights and a kid in a private school uniform asked me for money (well, he actually told me: "give me $2 for the train"). I reflexively laughed in his face, which was not the reaction he thought he was going to get. But gmafb. Absolutely not.

But also: I used to pass this really disheveled older guy who staked out the Sbux on my way to work with a sign about how he was a disabled vet. (Always scratched my head a bit because there's probably nowhere in the world with more resources for disabled vets than this area, but he wasn't aggressive or anything so I just observed and kept it moving.) This was at 16th & K - big touristy area and he got a lot of donations from people from Minnesota or Idaho trying to prove they support our forgotten troops in the shadow of the White House. One day a different hobo was in his tree box and they were having a screaming fight - THIS IS MY CORNER! I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF MY TERRITORY! - so even if they look the part it's probably still a scam. Stay woke!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you're being ageist, ableist, and misandrist with all the assumptions you're making.

It sounds like he needs to get a job. The economy won't get much better than this.

[Anonymous]

At least he didn’t stick a gun in your ribs and rob you.

[Anonymous]

This is why I don't give money to panhandlers. Lots of people around the DC metro are doing this as a scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clean cut guys need drug money for right now.

This, sometimes with a mental illness component too.

Was he intimidating/threatening, OP?

Someone let a clean cut, clean clothes guy into my condo building over Christmas weekend and he was pretty aggressively demanding money from anyone who walked through the lobby.

[Anonymous]

If people keep giving, they'll keep taking. Help should be through a system after screening and not like cake or band aid but ability to develop common sense and independence.

[Anonymous]

People who travel to and live in other places, learn how panhandlers can take over cities and the how drugs and crimes follow them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few nights ago I was walking home at night and a man stepped out from the shadows by a Tenleytown fast food joint and asked for money. What struck me was he looked able-bodied, well spoken, dressed for the weather, good jacket, boots. Basically a presentably fit young man I wouldn't normally look twice at. I walked right on by - no way I stop and engage -and then I thought--the guy is literally standing next to a place where he could put in a job application. Instead, he's asking me who works, for my money. I mean, WHY IS HE PANHANDLING? And then I thought, OK, maybe he's adjudicated and has had trouble getting a job, though I know there have been massive changes in recent years about the legality of asking for criminal history on job applications (curious where DC is on this). So then IF he is adjudicated and that's why he's devoting his health, intelligence and skills to something so basic and awful- I questioned the quality of DC city services of putting released prisoners (we seem to have oh so many on early release) to gainful skills rather than alternative economy. Lots of questions! It reminded me a lot of the 90s when doorways seemed to be full of these guys with a semi-belligerent hand out. Haven't seen this in a while though. It was a really bad throwback and I'm hoping a one-of. But I'm doubtful given all the other trends.
Insights? What is happening?

"Adjudicated"? You mean ex-con?

[Anonymous]

A lot of young people are homeless due to drug and alcohol addictions. They may look able bodied now, but in a few months, they’ll look like junkies

[Anonymous]

Come to Berkeley, CA. So many rich college aged guys who ran away from their rich homes to reject their parents and believe they are doing something productive to panhandle and be homeless. They aren’t even addicts.

[Anonymous]

You are way overthinking this. All kinds of people end up panhandling for all kinds of reasons.