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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Given that he stepped out of the shadows and requested my money it is now occuring to me maybe he was robbing me? OMG, hilarious. But Ive seen this before in the 90s..it's so weird when some dude who clearly is able to work is asking students and women walking by for money. Like we are just...suckers. Just ew.

Stop being suckers. Stop giving money to panhandlers. I never give money to panhandlers. A legit street busker, sure. But not a panhandler. ESPECIALLY not some dude I've never seen before. And most of the homeless "regulars" I see in the neighborhood like Brother Bronson don't even ask for money and might decline if you offer to buy them a meal.

This. We only have pandhandlers because suxkers keep giving to them. Stop giving to pandhandlers and they will go way. When suckers give, it spreads by word of mouth among the homeless, and you just get more and more and more of them.

I’m all for helping the homeless, but giving to pandhandlers is not the way to do it. There are plenty of homeless shelters in the DMV that would benefit greatly from your time or donations, and the money will actually help those who need it rather than enabling alcohol/drug abuse.

Along those same lines, I wish counties throughout the DMV would post signs discouraging people from giving to panhandlers. Something like, “Don’t encourage panhandling. Visit xxx.va to find out how you can help your local homeless shelter.”
Arlington County at one point did issue such an announcement, mainly about people panhandling in/near roads. I seem to recall the statement even said "most homeless aren't panhandling, and most panhandlers aren't homeless. If you want to help, here's a list of organizations and here's the policy nonemergency/emergency number."

[Anonymous]

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

Sounds like you need to hear my eyeroll from all the way over here!

[Anonymous]

They are everywhere in NoVA. The shopping areas, intersections, I can't stand it.

[Anonymous]

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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?

And what do you think working at said fast food establishment would afford this man? A nice two bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood in DC? Enough groceries to last a week? A vacation here or there? Eventual home ownership? Nope. A job no longer gives a certain demographic especially in this generation, a sense of pride and purpose because they still CANNOT AFFORD ANYTHING. A job likely affords YOU these things but not the people you are seeing on the street. I don't have a solution but know that this problem is not going to be solved by complaining on this website.

You're joking... right? I started out single parent working poor and now take nice vacations. Are you serious about the above? It's like farce .

I mean NOW in 2024. Do you think making minimum wage in DC you could afford what I’ve listed above? You can’t be serious.

You build towards it. You start out with roomates and that kind of thing. Is this a millenial thing--expecting to skip the building part? Even minimum wage has gone up since I started out.

Okay, you must be like, 85. I'm almost 50 with several advanced degrees and I feel for anyone under 30. You will likely NEVER be able to save for a downpayment on a house in a good neighborhood with decent schools. If having roommates until you are 45 works for you, then, yes, maybe. Do that until then and you MIGHT be able to afford a one bedroom condo in an okay neighborhood. You are old and delusional.

I'm almost 50, also with a handful of degrees, and all of my peers rent, many with roommates. It's much worse for younger people, but even GenXers are struggling! I own a small condo only because my down payment was a gift from family.

I know no one that age in this situation. Weird!

[Anonymous]

I went to college in a town where it was extremely common for ski bums to panhandle for bus money while wearing $300 jackets and in the company of a well cared for dog (always wearing a bandana) and often lugging around a thousand dollars worth of skiing or snowboarding gear. It was a bit of a joke in the town. They were just dudes from middle or upper middle class (or sometimes even wealthy) families who decided after college (or sometimes before finishing college) that what they really wanted to do was just ski and not much else. So they'd couch surf and sometimes pick up temp work at ski resorts and bum money from parents and friends so they could lead this somewhat useless, hedonistic existence. It should go without saying, but these guys were universally white.

Oh, and I'm sure that often "bus money" was code for "weed money." Anyway, never gave them a dime. Get a job, you bum!

[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?

Yawn. Let me guess--he "aggressively" panhandled you?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I'm not hurting from giving away a dollar --or even a few dollars. What people choose to do with the money after that is their business. But I believe in the laws of sowing and reaping so I've never had a problem with panhandlers.

People here are too uptight.

[Anonymous]

Who cares, I don’t give to anyone, I don’t discriminate in this way lol

[Anonymous]

Look, NONE of these folks are out there starving to death. DC has a ton of services, charities, etc. Martha's Table and others. The homeless know this. They know where they can get a hot meal. There are some guys I've seen on the street homeless for a long time - they typically don't bother anyone and don't ask for money.

It's the traveling grifters who I've never seen before, or the ones who are wacked out on drugs or otherwise messed up who come looking for money.