Whoever gets there first.

I wonder how they determine which corner "belongs" to whom? I see one guy primarily on the Fair Lakes Pkwy/Stringfellow interesection, but once in awhile, there's someone else there. Do they communicate and work it out? Or is it first come, first served?

Maybe the secondary guy saw the primary guy kicking back at the Starbucks on his laptop and knew it was safe for him to take over that spot.

I see people give them money all the time and that's why it continues. I should find the location of the nearest soup kitchen and print it out and let them know next time. There isn't one close by, that I know, so I'm not sure they'd take advantage of it.

Anonymous wrote:I was in a restaurant near the corner of rt 50 and centerville road a few months ago. There was a woman with a young girl in front of me. I was admiring her long skirt, wondering where she got it. Later we saw them at the street corner begging with a sign and a another woman with a stroller.m its a scam. My dh said the woman was eyeballing my purse when I left it at the table to get drinks.

Op, if you notice a pattern/organization/the same people , and it's neAr where you live, call the no emergency police.

Thank you! It's a shame that people do this. We're all trying to make it; it sucks to take advantage of good-hearted people.

There's an organized ring of panhandlers that have moved into Arlington in the last couple of years. They've covered increasingly more corners to the point where I see them standing on corners in places where the traffic can't be that heavy. Someone told me that there are a few rival groups and that the police had to break up a turf fight over panhandling corners.

I've also ridden the bus and seen one of the regular panhandlers on the same bus get upset when he realized that someone else was already on his corner.

I was in a restaurant near the corner of rt 50 and centerville road a few months ago. There was a woman with a young girl in front of me. I was admiring her long skirt, wondering where she got it. Later we saw them at the street corner begging with a sign and a another woman with a stroller.m its a scam. My dh said the woman was eyeballing my purse when I left it at the table to get drinks.

Op, if you notice a pattern/organization/the same people , and it's neAr where you live, call the no emergency police.

I live around the Rt. 1 corridor in Alexandria. We have a few homeless people but they never pan handle. We see them walking, sitting outside a 7-11, saw the older man (who looks like Santa) in a church during service. They never approach you, never ask for anything. They will accept whatever you offer, but never ask for it.

The pan handlers aren't homeless, they may be close to being homeless but they truly aren't. They make more standing on the corner than they would at a job and the $$ is tax free.

The shoes are the dead give away. If they're wearing brand new/relatively new shoes they aren't homeless.

Anonymous wrote:I live in the area and was just talking to my husband about this last night. Seems like the panhandling in the area has gotten out of control. I would always see a few men down by Braddock and had no problem dropping off supplies if it was cold or giving them some cash if I had some on hand. But the Fair Lakes/Chantilly area, there's some organization. I've seen them off Centreville Rd on Metrotech, coming out of the old Kmart shopping center. There is also always someone in the median on the eastbound lanes of Rte 50 @ Centreville. I've even seen a woman wearing a baby with a stroller next to her in the Harris Teeter shopping center, which is a block away from the police station. Most of the people I've seen have been on the younger side, maybe early 30s at the oldest? A guy last week looked like he was about 21.

The pimp comment is intriguing. Does this really happen?

No doubt it does.

I'm tempted to offer them food, not cash.

I live in the area and was just talking to my husband about this last night. Seems like the panhandling in the area has gotten out of control. I would always see a few men down by Braddock and had no problem dropping off supplies if it was cold or giving them some cash if I had some on hand. But the Fair Lakes/Chantilly area, there's some organization. I've seen them off Centreville Rd on Metrotech, coming out of the old Kmart shopping center. There is also always someone in the median on the eastbound lanes of Rte 50 @ Centreville. I've even seen a woman wearing a baby with a stroller next to her in the Harris Teeter shopping center, which is a block away from the police station. Most of the people I've seen have been on the younger side, maybe early 30s at the oldest? A guy last week looked like he was about 21.

The pimp comment is intriguing. Does this really happen?

Weird-I live really close and have never seen these people.

I think they are drug addicts needing cash for next high. I never give any money

Are they gypsies?

They are not dirty looking. I definitely think it is a scam. I plan on giving them a bible the next time I see them.

Anonymous wrote:I see them every day, too, and I'm highly skeptical. I think it's an operation.

I have seen the main guy (anyone who lives near here knows who I am talking about) at the Union Mill Starbucks. My kids pointed him out. He was sitting, working on a laptop with a Starbucks drink in hand. His expression was completely different, not slack jawed like when he's on the corner.

Wow!

I see them every day, too, and I'm highly skeptical. I think it's an operation.

I have seen the main guy (anyone who lives near here knows who I am talking about) at the Union Mill Starbucks. My kids pointed him out. He was sitting, working on a laptop with a Starbucks drink in hand. His expression was completely different, not slack jawed like when he's on the corner.

Anonymous wrote:I assume they are drug users. One woman was shoe-less the other day, hence the assumption. Uncomfortable place to be shoeless otherwise.

So, my tin-foil-hat says that if I'm going to pretend to be homeless, I'm going to take off my shoes.

Also, I wanna say that I saw a shoeless woman once, and her feet were not black, as you'd expect.