Admiral Beez
Superstar
Has anyone else noticed that beggars at the roadside have become far more prevalent? I drive from Steeles and Dufferin to downtown east and every day at every main intersection from Finch to Allen Rd and Eglinton I see folks with cardboard signs and the requisite Tim Horton's cup walking up and down the curb, or even down the middle line between two lanes. It's the same along Lakeshore and Jarvis. Last week my wife was driving at Spadina and Davenport and a women standing in the road asked for money and when my wife politely declined the women started punching the car, making some small dents. Now many exits along the 401 in Toronto have a beggar standing by. I'm also seeing the demographic change from the old guy to younger men and now at Dufferin and Finch seemingly teenage girls.
We've had homeless forever and mentally ill street people since Peterson and Rae closed the asylums in the early 1990s, but I don't remember this level of roadside begging in the last decade. Where do the come from? How are they organized to avoid conflict? How do they get to the distant begging spots, such as on the 401? Why is this an increasing thing?
This article shows how roadside begging is impacting our compassion for the homeless https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/...hanged-the-face-of-panhandling-in-america-518
'The money is not helping these people': Burlington grapples with roadside beggars
Where did they come from, and what can be done about the city's panhandlers?
www.insidehalton.com
To be clear, I understand that begging, or the somehow more acceptable term panhandling is not a crime. But something has changed to make the road side variety more prevalent. Of course, you can't really blame the beggars, like bears to the garbage dump, you go where the getting is good, and if drivers are willing to give out cash from their cars, then that's where you'd go. Cities try to stop drivers, but there's obviously enough that won't listen. The only thing that seems to stop roadside begging in Toronto is the winter climate, that great annual shake of the Etch A Sketch that resets the landscape.
'No panhandling' sign won't deter begging, critics say
I suppose the rise of roadside begging in the early 2000s will see a significant drop in the mid-2000s as we both move out of our cars and no one has physical cash to give.
We've had homeless forever and mentally ill street people since Peterson and Rae closed the asylums in the early 1990s, but I don't remember this level of roadside begging in the last decade. Where do the come from? How are they organized to avoid conflict? How do they get to the distant begging spots, such as on the 401? Why is this an increasing thing?
This article shows how roadside begging is impacting our compassion for the homeless https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/...hanged-the-face-of-panhandling-in-america-518
'The money is not helping these people': Burlington grapples with roadside beggars
Where did they come from, and what can be done about the city's panhandlers?
'The money is not helping these people': Burlington grapples with roadside beggars
THE ISSUE: Roadside panhandling LOCAL IMPACT: Balancing a respect for personal rights with a need for safety and addressing crucial issues
www.insidehalton.com
To be clear, I understand that begging, or the somehow more acceptable term panhandling is not a crime. But something has changed to make the road side variety more prevalent. Of course, you can't really blame the beggars, like bears to the garbage dump, you go where the getting is good, and if drivers are willing to give out cash from their cars, then that's where you'd go. Cities try to stop drivers, but there's obviously enough that won't listen. The only thing that seems to stop roadside begging in Toronto is the winter climate, that great annual shake of the Etch A Sketch that resets the landscape.
'No panhandling' sign won't deter begging, critics say
I suppose the rise of roadside begging in the early 2000s will see a significant drop in the mid-2000s as we both move out of our cars and no one has physical cash to give.
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