Homeless and panhandlers

[NotNow]

She can't speak for herself?  What are YOUR qualifications? 

Sheclown, I would be happy to discuss the points we disagree on with you in private.  I would be happy to refer you to my mentor in these matters, and I would meet with yours if you so wished.  I am a Christian, and I struggle to walk in the path.  I have some religious education, but my degrees are not in religion. 

[NotNow]

The religious discussion is a distraction, and has nothing to do with the discussion at hand about St. Pete's program.  Please try to concentrate on the subject of the thread.

I will speak with my Pastor about these questions on the life and death of Jesus.  I will discuss the arguments that have been presented.  I will reply on the outcome of these discussions, regardless of whether he agrees with me or not.

[sheclown]

The discussion about what to do with the homeless in our midst IS all about religion, at least for me. 

But it is beautiful to sit here in nice cool air conditioning and watch some silly movie on TV. 

I have expressed my views, and for the most part, enjoyed this discussion.

What we do for the least of these, folks....

[ChriswUfGator]

What are YOUR qualifications? 

If I had a buck for every time NotNow has said that phrase...

[NotNow]

Of course, we all know the answer to the question anyway, don't we?

Chris, do you have anything of substance to add to the discussion?  Or are you just here for personal attacks again?

[Kiva]

We ALL would feel safer if there were more people shopping and dining downtown and if there were more police officers ON FOOT patrolling the area.  I personally plan to start spending more time downtown on the weekends - the main library really has some great programs scheduled this summer.  If everyone else who cares about downtown would do the same, our sheer numbers would make the area safer and more comfortable for everyone.

I agree. If you travel to other countries most police officers are on foot. If they are in a car they are insulated from their surroundings.

[Benjamin V]

Stephen, You are being blinded by retrospective nostalgia.  Hobos, tramps, bums have always been with us.  They are just more visible now since laws against "vagrancy" have been found to be unconstitutional.  They also have more of a support system in place so that a life on the streets is possible.

Used to be that they were moved on from city to city and ended up in the "work camps" or the county "P" farm.  Now they are in the shelters.

Also used to be that they could stay in the SRO hotels (single resident only) aka "flop houses" so they weren't "homeless" and could exist on a few dollars a day make by panhandling or casual labor.

You aren't old enough to remember the Train Man who roamed downtown in the 40's and '50's.  One of the mentally disturbed homeless (except he wasn't homeless).  He would shuffle along the streets pulling a string of cardboard boxes, saying, "Whoo Woo", and making steam noises.  He would stop people and ask for "fares" and shuffle on.  At night he carried a flashlight and his wife would finally come along with a red lantern and lead him home.

Maybe you can remember John, the Hemming Park street preacher, who would shout the gospel, wave his bible and ask people for "gifts to god".  He would periodically begin to eat his bible in his frenzy and the cops would pick him up and Baker Act him for a few weeks.

I remember them well, dogwalker, in fact I was posting about them at the same time.

We simply did not have 500 homeless women staying in shelters.  And many many people were in mental asylums that are running wild in the streets today.

I actually loved the old street preacher guy.  Especially on slow afternoons in Hemming Park.  He got people while they were waiting for the buses.

I don't know what to say but i can tell you those guys have a very unlucky fate.

[Debbie Thompson]

Ummm...this thread started off as a rant about a panhandler at Roosevelt Square.  How did it move downtown?  Just saying....

Of the times I can remember being approached for money, it has happened in the 1960's at Friendship Fountain, at Rowe's Supermarket at University and Beach Boulevard about 10 years ago (asked for money for food, I bought him a chicken dinner from the deli), at Publix in Riverside, near our home in Springfield (asked for money for food, gave they guy some food we had in the car), and a couple of times downtown.  But more often than not, in the burbs.
 

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

just don't be approachable.  whenever i'm out and about (downtown or wherever), i wear my headphones and my 'bugger off' face.

[I-10east]

Ummm...this thread started off as a rant about a panhandler at Roosevelt Square.  How did it move downtown?  Just saying....

The thread title leaves alot of flexibility (Homeless & panhandlers). I can see if it read "Roosevelt Square has a Beggar Problem".

[Overstreet]

Pick pockets. ..... often work in twos. One to distract and one to lift. The selling perfume in the line could have been a pick pocket attack.

The "give me a dollar" guys have been around Jacksonville since 1985. I wasn't here before that. But I can tell you they were in Chicago, Indianapolis, Honolulu (although less) and Cincinatti. (sp)

Sometimes the best offense is the word nothing..........or just stare. No one can stand silence.

[Debbie Thompson]

I know, I-10.  It's just that the originator was griping about Roosevelt Square, and it turned quite quickly into a downtown rant.  Thereby underlining my contention that the issue about downtown is overblown, because this happens all over town.

[MissMinda]

I usually tell them I don't carry cash, smile and move on. I've done some stupid things in the past when it comes to beggars. I've been naive one time too many. Now I just shut them down. The worst is when they come knocking on my door (I live in the 5 points area), or accost my children when they're outside playing, telling them to go get their parents so they can ask for money.

[I-10east]

The worst is when they come knocking on my door (I live in the 5 points area), or accost my children when they're outside playing, telling them to go get their parents so they can ask for money.

Going through the children? Dang, they are really desperate out there. Someone should make a beggars handbook or something; Being humble helps, and acting overly aggressive is a guarantee to get shut down.

[sheclown]

sometimes I give

sometimes I don't

It all depends.  But I give when I chose to, and don't when I chose not to.  So, I keep control of the situation.  I am never talked into it.  Sort of like dealing with salesmen.