HANDLING PANHANDLING
Where to begin? There are so many “stories” to tell—not just the brief, glib patter used by the everyday handout hustler, but all the back stories that lie behind it, the interrelationships and interactions with others. The problem, though, is that so many of these stories have been told. And still we have homelessness; still we have panhandling.
So what’s going on here? What are we not doing? Because, clearly, we’re not doing something.
Actually, it’s my feeling we’re not doing anything. Anything real, that is. So maybe what we should do is get real, by discussing the realities of a day in “the life” and the real-world obstacles homeless people face every day they’re on the street—the obstacles that force already-poor people into doing something that demeans them further in the eyes of society.
Since this is the STREET SHEET, I’ll be writing this with my sympathies firmly behind street people and their rights. I’m also interested in helping the average citizen who reads this article understand not only some of the reasons why street folk behave as they do, but what would be considered humane—and inhumane—behavior toward them.
Before I begin, some credentials. I’ve been homeless, I’ve received GA (General Assistance) and food stamps, and I’ve sold STREET SHEETs. However—and this is a big however—I’ve never truly panhandled, never really asked for change (friends don’t count). Also, as much as I’m on the side of the panhandler (civil rights, solidarity in struggle, you know the drill), I struggle with conflicting emotions. I watch some of the “change” machines out there, and I can see the con jobs, the aggressive physicality, the lack of respect for those they want money from, the full-court press, the sales tactics.
Not that I think all consumers smell like lilacs, either. The ignoring, the condescension, the insulting commentary, the inability to believe that even ONE person is telling the truth, the nose firmly in the air. We know y’all are in a hurry. We can see that. That doesn’t mean you can’t behave humanely as you move along in life. The goal here is to show people—both on and off the street—how to be cool with one another. Instead of putting on that invisible suit of armor to do battle with downtown foot traffic, let’s see if we can get a hand- shake to happen instead, change or no change.
I’m breaking this down into three parts: Approach, Ask, and Aftermath. For the average citizen, this is what the “homeless issue” boils down to: not civic policies, but simply learning how to handle this kind of personal encounter. On the other hand, what the average panhandler wants to know is how to get better at the job, because his or her survival depends on it. In other words, your basic person on the street wants to learn how to “survive” a brief encounter, while your street people—who live very much on a one-day-at-a-time basis—want to learn skills that will help them to survive the coming night. Advice for each group will be headed with the word STREET for street people, and PEOPLE for everyday folk.
The Approach
STREET: Is there a “right” approach? Positive, polite, respectful, friendly, helpful, and low-key are all good words to consider keeping in the back of your mind while panhandling. Negativity, anger, complaining, whining, and threatening are all actions I would consider eliminating from your collection of public behavior patterns, as they will not help you make money—in fact, they will cost you.
My feeling is that simplicity is best—a simple sign, a simple phrase. We’re not looking for deep, meaningful relationships, here—just some pocket change. If those relationships happen, great, but keeping it cool is safer for you from a harassment standpoint. A sense of humor’s always good, as long as it’s not offensive. “Why Lie?—It’s For Beer/Pot/etc.” is funny, but it won’t help you get change from those who frown on drug or alcohol use; they just see that as confirmation that you’ll never get off the street, so why help at all?
When it comes to appearance, well, you’re homeless, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned, as long as you stay clean. If you feel bad about your hygiene and your clothes, though, it can affect your self-esteem, which can affect how much you collect, so make sure you feel OK about how you look. If your situation’s really bad, do the best you can. A stick of incense might do the trick.
If I seem stuck on this subject, it’s because the cleaner you are, the better you’ll do. Most people want to see that you’re making a genuine effort to get off the street. People are consistently amazed at the homeless who don’t act homeless or look homeless, PLUS they have a positive attitude on top of it! “How are they able to do that?” they ask. Because you have to, that’s why—or else give up and die.
PEOPLE: Is there a “right” response when a homeless person approaches you? Well, it’s certainly not “Oh GOD, there’s one of those FILTHY homeless people! Oh NO, s/he’s coming right at me!”
Treat the panhandler as a human being—not like an animal. Think of him or her simply as someone going through a difficult time, because that’s certainly the case: Life on the streets is not easy. All the stories about homeless people moving to San Francisco and partying on everyone’s tax dollars are just that, stories. They’re designed to prevent you from caring enough-enough to give, enough to look into the deeper issues, enough to hold elected officials accountable for their inability to act decisively or with compassion in this arena. They’re designed to make you view homeless people as the enemy.
So help, if you feel like it. Or don’t, if you don’t. No matter what you do, though, you should treat every panhandler as a fellow human being, as deserving of your respect as anyone you know.
The Ask
STREET: This is an all-important moment (and a constitutionally protected one, I might add). What to say? Will it work? How to act? Will it help? Pay attention. Focus. Put on your best face; your very life is at stake, so wake up and do the best you can. Psyche yourself up. Think positively!
Try a find a regular spot to stand, at a regular time of day. Give yourself enough time at a single location to have a fair chance of making some money. Oh, and do us all a favor: stop hanging around ATMs and try to respect people’s personal space around things like their cars and their social activities (dining out, catching a movie, picking up groceries). Again, it’s costing you CASH MONEY crowding these people. Find a more neutral space to be.
Treat it like a job. (It’s NOT the same, I know. Candidly, I think it’s a special form of hell.) The first hour can be agony. It takes time to get used to it, because part of you doesn’t want to get used to it. You have to build a tolerance to ignorance and abuse. But it’s all you’ve got right now, so give it your all. Look at it this way. At least you’re alive.
PEOPLE: What I’m going to “ask” of you is simple. Acknowledge their presence. Don’t want to give? Fine. Does that mean you have to act like no one asked you for help? Nod your head. Wave a hand. Smile. Say “Hi”; “No, thank you;” “Sorry, no;” “I don’t have any change, man.” Words to that effect.
Something is better than nothing. Nothing is cold. Nothing is rude. Something is humane. In the eyes of those “asking” you for change, if you treat them like they exist, like they ARE, you are automatically elevated in their eyes. Not to the level of someone who actually gives, mind you, but higher than people that ignore them, certainly. That’s not something to look at lightly.
The Aftermath
STREET: Hey, how’d you do? That bad, huh? It’s pretty normal to evaluate how things are going. Any interesting people? Any food? Anyone try to kick your ass? Police ask you to move along? Is this panhandling thing working for you? Should you be finding a better way of making cash, like recycling? Anyone offer you work? Basic stuff.
This is a good time to think about changes you might want to make based on things you’ve just learned. Do you want a sign? Do you want to change what you’re saying? Is there something you can do, like art—or sell, like clothes or books? How’s your thick skin developing? How’s your sanity? Holding up OK? Shake it off and get on with the rest of your day. Oh, and those of you who insist on yelling at people and following them down the street after they’ve said no, knock it off. Once again, it’s costing you.
PEOPLE: See, that wasn’t so terribly horrible, was it? No one was hurt. (Actually, it’s pretty rare for panhandlers to hurt anyone.)
If you treated the panhandler like a person, instead of a thing, you might actually feel good about the interaction. That feeling, of course, will pass. Then you’ll be forced to treat another homeless person decently in order to relive that “high.”
If we’re all lucky, you’ll become hopelessly addicted to homeless contact, always craving more. Sorry, I got carried away there. Realistically, it’s as far from that as possible. We’re just asking that you make a more conscious effort to treat street folks more humanely.
Street people are not ants to be crushed on the sidewalk. There are things we can do, things we can say. What did we, as strangers, do to you, that makes you treat us like human waste? I can understand your distaste for some of the men—they can get really ripe. But the children? Women? Disabled people? Seniors? Why?!
At what point did we decide that it was OK to write people off? (They’re poor. So what? Who cares?) At some point, it comes down to whether you—yes, YOU—care about ALL of your fellow men, or just a chosen few. Am I pushing a button here? Well, let’s hope there’s one there to push.
Afterword
I’d just like to state that I’m thrilled that there are growing numbers of homeless people everywhere, and I hope the trend continues until the whole country’s homeless. Maybe then we’ll figure out how to fix this thing. Then we could have panhandling schools, custom-made cardboard signs, designer begging costumes, and windshield cleaner/valet positions created by the City.
Until that happy day, we’ll have to make do with what we have. Since we’re having a bear of a time seeing any tangible improvement in the whole homeless mess, I figure we should be working on the intangibles. Things like respect and etiquette may be but words in the wind, but they’re common currency in many parts of the world, no matter where one is sleeping.
Randall
