Organized homeless panhandlers

[Spork]

I've been noticing some interesting (at least to me) homeless/panhandler occurrences in the area over the last few months and just thought I'd ask. Is there an organized panhandling group that has moved into the Salt Lake valley? The reason I ask is I've noticed panhandlers at certain locations for example on the corner by Walmart/Chick-fil-a in West Valley or out in Sugar house area I-80 and 1300E exit. It appears that the faces/signs change but they are always there. I've seen the homeless Veteran, the single mother, the new out of work father, the old lady, the crippled guy, etc and they all have the cardboard sign with their plight. I swear I've seen the homeless Veteran take over for the old lady (like it's shift change at the corner).

Has anyone else noticed this? Anyone have some insight? Any ideas why this is happening?

Or do I just have the tinfoil too tight?

 

[Kevin B.]

I've been noticing some interesting (at least to me) homeless/panhandler occurrences in the area over the last few months and just thought I'd ask. Is there an organized panhandling group that has moved into the Salt Lake valley? The reason I ask is I've noticed panhandlers at certain locations for example on the corner by Walmart/Chick-fil-a in West Valley or out in Sugar house area I-80 and 1300E exit. It appears that the faces/signs change but they are always there. I've seen the homeless Veteran, the single mother, the new out of work father, the old lady, the crippled guy, etc and they all have the cardboard sign with their plight. I swear I've seen the homeless Veteran take over for the old lady (like it's shift change at the corner).

Has anyone else noticed this? Anyone have some insight? Any ideas why this is happening?

Or do I just have the tinfoil too tight?

Nope, they're there. I've seen them do shift change too, and I've seen them rotate spots over the course of a day. My truck is too identifiable, but I really want to roll down my window and call them out every time I see some dumbass give one of those crooks money.

There's a lot of money in panhandling if you've got a good location. I remember a news story a while back about a guy that was commuting from his mansion in the hills above Sugarhouse to panhandle in front of the temple. Back in the day, I worked graveyards at a 7-11 on the UofO campus and regularly gave one bum any hot dogs that got too old on the roller, until he bragged to me one night about his $300 a day drug habit and how he fed it by spanging on street corners.

Some people have no pride.

 

[Herzog]

Do they bust knee caps if a non-union panhandler moves into their territory? Freakin scab-panhandlers...

 

[Kevin B.]

Do they bust knee caps if a non-union panhandler moves into their territory? Freakin scab-panhandlers...

I dunno. I'm bored, you wanna head down there with me and find out?

 

[Spork]

Do they bust knee caps if a non-union panhandler moves into their territory? Freakin scab-panhandlers...

I've wondered that. With the number I've seen out by the Walmart you would think that 2 people would show up at the same location one day or there would be one a little further down the street by the light.

 

[JL Rockies]

Have you seen the juggling dude? He's pretty good.

 

[Stephen]

This has always been the case. Nothing new. You should see them rotate around The Gateway here. Different spots throughout the day to hit the highest traffic. My favorite is the guy in the wheel chair who then folds it up and carries it to his next location. They don't care if you see because enough people wont and will still give him money.
I wish that anti-panhandling law hadn't been struck down.

 

[richpblaze]

Until you walk a mile in their shoes........... I'm just saying, I have way to much pride to do this. I have followed people and picked up the I will work for food guys I have been disappointed by the outcome most of the time. But for some reason I will always lend a helping hand when I can, they can be the ones to pay on Judgement day.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Have you seen the juggling dude? He's pretty good.

Pretty sure I saw him by the off-ramp for 1300 south, dude has skillz!

 

[GOAT]

: or out in Sugar house area I-80 and 1300E exit. It appears that the faces/signs change but they are always there:

i remember seeing those guys on the way home from work.

 

[RogueJeepr]

I always see em' out in the sandy area. When I drive by I yell GET A JOB YA STINKIN BUM .
They started using Mathesons old political sign's to write thier pity messeges . Ya think they could walk over to the local buger-king/Mc-D's to hold a sign and get paid. Anything to fund thier drug/alchohal habbit .

 

[JL Rockies]

Pretty sure I saw him by the off-ramp for 1300 south, dude has skillz!

That's where he hangs out.... but he keeps it fresh and only comes around once or twice per month.

 

[Spork]

Until you walk a mile in their shoes........... I'm just saying, I have way to much pride to do this. I have followed people and picked up the I will work for food guys I have been disappointed by the outcome most of the time. But for some reason I will always lend a helping hand when I can, they can be the ones to pay on Judgement day.

I'm not opposed to helping those in need, but if I'm feeling used I keep my $ in my pockets. In the instances I described I don't feel like it's a single person hard on their luck I feel like someone is running a business with employees/transportation/logistics/etc.

 

[Herzog]

I'm not opposed to helping those in need, but if I'm feeling used I keep my $ in my pockets. In the instances I described I don't feel like it's a single person hard on their luck I feel like someone is running a business with employees/transportation/logistics/etc.

Exactly.

 

[JL Rockies]

We had an issue recently in which a woman went on a shoplifting excursion at Target's camping dept and set up camp in the tall grass in the vacant field next to our dealership. Our problem was, she would come into our dealership everyday and wash herself in the ladies room off the Iceberg Cafe. She would leave a muddy mess and go to work off the ramp. For whatever reason, when someone needs to be thrown out (and it happens) I have to be the heavy. When I get the call from the Iceberg chick, I go and wait outside the Ladies Room. When she finally comes out I say "look, you can't come in here everyday and take a bath in our sink". She responds "I'm not doing that, I am here to buy a car." "I am sorry who are you working with?" I respond. "Oh, I haven't made it over there yet to talk to anyone" she answered. "Well, I'd be happy to escort you to the showroom and get you with someone who can answer all of your questions" I said as I motioned for her to follow me. I offered to help her with her two Target shopping bags or her backpack that still had the pricetag on it. She pretended to be a customer for a full hour before hauling ass. About an hour later, our receptionist went to Walmart and saw the woman being detained by security for stealing a head of lettuce. We've never saw here again and her tent in the field is gone.

 

[JL Rockies]

Until you walk a mile in their shoes........... I'm just saying, I have way to much pride to do this. I have followed people and picked up the I will work for food guys I have been disappointed by the outcome most of the time. But for some reason I will always lend a helping hand when I can, they can be the ones to pay on Judgement day.

Grew up on welfare in Newark, NJ. Only white kid in the neighborhood my mom was single and trying to feed 2 kids. I couldn't go outside to panhandle if I wanted to because of various gang activity and anti-white sentiment. My mom worked during the day, school at night and then homework after that. I could sometimes hear her crying in the kitchen at night while she did her homework. My 20 something mom eventually got us out of the ghetto and off public assistance. These panhandlers have no ballz. I don't care about their drug addictions, my life sucked and I 've been sober since the day I was born:

Son
Of a
B*tch
Everything's
Real

Pass it on.

 

[I Lean]

If nobody gave any of them any cash, there would be no panhandlers. The problem is perpetuated by people thinking they're helping anything by giving money.

 

[DAA]

I won't give any of them anything this time of year. But I've got a soft spot for winos, and winter is hard on them. So every year about a week before Christmas I take some $20 bills equal to however much I was able to afford on Toys for Tots that year, and go to the liquor store on North Temple. Then hand out twenties to the roughest looking bums I find hanging out around there. The looks I get from them when I walk up and hand them a twenty and say "Merry Christmas! Now, PROMISE me you'll spend this ALL on BOOZE!", is pretty cool.

- DAA

 

[MikeGyver]

I only see the Sarah Conner lookin lady at 1300s, she has a dog and a little wagon. I see the bums doing stock market exchange hand signals to each other sometimes.

 

[mesha]

If nobody gave any of them any cash, there would be no panhandlers. The problem is perpetuated by people thinking they're helping anything by giving money.

Duh Carl, it is called a bailout and it works every single time! Take a look at history. Whether it is the business of panhandling, or the car industry, or the stock market giving money to people makes them more independent and successful. If we made them earn it they would have to work hard and that is.....hard. Hard is not fair to people that don't want to work hard.