Steven Malanga

The Professional Panhandling Plague

A new generation of shakedown artists hampers America’s urban revival.




Charlie’s blunt approach to begging is in vogue across the country—and it actually works.Barbara Bradley, an editor with the Memphis Commercial Appeal, moved into the River City’s reviving downtown about a year and a half ago, loving its “energy and enthusiasm.” But a horde of invading panhandlers has cooled her enjoyment of city life. Earlier this year, she recalled in a recent column, as she showed some visitors around the neighborhood, “a big panhandler blocked the entrance to our parking area and demanded his toll.” Now a nervous Bradley avoids certain downtown areas, locks her car when fueling up at local gas stations, and parks strategically, so that she can see beggars coming before getting out of her car. “When I hear someone call out ‘ma’am, ma’am’ anywhere in downtown or midtown, I run.”

She’s not alone. Cities have overcome myriad obstacles in revitalizing their downtowns, from lousy transportation systems to tough competition from suburban shopping malls. But nearly 15 years after New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his police chief, William Bratton, vanquished Gotham’s notorious squeegee men and brought aggressive panhandling under control, other cities are facing a new wave of “spangers” (that is, spare-change artists) who threaten their newfound prosperity by harassing residents, tourists, and businesses. Unlike their predecessors in the seventies and eighties, many of these new beggars aren’t helpless victims or even homeless. Rather, they belong to a diverse and swelling community of street people who have made panhandling their calling.

Like most countries, America has always had its share of itinerant travelers, vagabonds, and hoboes. But panhandling became a more pervasive and disturbing fact of urban life in the 1970s—a by-product of the explosion in homelessness that resulted from rising drug use and the closing of state-run mental institutions, which released scores of helpless psychiatric patients back into society. Though studies showed that only a small percentage of homeless people panhandled—mostly alcoholics and drug addicts seeking their next fix—the sheer numbers of street people still meant lots of beggars. By the crack epidemic’s late-eighties peak, New York City in particular was home to a massive panhandling presence. A 1988 survey by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority found that 80 percent of subway riders disliked the constant harassment. “I was raised never to pass a beggar by, but there are too many of them and I’m sick of it,” one Manhattanite told the New York Times. “I feel like this is becoming beggar city.”

The problem soon turned from irritating to alarming in “beggar city,” as incidents of aggressive panhandling leading to violent crime began showing up regularly in the headlines. In 1988, an itinerant panhandler on Manhattan’s Upper West Side murdered his girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter, whose dead body he then stuffed into a baby carriage and took out on his rounds, along with the girl’s still-living brother. A year later, an aggressive panhandler stabbed to death a 32-year-old computer engineer in a confrontation on West 114th Street in Manhattan. Shortly after, in the Bronx, an 18-year-old boy died from stab wounds inflicted by a panhandling immigrant who knew just four English words: “Give me a dollar!”

The escalation—and other cities faced it, too—shouldn’t have been surprising. “If the neighborhood cannot keep a bothersome panhandler from annoying passersby . . . it is even less likely to call the police to identify a potential mugger or to interfere if a mugging actually takes place,” wrote political scientist James Q. Wilson. One change in policing that had contributed to the growing disorder, observed Wilson, was curtailing foot patrols in favor of squad cars. In the past, an officer on the beat would discourage panhandlers; now he just drove on by.

(excerpt.....please read) linked in title.

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I figured I would title this in one of those so commonly used guilt trips. I will start by saying I agree and disagree with some of what is being said here on this thread.

All too often the difference between a criminal and a beggar is not realized. Such with the case of the 18 year old boy dying of stab wounds. The man that perpetrated this was not a panhandler but rather a murderer. The woman mentioned was not acosted by a spanger but rather a mugger. If we are going to look at the panhandling "problem" in terms of the law lets not confuse our laws.

I will freely admit to having panhandled in just about every major city in these great united states. As well as many minor towns. I am no criminal, no beggar, no bum. I am a budget tourist. Yes, I do rely on the kindness of others as well as their sense of humors, to travel the country. I wear my vasque hikers, columbia pants, and northface jacket while holding my whitty signs and telling my jokes. I make no pretense that I am destitute or in need of pitty, and I know many others like me.

In the united states we preach freedom. We fight against stereo types lumping races, religeons, other beliefs. I ask is this not just another stereo type.

In fact I will go so far as to say very few panhandlers are criminals. If we were, we would all have guns and just steal peoples stuff. The vast majority of spangers are far more honest and forthright than 90 percent of the so called businessmen in this country. Need I mention MCI WorldCom or ENRON. Oh, wouldn't guess a spanger to know current or past events. I am college educated with 3 degrees (1 bachelors and 2 associates). Again I know several other "urchins", as I believe it was so eloquently put, in the same boat.

In conclusion, I just love to travel and work gets in the way of that love. Before just turning up your nose to that next spanger ask yourself, "who is he, can I learn something here today?" Chances are better than not he/she has been more places, done more, and seen more than you could ever hope to in your locked in little world. And all on one or two pennies at a time.

-Make them smile their hearts will open, make them laugh and so will their wallets....P.T.Barnum