Panhandlers More Often Pros Than Cons

It's a full-time gig for some, and cities make little headway with efforts to stop begging

By Kate Schwartz, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 22, 2008 4:21 PM CDT

(Newser) – Panhandling has turned professional, with determined and resourceful "spangers"—spare-change artists—overwhelming street corners throughout the country, some pulling in as much as $40,000 a year, Steven Malanga writes in City Journal. Beggars can even turn to the web for shakedown tips. If that seems like an unlikely destination, that's exactly the point: Many are hardly helpless, or even homeless.

It's "especially bad in cities that have a reputation for being liberal and tolerant," says the co-founder of a partnership that helped oust panhandlers from 1990s Manhattan. "People in New York would be shocked at what one encounters in other cities these days, where the panhandling can be very intimidating." The centralized advice explains the proliferation of the pointed, humorous approach to begging: "I won't lie," read many signs. "Need money for booze and drugs."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Reverse psychology in Portland. ((c) Misserion)

The direct, humorous approach is in vogue. ((c) romulusnr)

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The old type of panhandler—a mentally impaired or disabled homeless person trying to scrape together a few bucks for a meal—is giving way to the full-time spanger. - Steven Malanga, City Journal

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Panhandlers More Often Pros Than Cons