What if Panhandlers Unionized?

[laurat99]

The family and I were driving through St. Louis today and at the intersection by the bridge, there's usually a panhandler. The spot is near where the rams play and Laclede's Landing, a popular tourist and nightclub spot. Today there was none and the hubster and I wondered out loud what would happen if panhandlers were to form a union. We surmised that our panhandler was on a break when we came through.

What do you think would happen if panhandlers unionized?

[Don]

Pray that you are not the next car up to the corner right at his break time. By law you would have to set there and wait on him to get back from his break before you could proceed through the intersection.
"Hold it right there mister."
"What did I do?"
"You proceeded across a panhandler's territory while he was on his official break."
"I didn't mean to."
"Ignorance is no excuse."
"But I wasn't planning on giving him anything anyway."
"No excuse either. See you did not give him the opportunity to spit on your windshield and then smear it around with his cleaning kit. You, in fact, deprived him of potential wages."
"...but I wouldn't give him anything for doing that either!"
"That doesn't matter the law is very clear that you must allow panhandlers the opportunity to guilt money from you or pay the $1,500 fine for illegal crossing of a panhandler's territory."

[Qrayze]

I had a lady come up to me the other day asking for money for her truck since she was out of gas. We were no where near a gas station and I realized that I recognized her. So, I told her that two years earlier, she asked me for money for the same exact thing and I had given her some them. I told her I wasn't going to fall for it again.

[Tikatu]

(12-29-2011 06:13 PM)Qrayze Wrote:  I had a lady come up to me the other day asking for money for her truck since she was out of gas. We were no where near a gas station and I realized that I recognized her. So, I told her that two years earlier, she asked me for money for the same exact thing and I had given her some them. I told her I wasn't going to fall for it again.

I would have been tempted to ask where her truck was and offer to get my little gas can from home and give her a few gallons so she could get home.

A couple of times when people have come to my door asking for money to buy food, I offer them a meal (and give them one, too!). Don't see them again...