"Beg, borrow or steal," he said. "I'd rather beg or
borrow."
Even in the best of times, the streets of San Francisco see more than their
share: brown cardboard signs scrawled with black markers seem to litter the
streets at times and I have said "sorry" too many times to count in a
short walk. It's a gauntlet of guilt, to be sure, especially if there is change
in my pocket.
The City is rife with panhandlers. Some are young, some are old, some have
dogs, some have cats, some are passive, some are aggressive. Some sell
"Street Sheets" (the newspaper put out by homeless for the homeless).
Most are unkempt and easy targets for harsh judgments involving alcohol or
drugs. But really, who are these people?
Judgment Day
"I had heard that some people beg for a living and can make big bucks, $80,000
a year in some cases," Stossel told the co-hosts of "Fox &
Friends" in July 2012. "I made at a rate of about $24,000 -- tax free. I
just did it for a couple hours."
Where the hell was Stossel panhandling? At FOX and Friends, no doubt. Not
in San Francisco, that's for sure. But was Stossel way off the mark? Some
panhandlers have bragged about not having to work because panhandling is more
lucrative. After all, Shane Warren Speegle of Oklahoma City, OK, made $60,000 in 2012!
"Conventional
wisdom is that those on the
sidewalk asking for a dollar are lazy freeloaders who will use the money for
alcohol or drugs," Keyes notes. "Some even think that beggars are
living large off of handouts."
"Conventional wisdom" can be wrong about so very many things simply
because it is conventional - all too common to be of much use. It can also lay
judgment on people without knowing the truth.
The Union Square Business Improvement District hired GLS Research to interview
146 self-identified panhandlers in the neighborhood, giving them $5 each for
participating. The survey was conducted over two days in March 2013.
83% are men
48% are African American
31% are white
39% have a high school diploma
21% attended some college
69% are single
26% served in the military
70% are 40 to 59 years old
58% have been panhandling for at least five years
53% panhandle seven days a week
60% make $25 a day or less
94% use the money for food
44% use it for drugs or alcohol
62% are disabled
25% are alcoholics
32% are addicted to drugs
82% are homeless
95% live in San Francisco
These statistics are far from the image of John Stossel's rich panhandler or
Shane Speegle's lazy freeloader.
Kirk Johnson, a man who has been on the streets for several years, tells it like it is:
"People who have money won't give you money," sighed Johnson, who said he's been panhandling in Union Square for five years. "If most people who came by gave me $1, I'd be out of here in an hour with enough money to buy food and get a hotel room for the night. But they ignore me."
So who does give? The survey revealed:
80% are Bay Area residents
70% are younger than 45 years old
48% have a household income under $50,000 a year
60% give because they or a family member may be in need someday
61% are concerned about how panhandlers use their money
Without the largesse from these few people, Kirk said that he would not be able
to survive, but there is still dignity in Johnson's demeanor.:
"Beg, borrow or steal," he said. "I'd rather beg or borrow."
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