Panhandling is, imho, a disgusting way to make a living. Like phone or internet scams, many panhandlers are skilled at making you feel sorry for them in many ways. Everything from what you described here to dressed in business attire and using a line like, "Can you help me. I've been robbed and I need to get a flight home asap for an emergency. I need @$80 to get to the airport and $700 for my plane fare. Write down your name and address and I can send you back the money in a week." For real. Heard it at LAX many years ago. A news expose' interviewed a lot of panhandlers. Very lucrative business. There are even "schools" that teach the higher end scams. Street theatre at its most despicable.
|