To digress a little from Richie's post -I actually do not understand the sitting on sidewalks as a youth culture thing. I really hate to preface by saying, "Back when I was a kid" but when I was waiting for a schoolbus or city bus, I was told to stand up by the bus stop - not to sit on the sidewalk. Fast forward to when my daughter was going to high school in the late 1990's, the kids sprawl across the sidewalks near the bus stops like it is too much effort to stand.

I know of several major cities (including Washington DC) that have laws against aggresive panhandling. In Washington DC, it is aimed at the tourist areas and the night club areas for the most part.

This is not hypocricy on anyone's part. This is an effort to keep the city looking good. There are still plenty of shelters to provide sleeping accomodations and food for homeless people so aggressive panhandling or sleeping on the sidewalks is not necessary. The Washington DC subway system (Metro) has a problem, though, with homeless people setting up camps near the entrances where warm air keeps them warm.