[Taltarzac725]

There are innumerable reasons that may put someone out on the street. Alcoholism, mental illnesses like post traumatic stress disorder, bad employment choices, a criminal record of some kind, a violent family member, bankruptcy, personal insurance disasters, parent abuse, spousal abuse, etc.

As long as you are civil when approached by someone down on his or her luck, I doubt if you have much to worry about from them.

I do not think that we should be able to do anything about panhandlers in certain areas. Suppose I would be concerned if I saw them outside of Old Mill Playhouse, Southern Trace Publix, or some other place inside the Villages proper. I have never seen them in the Villages nor in Lady Lake.

Have seen some in Leesburg, Ocala, parts of the Tampa Bay area, San Francisco, Phoenix, Minneapolis, New Orleans, etc.

I remember that they used to come in from the cold and sleep at various reading tables when I worked at the downtown Central Branch of Minneapolis Public Library. We would have to push them out near closing and this was often out into subzero weather.

I worked at MPL for about 9 months as a Work/Study Intern while going to Law School at the U of MN.

They did not bother people at the library at all.