Hi Everyone,
If you read my last blog about passive panhandlers and they are the only ones you have met, lucky you. Some people aren’t as fortunate. This is what I mean.
There is a growing number of aggressive panhandlers in Toronto and it is not pretty. In fact, they are becoming very aggressive and I have heard some scary stories. And I of course have seen some in action.
Less than two months ago, on a hot and sunny afternoon at about 2:30 pm as I waited for a light to change, I saw a man dressed out of season.With 12 seconds to wait, I made my way to the front of the crowd and stood on the street in the Discovery District, so Bay and College. He asked a woman behind me for some money. After she declined he asked her friend. And then he asked some of the people around him. Everyone must have said no but this guy was not taking no for an answer. He asked the first woman if he could have whatever it was she was eating. Again she said no. Again, this guy was not going to take no for an answer.
He kept talking to her as he moved closer to her. The last time I looked back I saw her open her wallet and hand him a five dollar bill. As we crossed the street I asked, “If I harrass you enough will you give me $10?” She laughed at me. Then I said, “You know he’s just going to buy drugs right?” This time she laughed and waved me off. Her friend looked away. And that is what you should do when a panhandler is going to get in your face about giving them money when you don’t want to–look away. I was discovering all kinds of things in the Discovery District that day. And just for the record, while I sat outside at Yonge and Dundas Square a panhandler asked me, “well then, can I have what you are eating?” when I didn’t give him any money. It is happening every where.
As I walked out of a store I saw a young guy pretty much demand that an older man who gave him a gift card give him cash instead. That was in Cabbagetown. Another day I saw a female walk up and then insert herself into the front window of the drivers’ side of a car that stopped for a red light. The driver looked a bit freaked out and his woman passenger looked scared out of her mind as the female with open sores on her face, leaned further into the car and kept talking until someone gave her some money. That was after the light had turned green. The driver could not drive anywhere because she was not leaving. Thankfully the traffic behind that car was understanding as they could see what was happening. Perhaps they were grateful it wasn’t them. That was in the Fashion District.
A woman told me that after work, she felt her safety was at risk when a panhandler wouldn’t take no for an answer so she gave him $20. That was in the Financial District. A man told me that his ex-wife gave a panhandler $20 because he followed her to her car and also would not take no for an answer. In her case it was dusk and every one from her work had already left.
I understand when people give panhandlers, or in some cases extortionists, money when it is late at night and they fear for their safety because there may not be a lot of people around. But when someone asks you for money in the middle of a hot and sunny afternoon when there are a lot of people out and about, don’t do it. I am serious. Every time some one gives in by giving a panhandler money even after they have said no, they make it harder for the other people. If you don’t believe me reread the first half of this blog. You know what, here’s a recap–the woman said no, the other people around him said no, the woman refused to give him her food, he kept bugging her and she gave him a five dollar bill.
I blogged about panhandlers because there are a lot more people pannning and more of them are becoming aggressive. One thing I forgot to mention in my last blog is that there are a growing number of people panning in subway stations and on subways, as they are moving. For the record you can’t escape a panhandler when you are both on the same subway car in between stops. Just saying. And I could say more yet I have gone over my writing time for this blog by 5 minutes and I still have to edit it.
Thank you for reading, A. Rebel’s Rant! ;D
P.S. for anyone who is interested, I went over my writing time by 12 minutes total.
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