Poll: Should Panhandling Be Illegal?

[Dave Schwartz]

Our local newspaper (Reno, NV) had an article this morning advising of a new city ordinance making panhandling illegal on or near a public street.

What do you think of this law?

[mrhorseplayer]

Our local newspaper (Reno, NV) had an article this morning advising of a new city ordinance making panhandling illegal on or near a public street.

What do you think of this law?



so now they will be in front of businesses

[boxcar]

Our local newspaper (Reno, NV) had an article this morning advising of a new city ordinance making panhandling illegal on or near a public street.

What do you think of this law?

Is the city of Reno going to make up for lost revenue to the panhandlers? Or is Reno just pulling the usual liberal stunt of kicking the can down the road?

[boxcar]

so now they will be in front of businesses

Like casinos and hotels?

[mrhorseplayer]

Like casinos and hotels?


look at freemont st area or cheyenne/rainbow area

[mrhorseplayer]

Like casinos and hotels?



not sure how close to a public street the casinos are in reno.

[Dave Schwartz]

Is the city of Reno going to make up for lost revenue to the panhandlers? Or is Reno just pulling the usual liberal stunt of kicking the can down the road?

So, you see this as something liberals would be in favor of?

[RunForTheRoses]

It should be illegal but maybe not always strictly enforced. It is a public nuisance and does tie in with broken window syndrome
https://www.britannica.com/topic/broken-window

[Inner Dirt]

I am kind of on the fence. It depends on the reason. If it is somebody pan handling to buy alcohol to get drunk and becoming a chronic pest in front of a mini-mart and pestering the customers I say it should be against the law. A guy traveling with his family a distance from home who was robbed just looking for gas and food money to get home should be ok.

[jay68802]

Do they want to get rid of those displays in stores that ask for change to help whatever cause or person that needs the help? Or how about the "Go Fund Me" stuff. That is panhandling, but in a different presentation.

[elysiantraveller]

Our local newspaper (Reno, NV) had an article this morning advising of a new city ordinance making panhandling illegal on or near a public street.

What do you think of this law?

Got an article?

I've never had a problem with it regardless of reason... a lot are junkies and alcoholics but if people want to give them money...?

I'd be open to hearing reasons on both sides.

[Valuist]

Having lived in both the Chicago area and Bay area, I've noticed the San Francisco homeless are much more aggressive in their panhandling than are the Chicagoans.

[_______]

The ordinance as described in the article seems fairly specific and makes it illegal for pedestrians to “stop, stand, or remain in raised traffic islands or medians, except when waiting to cross a roadway at the next signal or when traffic clears.” I’m not at all clear how this stops panhandling on a public street.

It seems specifically designed to stop people from panhandling on a raised median in the middle of traffic.

I know that a fundraiser for MDA is quoted in the article as fearing this will cause solicitations they conduct with help from the local fire department to drop but so long as the fundraiser (or panhandler) is on the sidewalk, it doesn’t seem to me they are impacted at all by the new ordinance.

30 days of warnings and education about the new law. After that, it’s a traffic citation. No one gets arrested.

This looks to be a narrow rule designed to alleviate a specific problem. I’m still not sure it’s a big enough issue that I would have worried about it enough to pass a new law. But I’d defer to local law enforcement who asked for it to solve what they saw as a public safety issue.

[_______]

Got an article?

I've never had a problem with it regardless of reason... a lot are junkies and alcoholics but if people want to give them money...?

I'd be open to hearing reasons on both sides.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2018/03/30/reno-ordinance-banning-panhandling-medians-traffic-islands-sparks-concern-among-residents/475053002/

[Marshall Bennett]

Got an article?

I've never had a problem with it regardless of reason... a lot are junkies and alcoholics but if people want to give them money...?

I'd be open to hearing reasons on both sides.
I have no problem with them if they're quiet and non-aggressive. When you're dirt poor you do whatever you have to do. Doubt many are junkies, certainly not if they need to finance an addiction. Spare change won't do it As for alcohol, I'd think food would take priority. People would be more generous with someone that looks hungry than drunk, at least I know I would.
There will always be exceptions, but for the most part panhandlers aren't mean spirited and not begging to generate any sense of pride or joy.
At least in this country in most cases, it would be embarrassing and desperation. Otherwise they're probably crazy and need help in other ways.

[Dave Schwartz]

Got an article?

I've never had a problem with it regardless of reason... a lot are junkies and alcoholics but if people want to give them money...?

I'd be open to hearing reasons on both sides.

Sorry, it is not yet available online.

The gist of it is that having people In or near traffic is a public safety hazard.

The two major impact concerns that I read from the article were:

1. that the fire department asks for donations several times a year and this law would make that illegal.
2. people with signs disturb traffic.

Truthfully, I am torn.

On the one hand, this is a primary income source for homeless people. Of course, on the other hand, do we really want them in our faces?

My knee-jerk reaction was to be against this law. Of course, nobody consulted me. LOL

[biggestal99]

they tried a similar law in Dallas, with bad results.

http://www.fox4news.com/news/dallas-police-will-no-longer-enforce-tough-panhandling-laws

Allan

[biggestal99]

Hasnt reno ever heard of the United States Constitution, Amendment Number 1.

Allan

[Clocker]

Hasnt reno ever heard of the United States Constitution, Amendment Number 1.

Allan

The right to freedom of speech ends where it infringes on the rights of others. We don't know the details of this law, but unbiased laws that limit speech in the interests of public safety have been found to be constitutional in the past.

[Actor]

Does the 1st amendment include the right to ask people for money?

[thaskalos]

People are hungry, and they are looking for food. As long as no one forces me to give money that I don't want to give voluntarily...then I have no problem with panhandling. It's the aggressive panhandling that bothers me. IMO...it's callous of us to be offended by the mere sight of a panhandler. A person holding up a sign at a traffic light doesn't seem like much of an "inconvenience" to me.

The city of Reno must be relatively trouble-free, if these are the kinds of problems that the authorities there are bothering with.

[_______]

It feels a little odd to post a link and apparently have no one notice. I guess I’ll try it again.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2018/03/30/reno-ordinance-banning-panhandling-medians-traffic-islands-sparks-concern-among-residents/475053002/

[mrhorseplayer]

I am kind of on the fence. It depends on the reason. If it is somebody pan handling to buy alcohol to get drunk and becoming a chronic pest in front of a mini-mart and pestering the customers I say it should be against the law. A guy traveling with his family a distance from home who was robbed just looking for gas and food money to get home should be ok.



thats called agressive panhandling and it is already against the law.

[Inner Dirt]

A person holding up a sign at a traffic light doesn't seem like much of an "inconvenience" to me.
.

Unless the person in front of you stops to hand them money as the left turn light turns yellow and it caused you to catch the red. If I feel generous on a green turn light the paper is getting tossed out the window waded in a ball.

[boxcar]

So, you see this as something liberals would be in favor of?

Oh yeah...for sure...except when they're not. (You know how that works: I was for it before I was against it. Or...I'm all in favor of windmill power, as long as it's not in my posh neighborhood, etc.) Maybe now Reno is against it when it's bad for business -- maybe like gambling or tourist business generally, whatever. In general, panhandlers would disfigure the landscape and project a poor image on Reno who is competing with its big sister city Vegas to get its fair share of gambling money.

[boxcar]

Having lived in both the Chicago area and Bay area, I've noticed the San Francisco homeless are much more aggressive in their panhandling than are the Chicagoans.

This is understandable. The Frisco crowd is up to their eyeballs in poop and it's frustrating them and making them meaner.

[Dave Schwartz]

People are hungry, and they are looking for food. As long as no one forces me to give money that I don't want to give voluntarily...then I have no problem with panhandling. It's the aggressive panhandling that bothers me. IMO...it's callous of us to be offended by the mere sight of a panhandler. A person holding up a sign at a traffic light doesn't seem like much of an "inconvenience" to me.

The city of Reno must be relatively trouble-free, if these are the kinds of problems that the authorities there are bothering with.

Thaskalos,

That was actually my first thought: "Don't we have bigger fish to fry?"

PS: I eventually voted 75% against. Primary reason is that begging for money is (effectively) their "job." Poor people (and beggars) are not knew.

Truthfully, I've never seen a single problem in an intersection caused by a panhandler. Oh, maybe I've caught a light which lengthened my journey by an entire minute.


PPS: Mr. ____ (Did I spell that correctly?)

Saw your link. Thank you. I can never find anything at RGJ.

[boxcar]

Thaskalos,

That was actually my first thought: "Don't we have bigger fish to fry?"

In a socialist environment, what could be better than the welfare of the collective (a/k/a "public safety"). Did you notice in the link that was posted several posts back that the Reno head honchos are distancing themselves from the panhandling issue and making this strictly about public safety.

Aren't you feeling Reno's love? Reno is a little city with a big heart. They obviously care very much for the residents and occupants of the city. I'm nearly tempted to pack my bags and move there...

[Inner Dirt]

Having lived in both the Chicago area and Bay area, I've noticed the San Francisco homeless are much more aggressive in their panhandling than are the Chicagoans.

I think he was kind of well known and I heard through a 49er fan website he passed away around a half dozen years ago, there was a very creative homeless guy around Pier 39 that would disguise himself as a bush and leap out and scare people. For his creativeness both my friend and I gave him $5 each about 10 years ago. It was pretty funny, a lot of people he scared the crap out of causing them to drop what they were carrying even gave him money.

[_______]

Thaskalos,

That was actually my first thought: "Don't we have bigger fish to fry?"

PS: I eventually voted 75% against. Primary reason is that begging for money is (effectively) their "job." Poor people (and beggars) are not knew.

Truthfully, I've never seen a single problem in an intersection caused by a panhandler. Oh, maybe I've caught a light which lengthened my journey by an entire minute.


PPS: Mr. ____ (Did I spell that correctly?)

Saw your link. Thank you. I can never find anything at RGJ.

It’s Mr. _______, DAMNIT!

I have to admit they made it pretty hard to find. But I don’t complain much about anything that isn’t behind a paywall these days.

Just bought a home in Sparks. Closing 5/1. Already have a season pass at Mt. Rose. Skied the last two weeks but too busy so far this week and not going up there with the storm coming in.

I think Boxcar would like it here.

As for me, I’m just looking forward to getting out of my sister-in-laws house in Dayton where we’ve been camped the last 3 weeks. They have been great but I’m already feeling like a reference in a well known Ben Franklin quote.

[MONEY]

In my neighborhood in Houston a nearby Walmart keeps only one door open after 8pm.

The beggers make a line, blocking all the doors and do not move when someone wants to get by. When entering or leaving the Walmart you literally have to push them out of your way.

They are all alcoholic junkies and they stink. Who knows what kind of communicable & contagious diseases these people have. I no longer shop at that Walmart.

[Dave Schwartz]

It’s Mr. _______, DAMNIT!

I have to admit they made it pretty hard to find. But I don’t complain much about anything that isn’t behind a paywall these days.

Just bought a home in Sparks. Closing 5/1. Already have a season pass at Mt. Rose. Skied the last two weeks but too busy so far this week and not going up there with the storm coming in.

I think Boxcar would like it here.

As for me, I’m just looking forward to getting out of my sister-in-laws house in Dayton where we’ve been camped the last 3 weeks. They have been great but I’m already feeling like a reference in a well known Ben Franklin quote.

Welcome! You will love it here... as soon as we get the panhandlers off the medians.

:-)

[fast4522]

1. I am undecided on the grounds that I do not live there to make a informed decision.
2. Things are often slipped into such laws that do not work for the community by hacks.

What should be contained in any law like it is the ability of LEO's and ICE agents to determine if someone in this group has warrants and is wanted by ANY agency local or federal removing any and all protections preventing determination of status.

[Valuist]

People are hungry, and they are looking for food. As long as no one forces me to give money that I don't want to give voluntarily...then I have no problem with panhandling. It's the aggressive panhandling that bothers me. IMO...it's callous of us to be offended by the mere sight of a panhandler. A person holding up a sign at a traffic light doesn't seem like much of an "inconvenience" to me.

The city of Reno must be relatively trouble-free, if these are the kinds of problems that the authorities there are bothering with.

Reno is not without problems. I go there several times a year because it's closer than Vegas. There are some rough parts to the town.

[barahona44]

I thought panhandling was illegal, just not enforced that much.
Whenever someone asked me if I could spare a dollar, if it was someone middle aged or older, I'd give it.Someone younger, I 'd tell them "I was about to ask you the same question"
That line wasn't appreciated very often.

[boxcar]

In my neighborhood in Houston a nearby Walmart keeps only one door open after 8pm.

The beggers make a line, blocking all the doors and do not move when someone wants to get by. When entering or leaving the Walmart you literally have to push them out of your way.

They are all alcoholic junkies and they stink. Who knows what kind of communicable & contagious diseases these people have. I no longer shop at that Walmart.

You should complain to the manager of that location. If nothing changes, take your complaint to corporate.

[Dave Schwartz]

Reno is not without problems. I go there several times a year because it's closer than Vegas. There are some rough parts to the town.


Of course there are "rough parts," just like anywhere.

But Reno has become a real gem compared to most cities in the west. People have to realize that we're not Las Vegas.

Heck, we hardly have many casinos left.

And we still have some pretty good buffets. LOL

And a lot of all-you-can-eat sushi. :-)

Dave

[_______]

Reno is not without problems. I go there several times a year because it's closer than Vegas. There are some rough parts to the town.

Downtown away from the river is Casino, Liquor Store, Pawn Shop, Monthly Motel, rinse and repeat. Outside of the downtown block they just tore down, of course.

It reminds me a lot of downtown Las Vegas in the 80’s before anybody decided they should put any money into it.

Outside of events (Reno Sculture Fest and Reno River fest coming up in May!), I don’t plan on spending much time there. Looking forward to those as well as Amgen Tour of California stage 6 up in Tahoe.

Peppermill south of downtown has a legit poker room. But I’m still meeting friends in Vegas for KD and BC.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

My grandfather and also my father used to get a down and out from the street and bring them into a bar and tip the bartender well and instruct him to make sure the man eats, and if he does only then can he have a taste. This was his way of understanding the mans problem and not judging them but making sure they eat. Brooklyn in the day!

[JustRalph]

My grandfather and also my father used to get a down and out from the street and bring them into a bar and tip the bartender well and instruct him to make sure the man eats, and if he does only then can he have a taste. This was his way of understanding the mans problem and not judging them but making sure they eat. Brooklyn in the day!

Sweep and pick up the parking lot. One buffet to go......:ThmbUp:

[RunForTheRoses]

Of course there are "rough parts," just like anywhere.

But Reno has become a real gem compared to most cities in the west. People have to realize that we're not Las Vegas.

Heck, we hardly have many casinos left.

And we still have some pretty good buffets. LOL

And a lot of all-you-can-eat sushi. :-)

Dave

I briefly lived there years ago. Awesome climate. It did have transient problems like Vegas. I hear that with Tesla in the area now there are a lot more educated, higher earners coming in. This is causing some good things but I understand housing is going through the roof. There are topics on this on the city data forums.

[Dave Schwartz]

I briefly lived there years ago. Awesome climate. It did have transient problems like Vegas. I hear that with Tesla in the area now there are a lot more educated, higher earners coming in. This is causing some good things but I understand housing is going through the roof. There are topics on this on the city data forums.

Exactly right. Median selling price of a home (as of Feb. '18 I believe) was $378k.

Reno is a wonderful place to live but you better have your life in order and not be a low-wage employee.

The schools are really weak - NV is 50th in the nation, ahead of only Washington, DC.

Whatever is bad, we rank really at or near the top of "bad." (i.e. teen pregnancy, bankruptcies, graduation rates... just name it)

We even rank #1 for deaths in crosswalks!

But, if you can personally sidestep all of that, we've got almost zero congestion, pollution, crime against person, and... get this... you can actually find a doctor! (But, like everywhere, you better hang on to them when you do.)

We have two seasons - winter and construction - very little actual snow to shovel except in the higher altitudes, and restaurant prices for good food are the lowest in the country.

Still, a 24-hr town. I recall going to the Walmart near Saratoga just assuming that they were all open 24 hours a day. LOL

Finally, if you have an itch to make a bet, the casinos are, of course, always open and William Hills are everywhere. Heck... we've got some 7-11s with Wm. Hill sports books.

We just love this place.


Dave