Poll: Should Panhandling Be Illegal?

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by elysiantraveller

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-...nhandling-laws

Allan

[biggestal99]

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

Allan

[Clocker]

Originally Posted by biggestal99

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/...nts/475053002/

[mrhorseplayer]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

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]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

[_______]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

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.