Heads up: Panhandling beyond the downtown area

[TheArtist]

Has anyone seen the black lady who dresses nice, works the intersections usually with a couple of other people and they all have plastic buckets?  They look like they are working for some real charity, but the whole thing seems fishy to me.

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by cks511

There's also another one who hangs out off of West 23rd across the bridge, claims she needs $5 to take her son to McDonalds.
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That's probably her, she's been known to use that line and there's a diaper line too.
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I ran into her after taking an executive client to one of the industrial sites out that way. I stopped off to get a bite at a fast food place, and she came up to me. I told her that $5 wasn't gonna get her and her son too far at McDonald's, so i assume she had another scam she was working.

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

I hear this a lot about Tulsa and it concerns me. Living in the DFW metro area of over 6 million people, I frequent both Fort Worth and Dallas and never have this problem. Now, if there were certain neighborhoods you went to you might encounter this but it sounds like a big deal in Tulsa. Is the homeless problem that bad there? The last time I was in Atlanta, I was approached by someone outside a convenience store but it wasn't a song and dance routine. He simply asked me for a couple of bucks, which I obliged.

BTW, WHAT THE HECK is the Golden Corral doing allowing people in their establishment bothering patrons? Is that the kind of service one can expect in Tulsa? Being bothered by homeless people in a restaurant? What gives Tulsa?

[EricP]

We've been approached outside our hotel in Dallas by a bum asking for money and brandishing a gun while on a bowl game trip before (back in college recently.) Don't say it doesn't happen... maybe not where you live.

And for gods sake stop giving anybody money. It's like giving a bear a twinkie.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by mr.jaynes

What also gets me steamed is when I refuse to give anything, and I get accused of being racist.

well, then ask them if they would like a reason to call you racist.  like turn around and say "how tight would you like your noose?"

listen, when panhandling crosses over into that context they have broken the law and can be cited.  The city has a specific ordinance against agressive panhandling.

[rwarn17588]

About a year ago, I was downtown when a rather portly (and drunk) lady asked for money so she could buy a bus ticket. She had some sort of unlikely story about needing to visit family out of town ... can't remember where. And, no, I didn't give her money.

About two weeks later, she came up and started up the same spiel. But I interrupted, "Didn't you give me the same lame story two weeks ago? Sounds like you need a new line of bullsh*t." She turned and cussed all the way up the street. She knew she'd been had.

I've encountered panhandlers in just about every city I've been that's over 50,000 people. I don't consider Tulsa unique at all. The highest concentration of bums I've ever seen, in fact, is in relatively small Champaign, Ill., on Green Street near the campus.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

About a year ago, I was downtown when a rather portly (and drunk) lady asked for money so she could buy a bus ticket. She had some sort of unlikely story about needing to visit family out of town ... can't remember where. And, no, I didn't give her money.

About two weeks later, she came up and started up the same spiel. But I interrupted, "Didn't you give me the same lame story two weeks ago? Sounds like you need a new line of bullsh*t." She turned and cussed all the way up the street. She knew she'd been had.

I've encountered panhandlers in just about every city I've been that's over 50,000 people. I don't consider Tulsa unique at all. The highest concentration of bums I've ever seen, in fact, is in relatively small Champaign, Ill., on Green Street near the campus.

oh no, the worst concentration I've seen is in Seattle....and I hear it is much worse to the south in Portland.

I think the issue there is really it has become a culture.  That is what we need to avoid happening here.

It reminds me of the SP episode where the panhandlers take over and they have to lure them to a new city.

How much is a one way ticket to OKC?  I'd be willing to offer them that [}:)]

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by Hawkins

Panhandlers tick me off too.

They do seem to be everywhere now. I was recently approached inside a Barnes & Noble.

What do you guys think? Is it a sign of the times, or do we simply need better police enforcement to deter this type of activity?

Not so much a sign of the times, as there's always been panhandling. Perhaps the only thing that has changed is that the panhandlers become more daring and calculating. Perhaps the outlying areas is where the real money's at for them. But I do think that the police should be vigilant in all parts of town, and not just the downtown area.

quote:Originally posted by TulsaFan-inTexas
BTW, WHAT THE HECK is the Golden Corral doing allowing people in their establishment bothering patrons? Is that the kind of service one can expect in Tulsa? Being bothered by homeless people in a restaurant? What gives Tulsa?

I don't believe that Golden Corral allows them into the establishment, so much as this particular person simply slipped through, and from there, launched into doing his thing. I went back to Golden Corral last week for a bite, and didn't see him there (not that I was looking for this person, nor would I have left if he was there:I'm there for me, not him), so perhaps it was an isolated incident. But had I been approached by him or someone else trying to hustle me, I would take it to the manager and let them handle it.

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by mr.jaynes

What also gets me steamed is when I refuse to give anything, and I get accused of being racist.

well, then ask them if they would like a reason to call you racist.  like turn around and say "how tight would you like your noose?"

listen, when panhandling crosses over into that context they have broken the law and can be cited.  The city has a specific ordinance against agressive panhandling.

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

About two weeks later, she came up and started up the same spiel. But I interrupted, "Didn't you give me the same lame story two weeks ago? Sounds like you need a new line of bullsh*t." She turned and cussed all the way up the street. She knew she'd been had.

I've done similar, calling them out on a particular hustle or scam, even if I never saw them before. Depending on the person, that is where the race card often gets played. Boiling it down to a hot-button issue like race, or to try to play on racial guilt, that's just plain brazen. I understand doing what you gotta do to survive, but that pretty much ends any communication at all between me and the other person. And yes, the police should be involved at that point.

quote:Originally posted by EricP

And for gods sake stop giving anybody money. It's like giving a bear a twinkie.

Rather than giving them money, call the police. Give in once or twice, they probably won't consider it a charitable act, but rather something they are entitled to and thus proceed from that angle. Just call the law.

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

quote:Originally posted by EricP

We've been approached outside our hotel in Dallas by a bum asking for money and brandishing a gun while on a bowl game trip before (back in college recently.) Don't say it doesn't happen... maybe not where you live.

And for gods sake stop giving anybody money. It's like giving a bear a twinkie.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen here, but I live here and travel all over the metroplex and it hasn't happened in 18 years.

It just sounds like this is a big problem in Tulsa. Perhaps people are keen to Tulsa being a charitable city. I don't know, but when dozens of people come on here and say that it happens on an almost daily basis it does appear to be a problem.

[AngieB]

Got hit up "for a few pennies" today at 21st & Harvard Arby's. We pretty much ignored him and kept walking.

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Has anyone seen the black lady who dresses nice, works the intersections usually with a couple of other people and they all have plastic buckets?  They look like they are working for some real charity, but the whole thing seems fishy to me.

Have dealt with them many times.  They claim they are with a church near 6th and Utica.  Not too convinced.

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

Got hit up "for a few pennies" today at 21st & Harvard Arby's. We pretty much ignored him and kept walking.

Seems my lucky streak downtown, in terms of being approached by panhandlers, has finally come to an awkward end!

Within the last 24 hrs, I picked up a passenger at the airport, brought her to her hotel in south Tulsa (without incident) and then to an office building off Boston Avenue (a rather elegant building at that, but I digress), when we were approached approached by a large, heavy-set, balding black "gentleman" (given his demeanor, I use that term gentleman very loosely), obviously homeless or just a professional panhandler, trying his hustle. But rather than trying to get a few bucks, he asked if he could "hold a quarter, hold a quarter." It quickly became clear that he wasn't all there, possibly due to having huffed so much gold paint in his time-or something else. Obviously had the mind of a child, but probably brought on by plenty of drug usage.

After whisking my passenger through the front doors into the building, I pointed out that the people who frequent that building tend to think in terms far greater than quarters, all the while sizing him up in case the issue was going to be taken to the next level. When I picked up my passenger a few hours later, he was nowhere to be found, but, given that my driving frequently takes me to downtown Tulsa, I doubt I've seen the last of this person. So that's a heads-up to everyone else if this person approaches you.    

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Has anyone seen the black lady who dresses nice, works the intersections usually with a couple of other people and they all have plastic buckets?  They look like they are working for some real charity, but the whole thing seems fishy to me.

Have dealt with them many times.  They claim they are with a church near 6th and Utica.  Not too convinced.

I should think that a church-sponsored carwash would be at a fixed location, such as the church parking lot. Smells fishy to me also. Then again, having lived in New Orleans, one finds out that sometimes, even some of the clergy have a scam or two.

But in the Tulsa area: Now, one evening some years ago (while visiting my parents in Broken Arrow, no less), I did get approached by someone who was collecting funds for the Unification Church (Reverend Moon's outfit), who was going to all the businesses and individuals in the area to collect funds for a planned drug-treatment facility that the church was going to put together. The guy in question (according to his own claim) was from Russia and beyond the church's fundraising pitch (obviously scripted), was limited in his comprehension of the English language. Has anyone been approached on this one?

[cyndezu]

Honestly, I have never heard of a place with soo many people hard-up or on the take, cept maybe the Bahamas.. at least they offer to braid your hair!
If anybody asking for so much as a quarter from me at anyplace I patronize they better be selling   girl scout cookies.

[TheTed]

If they want my money they better be doing something to earn it. I always give the guitar playing guy at fifth and main a buck. He's at least making a contribution instead of just looking for a handout.

[TUalum0982]

quote:Originally posted by mr.jaynes

quote:Originally posted by cks511

There is one that will follow you after she has made the initial request.  Once she knows where you live watch out.  She approached me broad daylight on the Westport side of the trail, asked for money, I said no.  She apparently followed me and tried to break into my apartment the next weekend.   People who thwarted her identified her down to the last detail.  She was never caught.  She has also been seen harassing BCBS workers who park in the 15th and Main St lot.  But I've never seen her at QT.  She sometimes has a little kid with her and says he needs insulin.  I hope I see her at QT someday when the cops are there.

There's also another one who hangs out off of West 23rd across the bridge, claims she needs $5 to take her son to McDonalds.

so the fiancee and I went into Wendys last night for a quick bite to eat after a trip to the store for some groceries and the strangest thing happened.  About halfway through our meal, a man approached us and whipped out a 7 speed blender out of a reasors bag.  And stated "only 6 dollars and it's yours, I need some grub".  Now typically I would have said something to effect of "get the **** outta here I, I don't want your ****".  But I was speechless, and was thinking to myself "did this really just happen".  Needless to say, I told the guy after staring at him speechless for a few seconds "not interested, go try someone else."  This was at the one near 71st and riverside.