TX: Caucasian panhandlers in Houston prominently holding cell phones

[philip964]

Interesting thing has happened over the last few days.

I have been approached by reasonably dressed Caucasian people prominently holding smart phones and asked for money.

One was a man with a very complicated story. The other, inside a McDonald’s a woman who simply asked if I could buy her a hamburger.

I realized that the holding the smart phone prominently in their hand was to get me to let down my guard and think these were people just like me, who needed help of some kind.

The woman was near the entrance and before I got my burger had received enough money to buy a full meal.

I realized that the smart phone allowed them to get me to stop and get close. I realized I had been stupid way too late.

Just to let you know.

[Odinvalknir]

I give everyone I come into close proximity of a wide berth, pros of being the anti social type I guess. Not that I don't like people, I'd just rather not be near people whom I don't know, nor care to know. I tend to be non confrontational and am a likeable person, but if I can help it I will steer clear of people due to the fact you just cannot trust anyone nowaday. Anyone from the ragged looking hobo up to the well dressed person you pass by in your office.


I don't care if someone is holding a cell phone or a baby, nothing they do is going to let me feel more comfortable when they walk up on me to ask for money.

[bblhd672]

There was news story a few years ago about a panhandling ring who worked intersections near highway on/off ramps. The reporters filmed the “poor people” leaving the corner they were working and walking to nearby parking lot, getting into a Mercedes and driving away.
Never give money, offer to buy food for them. Most of the time they will refuse if they’re just addicts looking for a drink or fix.

[Keith B]

Never give money, offer to buy food for them. Most of the time they will refuse if they’re just addicts looking for a drink or fix.

And in reality it may be just their way of making tax-free money by getting a handout. In my small hometown in Missouri they have recently had an large influx of panhandlers. It's not uncommon to see 6-7 along a 1 mile stretch of the main highway at intersections. A couple of them have been approached and flat-out admitted they make anywhere from $200-$300 a day that way, and there is no trail for collection of taxes.

Unfortunately a 2015 Supreme Court ruling basically gutted many cities anti-panhandling ordinances and laws stating they restricted the 1st Amendment rights of these people. http://theconversation.com/most-panhand ... eech-92498

Cities are going to have to get creative in their fight to stop them. https://www.npr.org/templates/transcrip ... =631434725

[Tejas59]

Maybe a dumb question but I'll ask anyway...how is being caucasian a factor in this situation?

[mojo84]

We have a local homeless guy that shows up at the library almost every day with his backpack, laptop, smartphone and tall coffee. He never solicits money at the library that I have seen.

[joe817]

We have a local homeless guy that shows up at the library almost every day with his backpack, laptop, smartphone and tall coffee. He never solicits money at the library that I have seen.

Could he be skimming(or whatever the term is for extracting sensitive personal info from your smart phone) ? I dunno. Just a thought.
Aren't smart phones fairly expensive? If so, what is a homeless person doing with one?

[mojo84]

We have a local homeless guy that shows up at the library almost every day with his backpack, laptop, smartphone and tall coffee. He never solicits money at the library that I have seen.

Could he be skimming(or whatever the term is for extracting sensitive personal info from your smart phone) ? I dunno. Just a thought.
Aren't smart phones fairly expensive? If so, what is a homeless person doing with one?

He could be looking for and applying for jobs as far as I know.