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I have had a little experience with panhandlers, and yes I have given them money. Most of the time though I offer to buy them something to eat. In 1990 I lived in Arlington Texas. I was working and going to school. Every day I would pass this lady standing on the corner, she was holding a sign wearing tatered clothing and looked like she needed help. Me being the person I am, stopped one day. I looked into my wallet, I had five dollars left to my name til pay day. Yes, I gave it to her. The sign said she needed diapers for her child, I couldn't just continue to drive by and not stop and help. I gave her the five dollars and felt pretty good about myself. I went on my way went home and as always watched the evening news. Same old stories, robberies, accidents, murders, but there was one story that caught my eye: "Woman arrested for panhandling." Hmmmm surely not, I thought to myself. Oh but surely she was, it was her the lady that was standing on the corner. At first I felt sorry for her, poor thing she was just trying to buy diapers for her child. But then the story changed, she wasn't panhandling for diapers for her child! She was married to a wealthy business man, she didn't even need the money. She was a bored housewife. She went to the goodwill store bought some clothes rubbed them on the ground a bit and put them on. She parked in a near by shopping center in her nice car and walked to the corner with her sign. This woman was making any where from five hundred to one thousand dollars a day standing on the street corner, making people feel sorry for her. Yes, she was arrested but only had to do community service. From then on I decided if someone needed something instead of giving them money I would give them what their sign asked for. I am not saying all panhandlers are bad, some are really down on their luck and need a hand up. It does make you feel good when you do help someone. If you see someone with a sign that says " Will work for food" ask them if they mind doing yard work, if they refuse and only accept money well I would think twice before giving them any thing. Or ask them what kind of food they might need, again if they only accept money well I would think before I gave them any thing. I wish that everyone had a home and job then there would be no need for panhandling. But, panhandling has been going on since probably the beginning of time and will continue till the end.

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