Stop blaming the panhandlers, blame the people who give to them

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Panhandling in New Bedford is a hot topic. It used to be the Paul Revere sign that welcomed tourists to New Bedford, but now it’s panhandlers with signs. You can’t drive a main road in New Bedford without seeing at least one person standing at a busy intersection holding a sign asking for money. On most days you’ll even see a couple, one pregnant, working the busy intersection at Union Street and Route 18. On some days you’ll see a guy sitting on a rocking chair barely paying attention, but still making money. It wasn’t always like this.

Why do panhandlers do what they do? It’s because panhandling pays off and it only works because people continue to give them money. Why does it seem that more and more panhandlers are popping up in New Bedford? Because panhandlers go where the money is and word spreads quickly.

Solving the panhandling issue is very simple; stop giving them money and they will go away. It’s 100% scientific. But … but … they will starve! Wrong.

It’s debatable where most of the panhandling money goes, but people in New Bedford are not panhandling for food. There are over a dozen food pantries in New Bedford, not counting the good folks at Mobile Loaves and Fishes who feed people dinner six days a week from a food truck and Mercy Meals and More who feed people breakfast 6 days a week. The $2 million Sister Rose House is nearly complete and will offer shelter and food daily. I think most people that give to a panhandler feel they are helping to feed someone, but in most cases that is simply not true. 

Panhandlers are mostly young men and women physically capable of working. Notice I used the word physically. Most of the panhandlers are not mentally capable of working though. Laziness, an inability to follow rules, or simply an outright unwillingness to live a structured life is what you will mostly find. In some cases the ability to pass a CORI check is lacking. You will also find that a large percentage of pananders in New Bedford are from another city. 

As long as I can remember there have been spammers and scammers on the internet. A day doesn’t go by without spam or some scam in my inbox. Why is that so? Because people fall for spam and scams. People don’t continue to send spam/scams unless thousands of people are responding to them. There are thousands of Nigerian princes scamming people and folks selling tons of discount Viagra thus keeping the spam and scams alive. If people would stop falling for the spam/scams through e-mail the spammers and scammers would go away. If people would stop giving money to panhandlers they would go away. No one will stand (or sit on a rocking chair) for hours at an intersection, make no money and decide that it makes sense to come back the next day. They will migrate where the money is, away from New Bedford.

Do I blame the panhandlers, Nigerian princes or discount Viagra dealers for making easy money? Not at all. The blame falls on the shoulders of the people giving money to them. Stop doing it. A better idea would be to donate to charity or tip service workers 50%. You can feel good about yourself and you’ll actually make a difference.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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25 comments

  1. My dad once told me he saw a homeless guy holding a sign that said “wife divorced me and kept the house”, but he was on the side of the road with a tool bucket and tool belt ready to work. I know that unfortunately, there are a lot of homeless people in this country, but this man wasn’t just begging for change on the side of the road for who knows what. He showed initiative and was ready to EARN somebody’s charity. That makes a difference in my opinion.

    • You can’t earn charity.

      • I think in Ethan’s comment you can equally replace the word charity with respect or empathy. His whole point is that this man was demonstrating a desire and willingness to better himself through the charity of someone offering him a chance to prove his worth, rather than just holding a cup.

  2. This is a strong opinion to say panhandlers are not mentally able to work. They are mentally able, and your opinion is subjective. Just because someone refuses to try and live a structured life does not mean they aren’t “mentally” able to work. Do you know McDonald’s hires mentally challenged people, as well as stop and shop….now if they can work, then why can’t the panhandlers work? The real root problem that out city faces is the huge drug epidemic, because that is the real reason people are asking for money.

    • Joe, I’m not talking about mentally challenged. I consider someone lazy mentally incapable of working. There is nothing physically wrong with them. They just aren’t mentally strong enough to work. Make sense?

  3. What a garbage, horrifically insensitive way to deceitfully suggest you’re addressing homelessness when you’re obviously just spewing your hatred of f the poor.

    Your nonsense editorial doesn’t make one single reference to any facts or any evidence that support the notion that people in New Bedford are panhandling because it is a profitable industry; or because too many people are giving panhandlers money. You give no evidence or facts supporting your suggestion that panhandlers are somehow scammers or are making money by doing it. Panhandling is not the same as Internet scams like Viagra ads and Nigerian Princes. Most panhandlers are destitute and in mental or physical conditions that don’t allow them to work; let alone find employers who will hire them.

    Instead of writing an intelligent piece with facts that support your argument, you just speak from a despondent tone as if you know anything; when (judging from this post) you very clearly don’t. Shame on whoever allowed you to post this. Obviously you have a right to express your opinion. It’s just too bad that you didn’t run it by someone before making yourself look so foolish.

    Here’s a more intelligent piece of advice; How about you mind your own business with respect to who I’m going my money to when it comes to charity and helping the poor. I realize you think it’s disgusting to have to look at them, but maybe you could just look away.

    • His opinion is the same as yours. No need to throw stones. Unless you know the panhandlers personally you are giving an opinion as well.

    • I totally agree with your opinion.sorry you feel this way . I totally agree and support this article. Well written, and in my opinion, very true.

  4. I think this is well written, spot on, intelligently put. I was actually going to make the suggestion myself. I love the point that they don’t want to live structured lives. That’s really a big part of it. And by the way, Are they paying taxes on their money collected? If their work is begging for money, and they do it regularly to survive shouldn’t they have to pay taxes? Its like they are working for 100% commission. Anyway, yes, stop giving them money, they will leave. You don’t have to be mean about it. Or buy some cans of food, and give them a can of beans. Michael I am with you. There are places they can go to get the means to survive, Its better they go there.

  5. The lady who is panhandling for money on Rt 18 and Union St. is not pregnant at all. She puts something in her stomach to make her look like she is pregnant, also there is another lady who stands at the lights at the end of the exit right across from Glazier Glass who is not homeless one bit. She actually owns her own house. I honestly believe that giving them money somewhat is the reason that they don’t go away. It is very scary if you are a woman or for the elderly because some of them come right up to your window and will knock on it asking if you have a cigarette then if you don’t give it to them they start mumbling things as they walk away. Another thing is one of the older men is a level 3 sex offender so people be very careful. They are even start to stand outside of the doors at Market Basket asking for money, cigarettes, food and there are a few that will ask you if you are interested in buying food stamps in change for money. This city has become a scary place to live in.

    • Actually the one at Glasier Glass does NOT own a home – she never has ever owned a home and she actually is homeless.

    • If panhandlers are the scariest thing in New Bedford then I’m glad. If you’re afraid of panhandlers while you’re in your locked car, because they mumble when they walk away. Well that sounds like a personal problem and maybe you shouldn’t leave your house. Lol

  6. The money goes to booze and drugs

  7. Yes, blame the people whose conscience won’t let them not help their fellow man. Blame the people trying to not walk by someone down and out without giving a little something.
    That is so messed up. Society has failed these people but sure, it’s the ones who still have empathy you wish to spurn.
    The lack of mental institutions, mental care, lack of social workers with time and resources to see these people individually and find out why are they actually homeless and unable to work. Shelters that require complete sobriety and throw people out in the morning to go beg. Prison systems that bring in people for a bit, get them on meds, then release them back into the world where they will inevitably miss their meds and continue down this path until they either commit a crime or die. Shame on you for trying to blame the good hearted. And shame on our society who has an unlimitless sky yet a bottom with no safety net.

    • If you want to give your money away please call me. I’ll give you my address. I promise it won’t go to booze or drugs but to take care of my kids… Do you hear how crazy that sounds? But that’s what’s happening. If them men and women who can stand there all day then they can work. It’s a choice. It’s easier to stand there all day and get hand outs, And not have to follow rules or pay taxes. It’s a job to them, I’ve heard it come out of there mouths while they were buying food in a “resturaunt”. They make good money. I’m not gonna give my money to them, when I don’t have enough for myself. Society hasn’t failed them, they’ve failed themselves, you can’t help someone that won’t help theirself. You think anyone WANTS to go to work and pay bills? It sucks, we do what we gotta do. Stand outside all day but can’t work? Smh

  8. Your right kim she is not pregnant if its the same one..
    The one i speak of is usually on Rt 6 kempton ….her boyfriend waits at dunkin for her to get money then he takes it buys cigarettes…then makes it look like she dont have much because he is holding it..

  9. People cannot get a job often without a perm address on an application form. It is a catch-22. Often in the off-chance they can get a job they cannot hold one without a decent place to shower and rest. Another catch-22. People need shelter, food, and sanitation facilities, along with clothes, and sometimes help with resumes and filling out applications. One does not go from panhandling to “getting a job” in an afternoon. It is a process that people need help with. The author of this article reminds of me of Patrick Bateman in the movie “American Psycho” telling Al, the homeless person to “get a job” and that he has a “negative attitude” which is stopping him. This is not about work ethic, etc. This is about white, male, privileged people presuming to judge others whose struggles they know nothing about. Sad.

    • I was waiting for someone to racebait and turn this into a racially dividing issue. Close your mouth with that nonsensical garbage you spew! Im a white male, born and raised in the same city and faced plenty of my own struggles and set backs in life. Nothing privilaged about my upbringing or current life. I have children and have always since freshman year of highschool till currently (30 yrs old) consistently held steady full time mostly labor intesive jobs, sometimes more than one. Never have i ever had anything handed to me nor do i expect to. Your opinion is shit and factless. Take your righteous ass somewhere else you serve no purpose other than stirring the pot.

  10. They are a pain in the neck. Let’s donate a dollar a day to building more shelters that provide meals and a means to wash.

  11. I love it when people tell me how to spend my money !

  12. I must admit that I have given to panhandlers myself from time to time and I have even emptied my wallet several times in a moment of feeling a deep sense of charity. When I get such a feeling, I do not deny or question it but go with what feels right TO ME, but I do so less frequently now, and i must admit that I would rarely if ever give money to a man. If you can stand on your feet on a street corner for 8 to 12 hours a day, you can fucking work! END OF STORY !! It used to be easier to tell if one was really homeless or not, now… not so easy as the legit homeless are being overtaken by scam artists! I will always look for things such as cleanliness of hands and nails, people smoking, the shoes or sneakers and clothes that they are wearing and things that would easily identify someone as being in a better position than what they are representing! I will not give to anyone I see smoking, if you can afford to smoke at $8 – $10 dollars a pack, you ain’t getting shit from me. Likewise if I see someone who looks disheveled and unkempt but he/she is wearing expensive sneakers… again.. you get squat. There are “tells” you just got to know how to read people. I was once told by a friend that he offered a male panhandler a job doing general maintenance and groundskeeping at $10 per hour and the guy laughed at him and walked away saying that he makes more than that on the street, so i have to admit that there is definitely a social disconnect or social manipulation going on with a lot of these folks. They are playing on peoples emotions and for one reason or another don’t want to put in the effort to live a more structured life. I do believe that kindhearted people, including myself, have contributed to the problem by giving money, but the people who give are as varied and give for as many different reasons as those who will stand there and take it. All in all, I believe that if I choose to give money, or food, or anything, to someone who has done nothing for me but ask, that I am giving out of the love and goodness that I carry within me….. thereby sending out my love and good intentions into the karmic universe and expanding the vibrations of love,compassion, and empathy. If someone takes what I give, knowing full well that they have deceived me in any fashion, well then… they may have fooled me…. but they cannot escape the karma or repercussions that will be returned to them from the universal consciousness, and their actions in no way affect the good intentions and positive vibrations that I manifest and share!!

    By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one made pure. Purity and impurity depend on oneself; no one can purify another!!

    You Reap What You Sew !!!

    To all whom this message reaches: May all that is pure in LOVE & LIGHT shine down upon you, now and each day throughout the year, illuminating your path to personal growth, peace, and enlightenment, GRANTING YOU EQUANIMITY !! ॐ NAMASTE ॐ

  13. MAYBE SHERIFF HODGSON COULD OPEN THE OLD ST MARY’S HOME AGAIN AS A REHABILITATION OF THESE POOR SOULS WHOSE FAMILY CANT AFFORD THE BRISTOL COUNTY BAIL BOND AND THE MAGISTRATE FEES AND TRAIN THEM IN SPECIAL SKILLS HIS STAFF HAVE AN EXPERT KNOWLEDGE SUCH AS ADVANCED LAUNDERING MONEY OUT OF THE USA VIA LOGAN. POOR INMATES AND MINORITY IMMATES OF COLOR KEEP THE PRISON POPULATION ALIVE BY NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD COMPETENT REPRESENTAION AND HAVING TO PLEAD GUILTY FOR TIME SERVED AFTER SERVING ON AN AVERAGE OF 18 MONTHS, SOME EVEN 3 YEARS BECAUSE THEY CANT AFFORD BAIL. HOW ABOUT AN AUDIT OF ALL MAGISTRATES WHO SET BAIL WHOSE FEE HAS TO BE CASH. LET US GET A PETITION AND START MEANINGFUL CHANGE.THE MAGISTRATES HAVE THEIR HAND OUT BUT THESE POOR SOULS ARE EVIL, TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR IF YOU SEE ME YOU HAVE EVERYTHING RIGHT!

    • So true then the magistrate goes to work as a bondsman. By night and head clerk magistrate in NB district by day. He fucks you by day and by night.

  14. He was willing to work in exchange for payment so it wasn’t charity or a handout I would say it was a “hand-up
    I personally know a panhandler who held a sign everyday stating he was homeless,hungry,and a veteran all of the above things were lies he is hooked on Spice and lives off a sick woman in the projects

  15. Keri figueroa-medina

    OK so first off I a see a lot of people say that people who don’t know what its like to struggle will judge these people because they never been there or whatever. Well take it from someone who DOES know the struggle. I have been thru a lot in my life and being homeless 3xs with 4 children is just one of them! So I know for a FACT and from personal experience exactly what its like and let me tell you, a person who is truly homeless would appreciate the things I’m going to name in a second instead of cash! But before that I want to say that you can Also buy them a warm meal instead of giving cash to.so you know it won’t go on drugs. But anyways, I personally think that for the people who are always giving the homeless money should just rather go to the store, even the dollar store and buy a bunch of different things and just make all sorts of different packages for the homeless with the most/daily needed nessecities..like.. those little tiny bottles of shampoo, conditioner, bar of soap, tooth paste, tooth brush, pads, tampons, maybe some makeup, hair spray, nail polish, body spray..all from the dollar store for the homeless woman,(to make them feel better) ? elastics/hair ties, shaving cream, razors, deodorant, a face cloth, hand sanitizer, nail clippers, and this next one i really think is needed so much more then people realize but you could also go to a laundry mat and get a card and put a couple dollars on it so they can wash their clothes once in a while which I’m sure is something they probably can never do. But my point is that there are so mamy things we can give to them instead of CASH! wich will solve the problem of questioning what they are doing with the cash! At least if we give things like this then we know that they have food and all other life necessities they could possibly need! And so there is absolutely no reason to give then cash, at all. And hey if someone needs a pack of cigarettes and you can do it then hey, whats the big deal you know? Its just cigarettes and yes it is not a nessesity so i said if you can, if not then hey atleast you still helped them. And I totally understand that most people don’t have time to do all this with putting together packages and stuff but I figured i would put the idea out there. And also with winter coming, anyone with time can put together even bihger packages with things like sweaters, sneakers, face clothes, towels, metal cart , bags , pk of underwear,socks,boxers, blankets, pillows, scarves, hats gloves, jackets, clothes.. shirts, pants, pajamas & (if people want to help homeless families in sheltars they really do need just as much help, the only difference is they just have a home/place to live but don’t have the money for food and daily nessecities either so you could also call the local sheltars, especially the family ones because that’s what my family and I were in and their are so many family’s who could use help, even with things like diapers and wipes & formula/milk is such a HUGE help to those moms, I was one of them so I know. & i myself would even love to start maybe a facebook page fpr donations for the homeless but idk how to go about it..hopefully i can do even the small donation packages. It would feel great for me because i love to give but things are tuff for my family and i at the moment so we shall see.. But GOD BLESS YOU ALL! The homeless and all those who are kind hearted enough to help them. Oh and one more thing I know this is super long lol but I don’t want anyone thinking im writing this because I think its wrong to give the homeless cash because that’s not my business what anyone does with their money so its not my place to say its wrong. I just wanted to put those ideas outh there for people who do want to help but want to make sure there money is going on something needed for the person and not alcohol or drugs or to someone who don’t even need it to spend on whatever they like that is not where you wanted your money to go! But again, God bless & have a great day everyone.

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