Aggressive panhandling on the rise in NW Oklahoma City neighborhood

[Danny Tanner]

The idea of the panhandler booklet was interesting. Something tells me that if you bought one of those and tried to hand them out to panhandlers they would either toss them on the ground or not accept them at all (probably coupled with some curing in your direction)

You're absolutely correct. About 10 years ago, Channel 4 or 5 (KFOR or KOCO, OKC, respectively) did a report about these booklets, or at least a similar idea, back when the idea had first come about, I guess.

They took 100 booklets and tried to hand them out to random panhandlers across the metro. I can't recall specific numbers, but I'm in the ballpark when I say that they reported something like less than 10% of these panhandlers accepted the booklets and of those accepted, only something like 3 or 5% of the coupons were redeemed.

 

[LightningCrash]

When I spend time in OKC, I always stock my console with penny rolls... They're super effective

I stock mine with jelly roll. You can snatch it, you can grab it, you can break it, you can twist it, any way that I love to get it.

 

[okla1911]

Yup, as a homeowner in this area I'm not a fan. Like stray cats if you feed them they will keep coming back. Anytime a panhandler tries to speak with me I exclaim "NO THANKS" very loudly and continue on about my business.

 

[Old Fart]

I usually fire a couple rounds off and tell them to step away.

 

[Cohiba]

In my area I don't notice the aggressiveness...but I'm seeing a whole lot more. Saturdays look out...I live North of Penn and Memorial and on Saturdays. ..watch out!!

 

[Danny Tanner]

For the first time ever, I saw members of what appeared to be a black church at the corner of 33rd and Kelly in Edmond yesterday or the day before. Usually these guys are at 23rd and I-35. I hope this isn't going to be the trend for the area, since I live here.

 

[MrShooter]

I-35 and SE 29th area is getting worse. Use to be the same old guy asking for others money. For the past for weeks I have seen 2-3 at each stop sigh/light on both sides. New people too, some young some old, all junkies.

Where do they go to pee and stuff? If they urinate in public, can't they get arrested for that. Someone needs to setup a surveillance group to catch them committing arrestable offences to get them off the corner for a while.. lol

 

[mons meg]

As God is my witness, they work in shifts ... GC and I saw the most interesting "conversation" going on one afternoon between the long-time "owner" of that particular corner and some "noob" trying to horn in on "his" corner ... Seems even panhandlers gotta "work it" sometimes ... BTW, the long-time panhandler?? Yeah, he lives in a neighborhood (fairly nice neighborhood, actually) within walking distance of his "work" ...

In a lot of places, it's a straight up business.

 

[Perplexed]

Last spring, I was confronted three separate times over the space of a couple weeks at the same QuikTrip in Tulsa by a scruffy-looking middle-aged guy asking for a few bucks to fill up his car so he could get to the airport. Finally, I asked if he was a frequent flyer since it was the third time he'd asked me. Apparently he'd forgotten me or something, and he turned around and walked away

 

[kennedy]

For the first time ever, I saw members of what appeared to be a black church at the corner of 33rd and Kelly in Edmond yesterday or the day before. Usually these guys are at 23rd and I-35. I hope this isn't going to be the trend for the area, since I live here.

I feel Edmond officials will find a way to end that fairly quick.