Dishonesty in panhandlers
Published on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 by Judith SwansonRead More Voices
Editor,
Upon reading your article on panhandling, I just had to share the experience I had today.
I was going to Rite Aid in the Marysville Mall and noticed a very shaggy guy with a chubby black Lab standing between Rite Aid and Albertson. I've seen them there before. This time he had a 25+ lb. bag of dog food (which I assumed someone had donated to his dog).
Well, he folded up his sign, making it look like a paper bag, and walked into the parking lot. He opened up the back of a Chrysler van, much newer than the '93 Saturn I drive, put the dog food in the van and went back to his "place," where he unfolded his sign and started panhandling again.
About then a lady came up and handed over some money to him and gave the dog a treat. They probably have a higher income than my husband and I, who are both on Social Security and drive a 17-year-old car.
This is not the first time I have witnessed one of these people living off of others. It happened to me when I got fooled in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Why don't these people do something worthwhile rather than live off of other people's good intentions? Personally, I don't see how they can look themselves in the mirror!
Yes, times are tough and some are truly in need, but people who just do it for a living are keeping donations from those who truly need it by their dishonesty.
Judith Swanson
Marysville
Upon reading your article on panhandling, I just had to share the experience I had today.
I was going to Rite Aid in the Marysville Mall and noticed a very shaggy guy with a chubby black Lab standing between Rite Aid and Albertson. I've seen them there before. This time he had a 25+ lb. bag of dog food (which I assumed someone had donated to his dog).
Well, he folded up his sign, making it look like a paper bag, and walked into the parking lot. He opened up the back of a Chrysler van, much newer than the '93 Saturn I drive, put the dog food in the van and went back to his "place," where he unfolded his sign and started panhandling again.
About then a lady came up and handed over some money to him and gave the dog a treat. They probably have a higher income than my husband and I, who are both on Social Security and drive a 17-year-old car.
This is not the first time I have witnessed one of these people living off of others. It happened to me when I got fooled in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Why don't these people do something worthwhile rather than live off of other people's good intentions? Personally, I don't see how they can look themselves in the mirror!
Yes, times are tough and some are truly in need, but people who just do it for a living are keeping donations from those who truly need it by their dishonesty.
Judith Swanson
Marysville
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