View Full Version : Panhandling Ban Violates 1A in Denver
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/denver/denver-police-will-stop-enforcing-citys-panhandling-ban-after-aclu-court-victory
"DENVER - Denver Police Chief Robert White has instructed officers not to charge people for violating the city's panhandling ban after a federal district court judge ruled a similar ban in Grand Junction violated the First Amendment."
So I guess they are going to stop infringing on 2A to stay consistent right? Or does banning "Assault Rifles" and mags over 20 rounds not count?
With all the stoners that moved here, this is going to be nuts down there on that 16th street mall. Final nail in the coffin as the place has been going down the tubes for years anyway. Feel kinda sorry for the business owners down there but they are catering to it so screw em.
kidicarus13
10-02-2015, 15:08
As long as people continue to give $, people will continue to panhandle. That is all.
RblDiver
10-02-2015, 15:15
So I guess they are going to stop infringing on 2A to stay consistent right? Or does banning "Assault Rifles" and mags over 20 rounds not count?
Didn't you hear, "shall not be infringed" is so very vague.
Curious as to the next President's plan for dealing with the federal laws that the pot shops are breaking around here. Kris Krispy Creame has already said he would enforce it but he doesn't have a chance at winning. Wonder where Carson/Fiorina/Trump stand on it.
I had a pan handler in the Littleton area hit me up for something when walking out of a liquor store. He was stumbling and mumbling so I don't know if he asked for money or one of the beers I had but I said no. At that point he decided to say "That's not cool, man. Not cool at all" and his demeanor changed. It was a slightly uneasy moment for me as you don't know how they'll react sometimes. I typically avoid panhandlers if at all possible.
There are so many panhandlers where I'm from that I've learned to give a stern "hell no"!!!
I'm going to start asking people for money when they approach me; especially the ones driving around in $40,000 trucks asking for gas money.
I used to throw change at them when I was younger, especially the ones that claimed to be a vet of some sort but that all changed in college. One time I was coming out of a nice restaurant on Pearl Street in Boulder. I did not particularly feel all that well and did not even touch my $12 burger that I ordered as the meal so I had it boxed up. Went outside and some hipster bumb asks for change and I told him I didn't have any but I could offer him this burger that was never touched. He threw it to the ground and said something about needing money, not food. To this day I still really want to kick that guy's ass but at the same time glad I can control myself in those situations.
I once gave an old lady 2 bucks to get something to eat to keep her sugar under control. I watched her walk across the street to the store and come out with a pack of smokes and throw the wrapper on the ground.
Now everyone gets a fierce "no," even the ones who I think might actually need it.
Today while eating lunch I sneezed and one girl made it a point to conspicuously tell me, "bless you." I bought her lunch on my way out. Screw pan handlers.
lostcolorado
10-02-2015, 15:57
From this interview: "panhandling....... 90% goes to ciggeretts, alcohol or drugs"
http://radiocoloradocollege.org/2013/01/handling-panhandling-part-3/
My charity is either given to friends, or handled through organizations that I contribute to. I'm not going to encourage poor decision making with my hard earned money.
I've often wanted to just start yelling uncontrollably at a pan handler, just to see if they would get scared and go away.
beast556
10-02-2015, 16:50
Up here in Ft fun the panhandlers and homeless are getting out of hand there everywhere. When I tell most of them no they get all pissed off. Had one get in my 8year olds face and started yelling at the top of his lungs at him, if he would of grabbed my son I would of shot him. I dont go downtown any more to avoid them.
So THAT is why I don't go downtown Ft. Fun anymore.
Panhandling is free speech. OMG. The founders would laugh, then cry, then question why they risked what they did, so we could spit in their faces. I'm sorry, (not really) but if THAT is free speech, then me putting a 2x4 upside their head is free speech. I'm just making a statement, after all.
wctriumph
10-02-2015, 18:18
I don't care for panhandlers at all.
However, one time in San Antonio I was in a mall eating in the food court and a pregnant girl (had to be under 20) came up and asked if I was going to finish my lunch, said she was hungry. I said that I was but would be happy to buy her a meal. She started crying and we went to the pizza bar and she asked if it was OK to order two slices. I bought her a Coke too. She started crying again and sat down and just gobbled it up. She did not ask for money and when she finished she left, did not ask anyone else for anything. She did say thank you too.
I felt good at that moment.
Can't stand a panhandler.
BushMasterBoy
10-02-2015, 18:51
I had a guy hit me up in the Springs. I asked if he was a vet. He said yes. I asked where he served, he said "Wiesbaden" I gave him $5
I don't give money to panhandlers, but in certain situations I look at it as "GTFO money."
Once I had to stop at a gas station in the middle of nowhere after sitting in traffic for hours. Some skeezy looking guy crossed the street from another gas station and started hollering in thick slang. I slowly realized he was talking to me, and wanted change for "gas money." My wife was very pregnant at the time, sitting in the passenger seat. Mr. Skeeze was approaching from her side of the car and kept looking in at her then back at me. I came around the car to the passenger side to head him off and started asking him about his car. He kept redirecting the conversation to money. I said I don't have any change and he said something like "oh, well that's too bad" but his body language signaled that he wasn't about to give up on us. Finally I looked in my wallet and said "Oh, I've got a 5, will that be enough?" He thanked me and started walking back across the street.
I got back in the car and my wife was all pissed that I gave him money, let alone $5. I told her $5 was a lot cheaper than getting into some sort of altercation with this guy.
Great-Kazoo
10-02-2015, 19:12
6 in the a.m after working in the city. Stop for gas, guy wander close and starts asking me questions. Told him step back and walk away. he comes closer, i remove the gas nozzle from the chebby. Take lighter from pocket and hold it away from the nozzle, pointed towards him. For some reason he took off.
Usually they don't approach me.
^ Nice. Unfortunately I drive a diesel, so my set-people-on-fire options are more limited.
^ Nice. Unfortunately I drive a diesel, so my set-people-on-fire options are more limited.
They likely wouldn't know that... Slow burn.
Boulder is ground zero for beggars. They are even it the neighborhoods. They ask and get a "fawk off".
We get some in Ned. Even with the hippy/hipsters it doesn't play well. My response is "take it to Boulder".
I do not give beggars anything, ever.
BPTactical
10-02-2015, 19:57
Parasites
Parasites
That are allowed to exist.
I used to think I had a pretty good eye for need-vs-leech panhandlers. It's become so prevalent anymore, I have become an F-off type of guy.
I feel bad about turning away someone in need, but I no longer have the time or desire to deal with it.
My favorite: Do you have any spare change?
My response: No. I work for my money, and every penny is accounted for.
That usually results in a dumbfounded look, and I always assume they're trying to figure out the meaning of "work".
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68Charger
10-02-2015, 20:16
^ Nice. Unfortunately I drive a diesel, so my set-people-on-fire options are more limited.
it's all in technique- diesel will burn with a wick, so you have to soak him, then light him on fire. [Muaha]
What frustrates me the most is panhandlers that walk up down between cars at stop lights. Worse is when I get panhandled inside a business (restaurant or hotel most often).
Last time I got panhandled was in the Home Depot parking lot on Parker and Chambers. I was loading drywall into the back of my truck at night and a guy came up behind me and said he "needed money". Scared the hell out of me. Terrible lights in their lot also. Very dark. I told him to step back in a less than cordial voice. I complain to the manager of that store routinely but the parking lot is still very dark. Right across from a Walmart also.
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Scanker19
10-03-2015, 07:39
Panhandling is a huge problem down here. I always give them something for two reasons: one they actually need it and are using their last shred of dignity to ask, or it will encourage poor decisions and further hasten their path.
Also so there are a lot of "couples" panhandling down here. Sometimes the girl is really cute. I've always wondered how easy it would be to pick one up. "Hey, lose the zero and go with the mediocre yet secure paycheck guy." Plus the bonus of dating a homeless girl is you can drop her off anywhere.
speedysst
10-03-2015, 15:20
Had one approach me in the parking lot of Arby's in GJ a couple weeks ago asking for money to get some food. I explained that if you dont have a job, you dont get Arby's, you get soup and bread. Might have been a little abrupt but it worked.
kidicarus13
10-03-2015, 15:33
I explained that if you dont have a job, you dont get Arby's, you get soup and bread.
You gave wise advice.
There is this panhandler who is so horrible, he somehow takes money out of my pay every month. I'm pretty sure the cash gets flushed down the drain.
There is this panhandler who is so horrible, he somehow takes money out of my pay every month. I'm pretty sure the cash gets flushed down the drain.
Good one.
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Boulder is ground zero for beggars. They are even it the neighborhoods.
Indeed, in CO, I suspect Boulder wins the prize for most beggars per intersection and like Pook says, they are even in some residential neighborhoods at 4-way stop signs now. They'll keep doing it as long as it continues to work.
I don't give to beggars. I found a guy with his hazards on half in the roadway last winter. Out of gas. He politely refused help until I pointed out he was in danger. Towed him to the nearest station and put $20 on the pump. He chased me down trying to get my info to pay me back. I told him give it to his church when he got ahead again.
Fentonite
10-04-2015, 02:22
I never give to beggars. Ever.
Until today. I stopped for gas on my way to work, and there was a guy standing under a tree near the gas pumps, (out of the way), playing a guitar and singing. He really had a beautiful voice, and was a skilled guitarist. He had a sign on his guitar case, saying he could use some $ for gas. He wasn't bugging anyone, and made my time at the pump more enjoyable. So I gave him a couple bucks in change. He gave a genuine "thank you", and kept singing. I'm good with it.
but professional bums, drunks, 16th Street gutter rats, etc, never get a thing from me. They already get plenty of the money I pay in taxes, and I'm not happy about it. I find that being mean and gruff (ok, just being myself) tends to shorten the amount of time I have to listen to them.
I never give to beggars. Ever.
Until today. I stopped for gas on my way to work, and there was a guy standing under a tree near the gas pumps, (out of the way), playing a guitar and singing. He really had a beautiful voice, and was a skilled guitarist. He had a sign on his guitar case, saying he could use some $ for gas. He wasn't bugging anyone, and made my time at the pump more enjoyable. So I gave him a couple bucks in change. He gave a genuine "thank you", and kept singing. I'm good with it.
but professional bums, drunks, 16th Street gutter rats, etc, never get a thing from me. They already get plenty of the money I pay in taxes, and I'm not happy about it. I find that being mean and gruff (ok, just being myself) tends to shorten the amount of time I have to listen to them.
Busking is not begging, IMO.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_performance
He provided a service and advertised that he would take compensation freely given. You provided compensation based on the value you set on the service performed. No different than contributing to any worthy cause you may find valuable to support.
Giving money to strangers without knowing where that money is going would be like donating to something invisible out of ignorance. If it is good to not feed the wildlife, than it is even more important not to pay people to play in traffic.
BushMasterBoy
10-04-2015, 15:55
I should make a "Victim Of Obama" sign...
jhood001
10-04-2015, 16:40
I get suckered by the beggars with dogs every single time.
I look at the individual and think: 'You look like you can work'
I look at the dog and think: 'You're relying on them to eat'?
And then I give a few bucks.
They're probably just using the dog as a fishing lure for a sap like me, but I can't help myself.
I should probably start rolling around with dog food in my car.
kidicarus13
10-04-2015, 16:48
If you can't afford to feed yourself you can't afford a dog and all that goes with it. More bad decision making.
"Go with the mediocre", that's funny.
Panhandling is a huge problem down here. I always give them something for two reasons: one they actually need it and are using their last shred of dignity to ask, or it will encourage poor decisions and further hasten their path.
Also so there are a lot of "couples" panhandling down here. Sometimes the girl is really cute. I've always wondered how easy it would be to pick one up. "Hey, lose the zero and go with the mediocre yet secure paycheck guy." Plus the bonus of dating a homeless girl is you can drop her off anywhere.
"Go with the mediocre", that's funny.
+1
I don't have a lot to offer but apparently you're not looking for much.
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GilpinGuy
10-04-2015, 23:22
The last time I gave a beggar something was probably 10+ years ago on the 16th Street mall. I was going into some fast food joint and he was sitting there...with no legs...with his hand out. This dude obviously had some mental problems as well. Filthy, wild looking eyes, etc.
I bought some combo meal and handed it to him on my way out. I seriously don't remember the last time I handed one cash though.
Great-Kazoo
10-05-2015, 00:29
If you can't afford to feed yourself you can't afford a dog and all that goes with it. More bad decision making.
Last "guy " who tried asking me for cash. I told him if you're that hungry, kill your dog you'll have something to eat. If you stop smoking AND sell that $200 mountain bike, you'll be set. Fuck them. Why any one falls for their sob stories, is beyond me. Even worse the dumb fucks who roll their window down, for them . A good team could do smash and grabs without getting dirty..
Sally stupid would be too shocked to do anything, let alone give chase. Besides her pumpkin latte just spilled all over her lease vehicles interior.
We moved to Denver a few years ago and being the good baseballs fans we are, we went to a lot of games that first summer. After one game, there was a lady in the parking lot south of the ballpark begging for gas money so she could go pick up her daughter from daycare and my wife fell for it hook, line, and sinker and gave the lady $5 despite me telling her not to. Well, we went to the game the next day and the same lady was there in the same spot with the same story. My wife doesn't hand out money anymore.
The signature solicitors on 16th St are almost as bad as the panhandlers in my opinion.
Okay, I'll my story.
I've always been suspect of sob stories. There is lots of public/private help out there that I fund (some by choice, some not). But they won't help with drugs or alcohol hence we have panhandling.
I've bought people food before but that's it.
About three/four years ago I was downtown with my wife. Approached by a nice looking couple with a baby. Said they were out of gas, stranded, and needed gas money. Asked for $20. I told them "no, I've been taken too many times." They said thanks.
We have dinner and walk back to our car about 1.5 hours later. We see the same couple loading the baby/stroller into a brand new Dodge Ram with temp tags. We stand down the block and watch. They start the truck right up and drive off. There are no gas stations around.
At the time, that truck was nicer than vehicle I'd owned. In an hour or two they probably cleared $100 tax-free. More money than most make in a day.
Aloha_Shooter
10-05-2015, 09:33
One more reason to stay away from Denver IMO. I will not give cash to panhandlers but I have offered food to the vent men in Philadelphia when I was in college. I am happy to say that I never once had one refuse the food -- usually a German or Italian sausage with the fixiings, sometimes Chinese depending on what food truck was nearby and what the guy wanted. I think they were all grateful for the food (hard to remember if there were any exceptions after 30 years). I believe it's my Christian duty to help my fellow men but giving them cash is rarely helping them -- more often, it encourages bad behaviors -- and I don't believe the government taking more from me and giving out more free stuff to others has anything to do with Christian (or Jewish or Islamic or Taoist or ...) duty.
Direct personal charity warms the soul of the giver as well as the body of the receiver but it helps the receiver to know that the charity is in fact charity, not some "right" to stuff, and that it comes directly from someone's pocket.
BlasterBob
10-05-2015, 12:56
Down in Trinidad, just a few weeks ago, there was some local article that indicated that some of the Trinidad street corner beggars and panhandlers were "clearing" around a thousand per week. That's nice tax free money and a good number of these leeches have cell phones probably to stay in touch with their bookies, stock brokers and precious metals brokers.
spqrzilla
10-05-2015, 13:06
Just in case you thought Denver couldn't become more of a hole ...
I get suckered by the beggars with dogs every single time.
I look at the individual and think: 'You look like you can work'
I look at the dog and think: 'You're relying on them to eat'?
And then I give a few bucks.
They're probably just using the dog as a fishing lure for a sap like me, but I can't help myself.
I should probably start rolling around with dog food in my car.
I feel the same way. Next time I get food for the pooch I'll get an extra huge bag of the generic that we can parcel up and keep in our cars. Figure a week of food for the average sized dog in each package. Then the guy can choose to either feed his dog or eat the dog food, or be an ultra douche and throw it away out of spite.
I never give to those with their hands out at intersections. You just never know if they're going to take the money and then hop into a Mercedes or go and blow it on some crack. Either way, I don't enable them. Had an almost incident a few weeks ago on Colorado near the VA Hospital, the "panhandler" was shouting at cars that ignored him. He made his way to my window and tapped on the glass and started babbling some incoherent nonsense. I stared straight ahead while keeping him in my peripheral, and as he got more agitated my hand went to my gun on my hip just in case. Luckily the light turned green and I was able to drive off without incident. So sick of those bastards, though.
RblDiver
10-05-2015, 16:04
Reading through this reminded me of a funny bit. When I was getting ready to move back to CO after college in WA, I had to pick up some cardboard boxes to pack stuff in. I didn't have a car of my own, so I'd walked to the store and was walking home. Well, I paused at a light waiting for the walk light to turn on. I was wearing a brown coat (not dirty/dingy, but nothing fancy), and happened to be holding the cardboard next to my chest. A woman turning into the lane next to me slowed down like she was going to give me something, then continued driving when she realized I didn't actually have a sign written or anything.
Man, bet I missed out on $20! :P lol
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