Austin Panhandlers

[Oldgringo]

drjoker wrote:

...Don't worry about panhandlers, they're so zonked, they can't hurt you. They're harmless, especially the old ones...

Does the name "Charles Manson" ring any bells?

[Purplehood]

Don't worry about panhandlers, they're so zonked, they can't hurt you. They're harmless, especially the old ones.

Are you serious?

Now, it's the young guys with baggy clothes and hoodie that approach you for no reason that I'm afraid of. Whenever I'm at 7-11 (I avoid that place like the plague, but my S.O. is always making me get into uncomfortable situations) and see one of those guys, my hand automatically goes in my pocket.....

I don't know what a S.O. is, but you might want to get a new one that doesn't get you into "uncomfortable situations".

[frazzled]

Think he means Wife or potentially trying him out for the househusband role.
also known as
SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED!

(mine keeps saying I must not be afraid of her because I keep trying to get her to shoot bigger guns).

[Abraham]

Horace Rumpole's wife Hilda - "She, who must be obeyed"

Yes, I'm a fan of John Mortimer.

At one point, near downtown Houston, but in an area with few pedestrians and while anchored to one spot waiting for my ride, I was approached by a man and a woman. They appeared to be homeless. The man, with a smile on his face, started walking toward me and once within twenty feet or so began speaking in an ingratiating tone voice with "his sob story". The women stayed in one spot about twenty-five feet away and stared with a hateful look.

I felt angry that I couldn't wait in one spot over five minutes on the side walk without being hounded by beggars. Wearing a suit and tie, I suppose I had sucker written all over me.

As the man approached, yapping out his story, I recall my anger getting the best of me and with gritted teeth loudly said : "Get the heck (or something akin to it...) away from me"

That's all I said. The man scuttled backwards apologising. The woman looked even more hateful and they both promptly left the area. The woman looked like she'd like to attack, but the man was in a hurry to leave.

Upon reflection, I think my attitude was also heavily influenced with fear, as the woman's bearing was the direct opposite of the man's. There was something more going on than what they presented...

My obvious outrage and aggressive response may have shutdown a potential mugging attempt.

[marksiwel]

Dogs beg, Men dont. End of story

[idrathernot]

If you can spot them from far away and use a canned throwaway line, outward-facing palm, etc, to discourage them before they get close---great!

However, I do not believe it is realistic to expect one can always spot them from afar, keep them outside of a predetermined zone, or the throwaway verbiage to succeed. In such cases, a different, calculated, escalated response is warranted for those who truly surprise us or get uncomfortably close.

The Friday evening (MUC) segment of the Bastrop ShivWorks class, listed in this forum's Advanced Training section, covers how to handle close-range unknown contacts, including aggressive panhandlers. Highly recommended. And as I remember, Bastrop is just a short drive from Austin.

Thanks for the tip! Although I'm a little weary of the required equipment listing. Getting punched in the mouth or kicked in the groin is sort of the situation I'm hoping to avoid and a hard sale to willingly pay for. I suppose it's just there for liability though eh?

It would appear that our political heroes in the City Council have drafted up some sort of anti-panhandling ordinance over the last couple of days. I haven't read the statute but I don't have a great deal of faith in them. From what I understand the ordinance is only going to affect a small area of the Downtown district.

Although our facilities for the homeless (Red Cross and ARCH) are located conveniently next to the largest concentration of liquor licenses in the state, I've never really had many problems in that area.

I live in North East Austin just south of 290 and it's really in this area that I've been in the toughest spots. I would just like to point out that I'm trying to deal with Panhandlers not bums, homeless, or transient. I'm referring specifically to individuals that continue to approach after ignoring my "no thanks", shaking my head no, etc. I don't have the links, but as of late Austin has had a fairly dramatic increase in assaults by panhandlers to include a fatal one in the last couple of moths where I guy was hit over the head with a master lock in a bandanna (apparently a prevalent prison tactic). I suppose I'm asking for more general self-defense advice, I just see a criminal acting/behaving like a panhandler to approach me as the largest threat to my person.

[yerasimos]

Thanks for the tip! Although I'm a little weary of the required equipment listing. Getting punched in the mouth or kicked in the groin is sort of the situation I'm hoping to avoid and a hard sale to willingly pay for. I suppose it's just there for liability though eh?

A mouthguard is cheap dental insurance for hands-on training activities, much cheaper than fixing a chipped tooth or clipped tongue.

A cup might not mitigate a direct or deliberately-aimed hard hit to the groin, but will help you keep going in spite of incidental/accidental contact---which sometimes happens.

At one place where I used to roll, I once asked, "Is today cup day?" The instructor replied, "Every day is cup day."

After a little bit of trial and error, you can get used to the mouthguard/cup.

In that type of activity, it may be more comfortable for you to partner with people who are close to your own size/weight. Sometimes (not always), big people do not fully understand their own strength. I know this from direct experience, as physique-wise, I trend more Lumphini than Lampasas, and I have trained on a number of occasions with people who outclassed me in size, strength, skill/experience, etc.

I live in North East Austin just south of 290 and it's really in this area that I've been in the toughest spots. I would just like to point out that I'm trying to deal with Panhandlers not bums, homeless, or transient. I'm referring specifically to individuals that continue to approach after ignoring my "no thanks", shaking my head no, etc.

It is these persistent, determined individuals who insist upon closing the distance that concern me the most and I must have a plan for, and why that PUC/MUC is so worthwhile, whether or not you are carrying a handgun.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Purplehood said: ...I don't know what a S.O. is,

FYI: An S.O. is a "significant other", meaning a steady girlfriend or a wife.

For any other slang terms that you wish to research, go to www.urbandictionary.com.

SIA

[boomerang]

Thanks for the tip! Although I'm a little weary of the required equipment listing. Getting punched in the mouth or kicked in the groin is sort of the situation I'm hoping to avoid and a hard sale to willingly pay for. I suppose it's just there for liability though eh?

The shivworks evolutions can get pretty physical. Wear protection.

[gregthehand]

I just got back from Beijing and found out that begging is starting to grow there mostly because of western influence. It was explained to me that it had something to do with tipping. Apparently the Chinese consider their pay what they make and when we westerners tip they feel like we are just giving them money. Having said that it's still illegal to do so. We were over on Bar St and some guy tried to beg money from us. He did it to a few more couples and then a cop van pulled up and arrested him. The beggars and street peddlers there are much more aggressive than what I am used to here and they don't understand polite no thank yous or at least pretend not to. Man carry babies and try to stick them in your face while you are walking. Also the bar workers are EXTREMELY aggressive. They get in your way as you walk down the sidewalk and put their hands on you trying to push you into their bar. All the time saying "Hello friend come in this beer bar. Lots of drink special." etc etc. I started just getting flat out rude with them and the street merchants, and the beggars. When they would even start to approach I would just say "NO!". If they kept on I would over exaggerate and get louder with a "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!". That seemed to do the trick. Some of them I actually had to forcibly remove their hands from me and push them away. It made me appreciate the ones here that try to sway with a sob story. I think I'm just going to start saying "no" when I get approached here though. I don't think there is anymore universal way to say "I don't want to hear what you have to say."

[Oldgringo]

I just got back from Beijing and found out that begging is starting to grow there mostly because of western influence. It was explained to me that it had something to do with tipping. Apparently the Chinese consider their pay what they make and when we westerners tip they feel like we are just giving them money. Having said that it's still illegal to do so. We were over on Bar St and some guy tried to beg money from us. He did it to a few more couples and then a cop van pulled up and arrested him. The beggars and street peddlers there are much more aggressive than what I am used to here and they don't understand polite no thank yous or at least pretend not to. Man carry babies and try to stick them in your face while you are walking. Also the bar workers are EXTREMELY aggressive. They get in your way as you walk down the sidewalk and put their hands on you trying to push you into their bar. All the time saying "Hello friend come in this beer bar. Lots of drink special." etc etc. I started just getting flat out rude with them and the street merchants, and the beggars. When they would even start to approach I would just say "NO!". If they kept on I would over exaggerate and get louder with a "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!". That seemed to do the trick. Some of them I actually had to forcibly remove their hands from me and push them away. It made me appreciate the ones here that try to sway with a sob story. I think I'm just going to start saying "no" when I get approached here though. I don't think there is anymore universal way to say "I don't want to hear what you have to say."

Your Texas CHL is not recognized/allowed in Beijing?

[gregthehand]

I doubt it. The cops don't even carry firearms there.

[frazzled]

Their secret police and army do though.

[R_Comstock]

Last week, I took some out-of-state family up to San Antone. While standing in front of the Alamo studying the monument in front, some fella (dressed pretty nicely for a beggar) walks toward us and starts begging (no, WHINING) for 75 cents for a hamburger. (Where is this burger joint?) He made his way through the whole family before getting to me (still whining like a 3 year-old). When he started talking to me, I didn't even look at him I just said "Keep walking." He didn't like that too much, he stormed off cussing me and my lack of sympathy. He looked like a healthy man, early to mid-twenties. I should have pointed him to the military recruiting office. Three hots and a cot everyday. Shoot, we even get paid occasionally!

[dicion]

Last week, I took some out-of-state family up to San Antone. While standing in front of the Alamo studying the monument in front, some fella (dressed pretty nicely for a beggar) walks toward us and starts begging (no, WHINING) for 75 cents for a hamburger. (Where is this burger joint?) He made his way through the whole family before getting to me (still whining like a 3 year-old). When he started talking to me, I didn't even look at him I just said "Keep walking." He didn't like that too much, he stormed off cussing me and my lack of sympathy. He looked like a healthy man, early to mid-twenties. I should have pointed him to the military recruiting office. Three hots and a cot everyday. Shoot, we even get paid occasionally!

My father recently came in from out of town. He generally lives out in the country up in NY, and hardly ever visits the city. Also, the extreme colds up there generally keep the bum population to a minimum. When I was growing up there, I think I saw 1 bum in 18 years.... anyways

So we're driving around houston, and we've got the bums walking the lines of cars at stoplights.

My dad's freaking out "Why are they doing that? Why aren't they being arrested? Isn't that illegal? I can't believe they let them get away with that!"
I just nicely explained to him that there's more bums than Cops, and if they spent all day arresting them for this, they wouldn't have any time for anything else. Plus, they'd be in jail for a day or two, eat on our tax dime, get released, and go right back to it.

It is really sad though that there pretty much isn't anything we can do about it.