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seamusTX wrote:

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

I seriously think this is an organized effort. On Westheimer, there are sometimes more than one bum at every intersection.

My theory is that someone picks them up around South Main and I-45 (Bum Central) and drives them out there in exchange for a cut of their receipts.

- Jim

Oh I agree it's organized. maybe not in that fashion, but I've see the bums discussing who takes what approach to an intersection, and when they rotate.

One even told one of my crew one day, while we were working on an intersection, that he makes over $40 an hour doing it.
From that point on, every time someone would roll down their window, my crewman would yell 'don't give him money, he just bragged how he makes $40 an hour, tax free doing this!'

After a dozen cars immediately retracted their funds, the bum left the intersection, presumably to find another.

Also, if you noticed, apparently 'bum leg' where they drag a foot is contagious in bum circles. Apparently every one of them has it.
I've seen a bum forget which one was supposed to be the 'bad one' and switch between vehicles.

And, of course, every single one of them is a disabled veteran with a family and kids to feed.

I don't know if I'd consider S. Main @45 'bum central'. They seem to hang out more north, like around Main@Lamar, and more south, in Midtown more and more.
If I'm working downtown, I get accosted by at least half a dozen daily. I just interrupt them and say "Look. Im working. You're not the first today, nor will you be the last. Just go"
Generally, they just leave me alone after that.

R_Comstock wrote: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.