Are Panhandlers Honest?

In Oklahoma, a panhandler was busted and it was all caught on videotape.

OKC Panhandler Busted & Confronted

Here's the interesting thing.

Look at what the woman who recorded the video says in the comments below the video she took. She says that Oklahoma City sells panhandler permits for $200 a year.  So, this is completely legal.

We have homeless all over Los Angeles.  I used to donate food and money regularly to people who I thought were poor and lived on the street.  Sometimes they were actually poor, but sometimes they dressed better than I did.  One guy who I didn't give money to had clothes better than I was wearing and he harassed me for money, screaming at me all the way to my car.  It was frightening. He wasn't mentally ill, he just wanted money.  He was even wearing high-end sunglasses and drove a nice car.  It stopped me in my tracks from donating to every single person who asked for money.

A friend who takes the bus to my gym recently told me that the most popular homeless who I thought live near our gym, don't live there at all.  They have year-round bus passes and they ride the same bus he does.  They actually ride the bus into the higher traffic areas every day where they garner a higher donation.  He's not sure if they live at the shelter or with relatives.

This is exactly why we should be donating directly to homeless shelters and food banks instead. It's the better, smarter, and safer choice.