'Cheeseburger panhandler' had $252

[DaParkers]

MONROE -- A panhandler whose sign read "Vision of a cheeseburger Bless U!!!" reportedly was carrying enough cash for a full-dress dinner when he was arrested.

Police reports say 54-year-old Thomas Edward Moriarty Jr. had $252 in cash, four Walmart gift cards and almost $9 in change.
The News-Star says he's being held in lieu of $500 bond after being booked Tuesday on one count of solicitation. He was still in jail Thursday.
Police reports say people have been complaining about a panhandler at a major intersection, and officers had warned Moriarty that soliciting is illegal.
The report says Moriarty told officers that he was trying to get money for a motel room.
Police say they learned he's been holding up his sign at the same spot for three months.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Panhandlers usually make $60,000 or more a year - tax free! I remember reading how one panhandler was followed back to his nice, above average home!

 

[katesorad]

Ugh. We have an older gentleman who hangs around the San Diego area holding up a sign that says "So broke it hurts". I saw him getting out of his newer car with his sign and finishing his breakfast, then proceeding to talk on his cell phone. Kind of frustrating.

My DH is a security guard and he often deals with homeless people. Most of which really shouldn't be homeless, but they spend all their $ on booze and gambling. Most of them aren't even "down on their luck", though a few are. A lot of them just screwed themselves out of a good life.

 

[Jennasis]

Panhandling is quite the gig!

 

[mrspaha]

I don't know if panhandling is illegal; I would think it is. I wish local police would arrest these people. I get extremely nervous when I get approached by someone asking for money. I live in an ordinary middle-class suburb, and I've been approached twice this winter in two different grocery store parking lots by someone (one a middle-aged woman, one a fairly young man with a 5-ish looking daughter) the woman saying she was homeless and needed money for food; the guy "ran out of gas" and needed a few bucks to get home to Elgin (about 20 miles away). Well, we don't have a whole lot of money ourselves, and I just don't want to give handouts to strangers.

Yet, I do feel somewhat intimidated, and sometimes a little bit guilty as I'm putting a bunch of groceries in my trunk. It always seems like no other customers are nearby when this has had happened. In both cases, I told them I don't carry cash, and tried to hurry into my car as soon as I could. I never go shopping alone at night; this has happened midmorning both times. Do things like this happen a lot to others? If I did call the local police, would they be able to do anything?

 

[chellewashere]

Back 15 years ago when I lived in AZ my friend had his own construction company. A guy was on the corner he passed daily and would put a few bucks in his container every day. His singed read something along the lines of family down hard on its luck. Has kids and wife to support. I really need a job please hire me. So my friend said look I will give you a job. I will pay you a few bucks about minimum wage and I will pick you up and drop you off at this spot everyday. His answer..WHY would he do that? He makes 6-800 a WEEK doing this. Plus gets full welfare, housing, food, medical you name it and to top it off he was collecting unemployment cause he was looking for employment. Last time he ever gave him money. And because of this I no longer give anyone any money.
Also my dad had a friend with a nice house, nice family and nice car. He would put on his business suit in the AM to go to work. Go to the parking lot and park the car, pull out his dirty clothes and sign. Put some dirt on his face and go to "work". He mad such a living doing this his wife had no clue he wasnt a business man.

 

[Angelhalo]

I try to give something when I can, usually food rather than money. I don't mind going through the drive thru and getting someone a burger. I'd rather be generous and giving to someone who might be in need than be so jaded that I never want to help anyone because they might not need it. I don't miss a couple of bucks every now and then and I feel like I have done what I have been raised to do. If they truly didn't need it, so what? No biggie, I'll just look at it as I bought a friend some lunch even though they didn't "need" it.

Not looking down on anyone who does differently, that's just my own personal philosophy.

 

[jackemail]

Saw a panhandler at a busy intersection last month with the sign "Won't Lie, Need Beer".

 

[DVC-Don]

Our local paper back north followed a panhandler who had been working an intersection for years. He's still there and chases others off "his corner". Seems he has a nice appartment and actually makes a nice income without taxes.

 

[klj27]

I don't give to them either. I figure either they are dishonest or if they are down on their luck what they collect will not improve their lifestyle. They will continue to panhandle and lead the exact same life so why should I support it. Now, I will give to charities (soup kitchen, drop inn center, etc) they truly provide a service to the down on their luck people and try to make a change in their lives.

 

[LuvOrlando]

WOW, I'm totally on the other side of this and have been known to hand out $20 or meals if the person looks like a likely addict. I don't know where you all come from that there is no such thing as real homelessness and despondency but in my world, some people really are in need. The last thing that has ever crossed my mind when looking at a beggar is how great their lives really are I just give, say a prayer and hope it's never me or mine.

 

[DaParkers]

I try to give something when I can, usually food rather than money. I don't mind going through the drive thru and getting someone a burger. I'd rather be generous and giving to someone who might be in need than be so jaded that I never want to help anyone because they might not need it. I don't miss a couple of bucks every now and then and I feel like I have done what I have been raised to do. If they truly didn't need it, so what? No biggie, I'll just look at it as I bought a friend some lunch even though they didn't "need" it.

Not looking down on anyone who does differently, that's just my own personal philosophy.

 

[auntie]

I don't know if panhandling is illegal; I would think it is. I wish local police would arrest these people. I get extremely nervous when I get approached by someone asking for money. I live in an ordinary middle-class suburb, and I've been approached twice this winter in two different grocery store parking lots by someone (one a middle-aged woman, one a fairly young man with a 5-ish looking daughter) the woman saying she was homeless and needed money for food; the guy "ran out of gas" and needed a few bucks to get home to Elgin (about 20 miles away). Well, we don't have a whole lot of money ourselves, and I just don't want to give handouts to strangers.

Yet, I do feel somewhat intimidated, and sometimes a little bit guilty as I'm putting a bunch of groceries in my trunk. It always seems like no other customers are nearby when this has had happened. In both cases, I told them I don't carry cash, and tried to hurry into my car as soon as I could. I never go shopping alone at night; this has happened midmorning both times. Do things like this happen a lot to others? If I did call the local police, would they be able to do anything?

I go to a supermarket that is located within walking distance to the train station. With in the past six months or so, I'v been approaced several times while taking my groceries to the car by people asking for a couple ofdollars..they say they were short money for the train. Once by a woman, and twice by men. Makes you kind of nervous. They don't appear to be homeless..and it's always the same "money for the train". Turns out..they're drug addicts. If you watch for a while, it seems they collect a few bucks from one person then, another, and another. My son who is a police officer said I should have gone back into the store and told the manager there is someone in the parking lot approaching the patrons asking for money, and he should call the police.

 

[SandrA9810]

There's a bunch of them that panhandle around here, same street, every day. There's one guy that sits at the exit of the flea market in his wheelchair... At three different ones, and the third one is like 10 miles away down the highway. For being so helpless he sure does get around.

I don't mind helping when a person needs it, but I have no sympathy for those that "have their corner".

I recently gave gas to a guy that had a can, and his car stopped a couple blocks away. I prepaid a gallon, and the guy on the other side of the pump gave him a gallon too. That made me feel pretty good.

My cousin used to think my aunt was a snob because she would never give a guy a quarter or two. So one day a guy asked my cousin for some change for food. So he gave him like 3 or 4 quarters. As my cousin pumped the gas, he saw the guy walk back out with a can of beer. After that he didn't think my aunt was such a snob.

My usual response is I don't carry cash.

 

[DaParkers]

WOW, I'm totally on the other side of this and have been known to hand out $20 or meals if the person looks like a likely addict. I don't know where you all come from that there is no such thing as real homelessness and despondency but in my world, some people really are in need. The last thing that has ever crossed my mind when looking at a beggar is how great their lives really are I just give, say a prayer and hope it's never me or mine.

Thank You! God will judge YOUR heart. If that person doesn't really need it, so be it. You will still be blessed because you cared. You can't help everybody, but $1 here and there isn't a big deal. Everybody on here can afford that.

 

[klj27]

WOW, I'm totally on the other side of this and have been known to hand out $20 or meals if the person looks like a likely addict. I don't know where you all come from that there is no such thing as real homelessness and despondency but in my world, some people really are in need. The last thing that has ever crossed my mind when looking at a beggar is how great their lives really are I just give, say a prayer and hope it's never me or mine.

I wouldn't say their lives are great (those who are really in need). I just believe giving them money prolongs their problems and isn't going to solve anything. Maybe they need to turn to the right people for help to help themselves.

 

[klj27]

I go to a supermarket that is located within walking distance to the train station. With in the past six months or so, I'v been approaced several times while taking my groceries to the car by people asking for a couple ofdollars..they say they were short money for the train. Once by a woman, and twice by men. Makes you kind of nervous. They don't appear to be homeless..and it's always the same "money for the train". Turns out..they're drug addicts. If you watch for a while, it seems they collect a few bucks from one person then, another, and another. My son who is a police officer said I should have gone back into the store and told the manager there is someone in the parking lot approaching the patrons asking for money, and he should call the police.

Three times this winter I was approached in two different target parking lots by people who are out of gas and need to drive their pregnant girlfriend somewhere. Ironically, the closest gas station is a couple of blocks away. The worst one though was the lady (probably my age) who was so strung out on drugs asking for "gas money". There was no way I would give someone "drug" money. It was so obvious it was sad. It was a teaching moment for my 12 year old who was with me at the time. We talked all the way home about how drugs can destroy your life.

 

[auntie]

Giving them money to buy more drugs..what's that gonna solve? Besides..it's kind of intimidating to be approaced by strangers for money while you're loading your car full of groceries. You never really know what someone might do. Some crazy people out there.

 

[Mama-san]

I'm very wary of panhandlers, especially ones in parking lots. I've had it happen a couple of times. If I had a dollar or two in my pocket, I'd give it to them. If I wouldn't. I did have a guy asking me for money for a cheeseburger and an iced tea, and the dude was in a wheelchair because he didn't have any legs below his knees. I gave him all the cash I had!

 

[IDoDis]

All I can say after reading this thread is "Wow!" So many people know someone who knows someone who makes a ton of money panhandling -- even going out during the day and dirtying a face to sit on a corner and collect money. I cry foul!! Yeah, there really aren't people around who are hard on their luck. They make more than you do! Maybe for a few out of the thousands and thousands of panhandlers this is true, but don't fool yourselves people!