A panhandler is defined as somebody that begs in a public space. This may come as a surprise, but people aren’t too fond of panhandlers. What people may not know is that there is a long-standing connection between religion and begging. In a much nicer sounding synonym, alms are given to others as a religious virtue. Nuns and monks have been living off of alms for centuries. In fact, this is how Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism lived.
For seven years I was the Store Manager of a Blockbuster Video that sat at a busy intersection that was frequented by panhandlers. I had worked there long enough to be able to identify the regulars. During the summer I would let Mike and John come in and get a drink from our water fountain. They were always respectful, thankful and usually drunk. One day I walked outside to give them some expired chips that we were supposed to throw away. I found out that Mike was a true hobo. He travelled around the country by hopping on trains and hitchhiking. But John, on the other hand, owned a house larger than mine. As it turns out, John was fired from his previous job. Directly in front of where he started to panhandle. He told me that because he didn’t have any taxes taken from him, he made more money on the corner.
“AND…” he said as he turned to stare down the building of his old job, “I can drink while doing this.” Needless to say, I no longer gave him handouts.
