Dealing with Panhandlers and Beggars at Rest Stops

With the economy still suffering, people are looking for cheaper ways to take vacations. Packing the car for a road trip can be a great way to travel, and allow for a budget friendly vacation.

Anyone planning an auto vacation will usually find state highway rest stops to be a welcome sight to stretch, and use the restrooms. Rest stops are built by states as a way to get tired travelers off the road, to a safe place to rejuvenate, before getting back on the highway.

The people who make use of rest stops will usually encounter other travelers who, like them, are just pulling over for a few minutes. There are others you may encounter who also make use of rest stops that are there for more than a few minutes, however. These travelers are known as panhandlers and beggars.

Rest stops have become a popular place over the years for panhandlers and beggars to sit with cardboard signs asking for money. There are many variations to the wording, but usually the crude writing will indicate either "car trouble" or "out of gas".

The panhandlers and beggars will most often position themselves in one of two locations. The entrance to the bathrooms seems to be the preferred spot. Almost everyone who travels will stop at the rest area to use the bathroom. Foot traffic will be highest in these areas. The other popular place is at the far end of the rest stop parking lot near a vehicle that panhandlers and beggars have indicated is broken down (or out of gas).

As a weary driver makes their way to the restroom facility, they are faced with a personal decision of how to respond to the panhandler or beggar who appears to be a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Who wouldn't wrestle with whether or not to offer help to this unfortunate person who needs a handout from a fellow human being? Rest areas are fortunately a good place for them to seek "help".

In a recent stopover on December 30^th, at a California rest stop just outside Paso Robles, I spotted one couple whose sign read, "Lost job going home but running out of gas". They sat on a wall in the pathway to the restrooms looking cold and weary-- prompting one person after another to hand them cash. How much money they made, or how long they stayed was not known. What was known, and obvious, was the look of delight they gave to each other after each benefactor handed these panhandlers and beggars dollar bills.

If you travel and end up stopping over at a rest stop where you encounter a panhandler or beggar, what should you do? My instinct is to always help by giving them money. This may not be the best way to deal with pan handlers and beggars according to the experts, however.

Tips from experts on how to best deal with panhandlers and beggars:

Tara McColgin, from the United Way, in Sandusky, Ohio offered this advice:

"I am the director of a 24-hour referral service called United Way First Call for Help. My agency receives dozens of calls requesting financial assistance from persons motoring through our country. Trained personnel screen them to determine need and possible solutions. Solutions can range from contacting family members for funds, to connecting them with the appropriate service agency to assist with getting them on their way.

My suggestion to anyone who is solicited for help while traveling: Offer the needy person [change] to make a phone call to the nearest United Way First Call for Help number, or the information and referral service in the area."

Lt. Chris Williams of the Daytona, Florida Police Department offers this advice: "Those wishing to donate money should give to a legitimate organization that help the homeless. Those approached by a panhandler should 'politely' say no. If you feel a panhandler is becoming aggressive immediately call 911."

Dominic Mapstone of Change.org--an organization dedicated to addressing poverty in America-- offers similar advice about giving cash: "Never give cash. If someone asks for money for food, take him to a restaurant or a fast food joint and buy him a meal. If he asks for money for a bus ticket, go buy that ticket and hand it to him. Realistically, most panhandlers never spend the money they beg for on the "story" they present you."

Encountering panhandlers and beggars is not new for travelers. The next time you are at a rest stop where panhandlers and beggars sit with cardboard signs, perhaps the best solution is taking the advice of the experts and either offer them enough to make a phone call, or go and buy the item they claim to need instead of giving cash.

Sources for help for panhandlers and beggars-
The United Way First Call for Help call 211.

Source:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-07-23/entertainment/8801170401_1_dear-abby-rest-areas-eulogy
http://uspoverty.change.org/blog/view/why_you_shouldnt_give_money_to_panhandlers
http://www.211.org/
http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytoncrime/entries/2009/08/04/police_giving_money_to_homeles.html
http://www.photogirlstudio.com/