Moral of the story: Don't believe everything you hear.

Best part of the story: The man turned out to be David Milgaard on the run from the penitentiary for a murder he didn't commit. The cops shot him in the butt on Queen Street a couple of months later (not in the official records!) and took him back to jail. He was released more than 10 years later after serving more than 20 years in prison. I would love to see the looks on the faces of the people that gave us money when they realized who he was!

Anyway, lots of people lie to you for money - politicians, advertisers and so on - she's just another one.

Also, that broadcast was complete crap. I know several currently and formerly homeless people, and they are sincerely in need. Exercise judgement in this matter, as a lot of homeless will support drug problems with donations, but do not harden your hearts to those who need your generosity just because some hack reporter piled together some anecdotal evidence that serves to slander the overwhelming majority of the needy indigent.

There's no neat solution to this. Not everybody is capable of working, or they really are just down on their luck, and let me tell you, it's a lot easier to fall down than climb up.

The "only give to charities" solution isn't really much better. I'd be willing to bet roughly the same amount of money is used for necessities no matter which way you go. Charities have plenty of overhead, not to mention how many charities are, themselves, scams. Churches? Most of them spend more money on their church and congregation than actually goes to the homeless people.

You know, this isn't a new thing. It's been possible to make a decent living begging for centuries.

There, I've said it as clear as I can.

Yes of course we have all seen people who abuse the genorosity of others, but actually think back of all the people who you haven't seen actively begging for money because they're so drunk or drugged up. And why would they be drunk/drugged up? Not because it's fun, but because it's easier to deal with (for a woman) to be raped now and again if you're so off your face you don't remember.
Sorry to be so blunt but the uncaring attitude of some of the commenters has angered me.

Like not Americans are stupid, and not all Muslims are terrorists, not all homeless people are frauds.

They should bring back vagrancy laws for all of them.

I have had the fleeting thought of standing under an overpass with my baby in my arms...cause I'm so damned poor and gas is so freaking expensive....but then common sense and my sense of morality takes over.

Occasionally I'll offer food to the "Homeless & Hungry Any Help Please God Bless" sign-holders. Surprisingly (or maybe not), some of them don't seem to be all that hungry.

Reactionary press finds someone who is a theiving little shit.

She's abusing the public's charity Ipso facto they all are!!

Which is exactly what the peice implies.

There'll always be the very few who are up to no good but to apply the finding s of a particular case and try and reason that this means that all homeless people are doig this would be the same as saying if you have a work colleague who is lazy that all your colleagues were.

It's an absurd line of reasoning.

The reason she allegedly makes $50 an hour is she's a GIRL.

And a girl begging in a dangersous spot.

She will elicit sympathy from a greater number of peopkle than some gnarled up old crazy guy who reeks of piss now isn't she?

I remember a while back, there used to be a panhandler in this very busy intersection a few miles from where I live.
Used to be out there almost every day.. and the guy was just like this girl. He would park his car in the parking lot of the Kmart so no one would know it was his.
We caught him a few times packing up his stuff and leaving.
We also caught him riding off on motorcycles as well.
The guy was definitely not poor. Dunno if he got his money from panhandling or whatever, but it always pissed us off to see him.

There's a hobo culture there that works for people but they don't merely rely on the kindness of strangers, they feed off it with no intention of changing or telling the truth. There are even soup kitchens that bring soup to their hangouts as if they were starving. That large statistic they gave about how many panhandlers are lying is gross and believable. Good news is that I see more people offering services for money like shoe shining. Problem with that is they charge way too much, being more expensive than 'legal' businesses.

What I find to be almost as bad as this girl are the foundations for helping the homeless that 90% of what you give to them goes to their employees and infrastructure.

And that includes all those telemarketing chartiy places that sell you lightbulbs and stuff over the phone, like Salvation Army.

im also offended a bit. i work a legitimate (student) job and she makes WAY more than i do.

In general I give when the mood suits me. I once was talking to a guy and he needed money and he said 'I won't lie, I want to get drunk.' Since I was on the way to the liquor store myself, I invited him along and bought him some vodka, and some for myself and we went our seperate ways.

Another time, I was in Vancouver and I was leaving the next day so I gave some kid an undertermined amount of Canadian money in coins. He was very appreciative. Hell, he may have even had legit needs, who knows.

I also don't give to panhandlers, as I've been told that's illegal where I live and because the panhandlers sometimes become violent and attack people. I'd rather give to a valid charity organization than risk myself and anyone with me while giving a handout to a total stranger.