Nov 05 2008
pan-handling
Apparently, in Northampton (a town near where I live) there is going to be a protest against the city’s anti-panhandling ordinance tomorrow. Pan-handling, as a disabled person, brings up weird issues for me. First, I hate the fact that people always think I’m doing it when I’m in a strange city. What I’m doing is most likely asking for directions. I have my own money. Thank you. However, I do tend to get lost easily and need a lot of directional help if I decide to venture off on my own. Many people avoid answering my questions without even trying to listen to me because they think I’m going to ask them for money.
A friend of mine, who’s a very famous lawyer, was holding a coffee cup in the airport (with coffee in it) and this stranger walks by and plunks a quarter into her cup; splashing her newly bought suit for court. She was barely going to make opening arguments for the case anyway as she couldn’t get an earlier flight out so she had to ask the judge for a continuance so she could change her clothes. How embarrassing.
On the other hand, I realize that pan-handling is the only way (disabled or not) for some people have to make money because they have no education, no appropriate things to wear to a job, no training or in some cases motivation (although this from my observation is the most rare). You can see why I’m confused about this issue. However, every time it comes up I think about it a little more. I’m sure I’ll reach a decision at some point and then I will, of course, weigh in on the issue.
