Pan Handle

Corner of Kent and Queen.

Waiting for the “Don’t Walk” to turn to “Walk.”

An older woman comes up to me: “You wouldn’t have a loonie, would you?”

I reach into my pocket: I do. I hand her the loonie.

She says “Thanks” and walks on.

Comments

Rob Lantz's picture
Rob Lantz on April 29, 2010 - 18:57 Permalink

Yesterday a man on University Avenue asked me for spare change for a coffee. I handed him a loonie and said “that probably won’t get you a coffee”. He agreed. So I said “take this instead”, handing him a toonie, expecting to get the loonie back. He thanked me and walked away with $3.

Andrew Chisholm's picture
Andrew Chisholm on April 29, 2010 - 21:27 Permalink

There is a lot of pan handling going on these days. I’ll stop short from calling it a problem but it is a nuisance. I get hit up a few times a day when I am back and forth on Kent Street. I’m not out much money, though, because I rarely have change for myself.

Rod's picture
Rod on April 30, 2010 - 20:54 Permalink

I’m never impressed by the guys outside liquor stores requesting a “quarter for a cup of coffee”.
Yeah, right. Why aren’t you standing outside a coffee place, then?

Signe's picture
Signe on May 3, 2010 - 04:23 Permalink

I had a girl/young ‘lady’ (nothing lady-like about her, I’m sorry to say…) come to my door and beg for money!! That’s just pushing the envelope a little too far.
I gave her change the first time (she asked, very specifically, for $2.50 to be able to buy her schizophrenia medication at Shoppers! I offered to take her to the ER where she could be treated for free, an offer she declined… Wonder why?), the next time she asked for $2.50 for coffee. This time I told her that I didn’t have any money and that I wasn’t comfortable with her showing up at my doorstep begging for money. Would she please not do that again.

Zac's picture
Zac on May 20, 2010 - 02:16 Permalink

People panhandle outside liquor stores more because they have better luck there than because they fancy the wares inside. There are a number of “regular” panhandlers and ad-hoc buskers (including straight-edge kids) who frequent the liquor stores in my area, and who often remain until closing. Perhaps people walking out with a case of beer or a bottle of wine are just more generous than mid-day latte sippers.