An article in the June 9th London Metro: Pulling the plug on panhandling
Mayor pledges to crack down on street panhandlers Debate stirs over usefulness of fining them “These people need help, and you don’t do it by essentially being forced to give.”
mayor Joe Fontana
Blogger Aaron Robb recently posted about an act of compassion to a median man begging for help.
SOLICITING: Charges are up against London street panhandlers, who - besides the threat of fines and even jail - risk traffic dangers.
I thought this article was interesting because the reporter went and talked to median man Brian Simpson. The video is well worth a watch.
You know, I'm not sure about how I feel about this issue. I listened to a news story on CBC radio, interviewing a London Police officer regarding ticketing panhandlers who beg from intersection medians. My knee jerk reaction was to be angry that this is even a necessary part of anyone's life in a country as wealthy as Canada. However, I felt the police officer carefully explained the risks to the both the panhandler and other drivers -- just as Aaron described in his blog, the man in the van sat through part of a green light. If you have one or more drivers behind you anxious to get through the light, then I can see where it is an accident waiting to happen. (I've witnessed quite a few impatient drivers in London -- heck, I married to one!). Furthermore, I was impressed that the police officer was sensitive to the issues of poverty and homelessness, and suggested that if you wanted to help a person, then you should pull off the road safely first.
Here's what OCAP has to say about Ontario's Safe Streets Act.
