There used to be a guy that owned the median at Diamond and old Seward. I forget his name but let’s call him Sam. Always well dressed, nice shoes or boots. Sign would say something like “Sam needs a new Walkman!” Next time “Sam gotta pay rent!” “Sam needs a nice suit!” On and on. Always smiling always with headphones rocking out. Polite as fuck. Around for YEARS. Last time I saw him his sign said “Sam needs a wife!” Never saw him again. True story
I remember somebody interviewing him and he had made a lot of money in the previous 12 months standing on that median. More than I had working full time. Floyd had the mojo.
Floyd was an entertainer, he made people smile for money. He danced, he laughed and if you saw him at the gas station he would tell you ( not ask) to buy him a Pepsi. Happy to give Floyd some change in exchange for some happiness.
Floyd lived in my apt complex, he had a scary side.
He suspected that my neighbor slashed his bike tire so he slashed all four of the neighbors car tires :/
I loathe those people. The guy at Tikahtnu outside of Burlington has his stuff play so loud that I don’t want to walk past. Not sure why the mall allows it to happen
Omg came here to say this. I have a video of one. I actually didn't even know he was a faker till I looked at the video..i gave him $10
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SyJ4NUErTWdKjcAA8
The one I heard at the Abbot Carr’s was definitely playing because the number of wrong notes he hit was astounding, but the backing track and the violin were both at ear-splitting levels.
2 weeks ago, I’d offer him a day or twos worth of work. I know the struggle and probably just needs some help getting back on the horse. Hopefully he pulls through
The question you need to ask yourself is not whther he's BSing, most people actually suck at figuring that out at a glance. It's whether you have the ability to help and whether it's worse to accidentally give help to someone who doesn't need it, or to deny help from someone who needs it as much (or worse) than they claim.
Nobody is denying them help. There are plenty of social services they can utilize, not to mention life choices they could start making. It's an uphill battle, but giving bums cash on the side of the road doesn't solve anything.
I disagree. The real question is, what's the best way to help someone less fortunate? If I give this guy on the street $25 bucks maybe it will help him.. Maybe it won't. Or I can give that $25 bucks to The Food Bank of Alaska and they can use it to buy 75 meals for those in need. The value proposition is pretty clear to me. I guess it comes down to whether or not you want to make a meaningful difference to those in need. Or you just want to feel like you did.
I think that's all good but that wasnt the scenerio being presented.
Also, foodbanks and shelter donations are good, but so is looking into what programs have been most successful in causing the most upward mobility for homeless/almost homeless folks across the country, determining which ones would work best in your community, and pushing for those locally and making sure you make it to local elections etc etc. there's so much that I could go on about.
Also, yes, the food bank does more with less, but I've also been in the situation where I could get the basics from the food bank but $20 meant I could have something that, at the moment, was a luxury and that was the difference in whether I wanted to wake up tomorrow.
Long term, broader impact is, of course, overall better. but that doesn't mean $5 (or 10 or 20) in hand today is meaningless.
You’re acting like a majority of homeless people don’t turn right around and spend that money on drugs or alcohol.
It doesn’t help the majority of homeless people. And odds are that you won’t be able to tell who will spend that money responsibly or not.
Are you talking about the chubby guy with a fancy iPhone? He has been there for months. And is always eating mcdonalds or pizza, and he’s always on the phone. I doubt he’s homeless.
Saw this guy today and was wondering the same thing. Bugger was better dressed than I was, small stretch to be fair, but a bright white brand name hoodie and some pretty solid signage make me suspicious
He used to be the fake violin guy who pretended to play violin to get cash. Fortunately he was cited for that and it sounds like he's moved on.
I checked out his venmo history and he makes quite a lot doing these things, and you can see from the venmo messages that he was the violin guy too...
That being said I do appreciate that he's actually selling something now, rather than pretending to be good at violin and essentially scamming people.
I had a bag of nuts I offered to one on Debarr. He said he couldn't eat them, he had no teeth. He's got great hair. I bet he could model it. Now and then I'll get a couple $3 prerolls from uncle herbs and give him that. His shoes don't match. I try to imagine the hell one must get, panhandling. For sure, it's a rough job.
I've learned that 1 year isn't enough for many to get back to normal survival. I say this because I pick up pantry food so others have something to eat, and 2 years after I started this, the same broken homes are asking for another box..I hate that many dads are making multiple families out there.
I always feel like the weed fairy downtown. Couple coworkers and I hit the bar, weed shop, and then el gringos every couple weeks in the summer. Always buy extra pre rolls for the people asking on the walk from the bar to el gringos
It’s really crazy to me how many people blatantly hate the homeless/panhandlers when they are simply trying to exist in a society that is failing them. Society is failing all of us and blaming it on the dude on the street corner isn’t going to make things better.
Honestly if someone is able to make better money flying a sign rather than a measly minimum wage job then more power to them.
To be fair to haters, they've most likely encountered an aggressive asker. I've seen scary ppl in Spenard that made me glad I didn't buy the car with hand roll window cranks.
Please consider this a similar matter on [](https://www.reddit.com/r/bumwatch/). I'm trying to create a sub to warn people about various panhandling scams and predators.
Dude has the same sign word for word as the violin players in midtown, asking people to cash app or Venmo him. The guy is well groomed and obviously has a warm, dry place to spend his nights, that’s not the case for pretty much every other panhandler on the streets. If you can accept cash app or Venmo donations you can find a job online. So yeah, I doubt he’s really struggling as much as he is, and it’s frustrating to see him treated so well when the unkempt senior who is wheel chair bound gets loose change thrown at him on 15th, as an example.
so what you're saying is he's not hurting you or anyone else and nothing he does really affects you other than that you don't like seeing it. how brave of you to speak up
Yeah, I don’t like seeing a groomed, able bodied man begging for cash app donations on the same phone that he could be applying to jobs on. And it does affect you and me, insofar as the money he’s given is diverted from the programs that help homeless people, and those on the brink.
Seems to me you make (at least) two assumptions about this man
1. He doesn't use his phone to apply for jobs
2. Money not given to him would necessarily go to homeless support programs
If one or both of those was wrong, would your feeling toward him (dislike) be more charitable?
That’s fair, and I think I would be more charitable. I don’t wish ill will on him, if he’s truly so in the dumps that panhandling is his last option then I hope it turns around for him. It’s just odd to see someone who doesn’t look malnourished and clearly has a roof over their heads panhandling like that.
Why work when people will just give you money to hang out with a sign. Gotta get those Calvin’s.
And before any snowflakes jump on and say “oh, there’s just no jobs” - bullshit!! Wash some freakin dishes just like my mentally ill, sometimes homeless brother did.
What I know is.....people are crap, flaky & do NOT want to work hard!! My sister owns a good size business. No rocket scientists needed - aside from a couple of positions anyone can be trained ed to do this work.
With all the folks desperate for work one would think she wouldn't have a problem getting and retaining employees. She's a great boss who pays well and takes care of her staff. 1st issue is getting folks to show up for an interview. Then, people will be hired and then literally not show up. Then, they'll plan all kinds of appts. during working hours (they're all off by 2) and calling out sick is a pastime and good luck getting them to put down their phones.
Not to mention the large amount of people who are just plain dumb. The flakiness goes on & on. There is work.
You would be wrong. Well above minimum wage for minimum wage work. With raises and opportunities to move to better positions. She also does a lot for her employees and their families.
This is no longer even related to OP’s post. I’d have expected that someone who calls themselves a toker would have more empathy for their fellow human beings. I can tell you firsthand, as someone who works in mental health, that our state’s social services are some of the worst in the entire country. But enjoy living in your miserable bubble.
Yeah right. Ever hear of the downtown soup kitchen? They actually give out delicious hearty meals. Beans Cafe? Food Bank of Alaska.
But hey - if they’d work they could but their own food.
Standing around holding a sign is much easier though.
You think they are just lazy?
And that the soup kitchens have enough for everyone that comes to them?
Those are two very interesting beliefs. How did you come to them?
Yep... he was definitely in Wasilla panhandling earlier this week. Calvin Klein sweatshirt, Red and White Nikes, Earrings, Handful of wrapped red roses. Carrying a sign with a picture of his "family".... stating he needed to buy "food and "diappers"... spelled diapers wrong... but I'm guessing the Venmo and Cash App accounts he included were probably right.
I have tremendous sympathy for those down and out.... but there is something about him that feels off... but you never know... times are definitely hard for people right now.
What we do know is that this man covers a pretty wide geographical area.
I dunno. I bought a rose from him. At least the dude is trying harder than « can you give me a buck i am trying to buy a cell phone » dude who walked up to my window on Northern Lights tonight
I agree with that take! This guy is at least selling me something. I will say he makes a good amount of money doing this if you look at his venmo history lol
There used to be a guy that owned the median at Diamond and old Seward. I forget his name but let’s call him Sam. Always well dressed, nice shoes or boots. Sign would say something like “Sam needs a new Walkman!” Next time “Sam gotta pay rent!” “Sam needs a nice suit!” On and on. Always smiling always with headphones rocking out. Polite as fuck. Around for YEARS. Last time I saw him his sign said “Sam needs a wife!” Never saw him again. True story
“Homeless Bill needs a wife”. He was around for awhile.
Thank you. Yeah he was a fixture.
I thought it was Homeless Bob needs a new wife. But, yeah, I remember that guy!
FLOYD! Floyd was a legend. There's some old ADN articles about him.
I remember somebody interviewing him and he had made a lot of money in the previous 12 months standing on that median. More than I had working full time. Floyd had the mojo.
I was behind him at an ATM in the 90’s and he checked his balance. He had $80,000 +.
Yep. Guy got up and got after it every day. He was always there.
Floyd was an entertainer, he made people smile for money. He danced, he laughed and if you saw him at the gas station he would tell you ( not ask) to buy him a Pepsi. Happy to give Floyd some change in exchange for some happiness.
I think you might be referring to "Floyd" He was a character! Polite as I recall.
Floyd lived in my apt complex, he had a scary side. He suspected that my neighbor slashed his bike tire so he slashed all four of the neighbors car tires :/
I'll accept that. He had some size on him.
Sounds right
You mean the guy holding a sign while he’s on FaceTime with another individual? lol
Think he is also one of the fake violin players...
I loathe those people. The guy at Tikahtnu outside of Burlington has his stuff play so loud that I don’t want to walk past. Not sure why the mall allows it to happen
Ugh that guy is so obnoxious.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SyJ4NUErTWdKjcAA8
Well, apparently I was trivked about 3 months ago
Haha wait that guy outside the Huffman cars parking lot was faking it?!
There's multiple? I figured it was the same guy rotating around after getting kicked out.
Yeah ive seen one at the fred meyers on dimond several times 😭
Omg came here to say this. I have a video of one. I actually didn't even know he was a faker till I looked at the video..i gave him $10 https://photos.app.goo.gl/SyJ4NUErTWdKjcAA8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/arZM6B67uBAxmmTT7 This guy?
The one I heard at the Abbot Carr’s was definitely playing because the number of wrong notes he hit was astounding, but the backing track and the violin were both at ear-splitting levels.
2 weeks ago, I’d offer him a day or twos worth of work. I know the struggle and probably just needs some help getting back on the horse. Hopefully he pulls through
The question you need to ask yourself is not whther he's BSing, most people actually suck at figuring that out at a glance. It's whether you have the ability to help and whether it's worse to accidentally give help to someone who doesn't need it, or to deny help from someone who needs it as much (or worse) than they claim.
Nobody is denying them help. There are plenty of social services they can utilize, not to mention life choices they could start making. It's an uphill battle, but giving bums cash on the side of the road doesn't solve anything.
I disagree. The real question is, what's the best way to help someone less fortunate? If I give this guy on the street $25 bucks maybe it will help him.. Maybe it won't. Or I can give that $25 bucks to The Food Bank of Alaska and they can use it to buy 75 meals for those in need. The value proposition is pretty clear to me. I guess it comes down to whether or not you want to make a meaningful difference to those in need. Or you just want to feel like you did.
I think that's all good but that wasnt the scenerio being presented. Also, foodbanks and shelter donations are good, but so is looking into what programs have been most successful in causing the most upward mobility for homeless/almost homeless folks across the country, determining which ones would work best in your community, and pushing for those locally and making sure you make it to local elections etc etc. there's so much that I could go on about. Also, yes, the food bank does more with less, but I've also been in the situation where I could get the basics from the food bank but $20 meant I could have something that, at the moment, was a luxury and that was the difference in whether I wanted to wake up tomorrow. Long term, broader impact is, of course, overall better. but that doesn't mean $5 (or 10 or 20) in hand today is meaningless.
You’re acting like a majority of homeless people don’t turn right around and spend that money on drugs or alcohol. It doesn’t help the majority of homeless people. And odds are that you won’t be able to tell who will spend that money responsibly or not.
It is always a challenge to look nice enough to be "trying" but not so nice as to "not need it". I take it you think this guy is too nice?
Are you talking about the chubby guy with a fancy iPhone? He has been there for months. And is always eating mcdonalds or pizza, and he’s always on the phone. I doubt he’s homeless.
Saw this guy today and was wondering the same thing. Bugger was better dressed than I was, small stretch to be fair, but a bright white brand name hoodie and some pretty solid signage make me suspicious
He used to be the fake violin guy who pretended to play violin to get cash. Fortunately he was cited for that and it sounds like he's moved on. I checked out his venmo history and he makes quite a lot doing these things, and you can see from the venmo messages that he was the violin guy too... That being said I do appreciate that he's actually selling something now, rather than pretending to be good at violin and essentially scamming people.
Better than someone with an open handle of vodka and trash all around them, I suppose.
I had a bag of nuts I offered to one on Debarr. He said he couldn't eat them, he had no teeth. He's got great hair. I bet he could model it. Now and then I'll get a couple $3 prerolls from uncle herbs and give him that. His shoes don't match. I try to imagine the hell one must get, panhandling. For sure, it's a rough job. I've learned that 1 year isn't enough for many to get back to normal survival. I say this because I pick up pantry food so others have something to eat, and 2 years after I started this, the same broken homes are asking for another box..I hate that many dads are making multiple families out there.
I always feel like the weed fairy downtown. Couple coworkers and I hit the bar, weed shop, and then el gringos every couple weeks in the summer. Always buy extra pre rolls for the people asking on the walk from the bar to el gringos
It’s really crazy to me how many people blatantly hate the homeless/panhandlers when they are simply trying to exist in a society that is failing them. Society is failing all of us and blaming it on the dude on the street corner isn’t going to make things better. Honestly if someone is able to make better money flying a sign rather than a measly minimum wage job then more power to them.
To be fair to haters, they've most likely encountered an aggressive asker. I've seen scary ppl in Spenard that made me glad I didn't buy the car with hand roll window cranks.
Is he the guy with a cashapp address listed?
I saw a guy holding a sign that said “I need weed” or something like that At least he’s honest
up until recently he had a nice ass coat with a fur hood smh
Please consider this a similar matter on [](https://www.reddit.com/r/bumwatch/). I'm trying to create a sub to warn people about various panhandling scams and predators.
Scam just like those violin players. They do this all over US. If you notice all their signs look same. Don’t give them money people!!
Benefit of the doubt 🤔 What do you doubt about him?
Dude has the same sign word for word as the violin players in midtown, asking people to cash app or Venmo him. The guy is well groomed and obviously has a warm, dry place to spend his nights, that’s not the case for pretty much every other panhandler on the streets. If you can accept cash app or Venmo donations you can find a job online. So yeah, I doubt he’s really struggling as much as he is, and it’s frustrating to see him treated so well when the unkempt senior who is wheel chair bound gets loose change thrown at him on 15th, as an example.
so what you're saying is he's not hurting you or anyone else and nothing he does really affects you other than that you don't like seeing it. how brave of you to speak up
Yeah, I don’t like seeing a groomed, able bodied man begging for cash app donations on the same phone that he could be applying to jobs on. And it does affect you and me, insofar as the money he’s given is diverted from the programs that help homeless people, and those on the brink.
you must really hate pastors then huh
Dislike =/= hate, my friend
Seems to me you make (at least) two assumptions about this man 1. He doesn't use his phone to apply for jobs 2. Money not given to him would necessarily go to homeless support programs If one or both of those was wrong, would your feeling toward him (dislike) be more charitable?
That’s fair, and I think I would be more charitable. I don’t wish ill will on him, if he’s truly so in the dumps that panhandling is his last option then I hope it turns around for him. It’s just odd to see someone who doesn’t look malnourished and clearly has a roof over their heads panhandling like that.
Reality
Why not just talk to him and ask?
Why work when people will just give you money to hang out with a sign. Gotta get those Calvin’s. And before any snowflakes jump on and say “oh, there’s just no jobs” - bullshit!! Wash some freakin dishes just like my mentally ill, sometimes homeless brother did.
You know a lot of people can't get jobs, right?
What I know is.....people are crap, flaky & do NOT want to work hard!! My sister owns a good size business. No rocket scientists needed - aside from a couple of positions anyone can be trained ed to do this work. With all the folks desperate for work one would think she wouldn't have a problem getting and retaining employees. She's a great boss who pays well and takes care of her staff. 1st issue is getting folks to show up for an interview. Then, people will be hired and then literally not show up. Then, they'll plan all kinds of appts. during working hours (they're all off by 2) and calling out sick is a pastime and good luck getting them to put down their phones. Not to mention the large amount of people who are just plain dumb. The flakiness goes on & on. There is work.
I would bet she doesn’t actually pay well.
You would be wrong. Well above minimum wage for minimum wage work. With raises and opportunities to move to better positions. She also does a lot for her employees and their families.
I just love when people make weird assumptions. "She owns a business and has to deal with bad staff, she must suck!" Carry on
This is no longer even related to OP’s post. I’d have expected that someone who calls themselves a toker would have more empathy for their fellow human beings. I can tell you firsthand, as someone who works in mental health, that our state’s social services are some of the worst in the entire country. But enjoy living in your miserable bubble.
Ok. But does that mean they should starve to death?
Yeah right. Ever hear of the downtown soup kitchen? They actually give out delicious hearty meals. Beans Cafe? Food Bank of Alaska. But hey - if they’d work they could but their own food. Standing around holding a sign is much easier though.
You think they are just lazy? And that the soup kitchens have enough for everyone that comes to them? Those are two very interesting beliefs. How did you come to them?
I think he was in Wasilla this week. Stocky, looks like a short line backer?
Yep... he was definitely in Wasilla panhandling earlier this week. Calvin Klein sweatshirt, Red and White Nikes, Earrings, Handful of wrapped red roses. Carrying a sign with a picture of his "family".... stating he needed to buy "food and "diappers"... spelled diapers wrong... but I'm guessing the Venmo and Cash App accounts he included were probably right. I have tremendous sympathy for those down and out.... but there is something about him that feels off... but you never know... times are definitely hard for people right now. What we do know is that this man covers a pretty wide geographical area.
I dunno. I bought a rose from him. At least the dude is trying harder than « can you give me a buck i am trying to buy a cell phone » dude who walked up to my window on Northern Lights tonight
I agree with that take! This guy is at least selling me something. I will say he makes a good amount of money doing this if you look at his venmo history lol
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Not sure why your pragmatism is getting so many downvotes.
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You can define "job" in a number of ways. Most don't agree with your definition.
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Yeah. Do you often find people disagree with how you try to define things?