are the panhandlers at the main intersections actually homeless?
With more and more Florida cities instituting bans on panhandling, or begging, it appears that Tampa’s major intersections are flooded with panhandlers donned in the safety vests. But how many of them are truly homeless and suffering hard times tugging at the heartstrings of drivers passing by, and how many are scam artists making a vibrant, tax-free living playing on the generosity of working citizens? Several things have pushed me into writing about this. Today was the kicker as I was driving south on Dale Mabry Highway waiting at the light at the Gandy intersection, I spotted a female panhandler trying to inconspicuously send a text message on her cell phone partially hidden behind her cardboard sign saying “Need Help”. Call me naive, but if a homeless person is down-on-their-luck, they typically cannot afford a cell phone and have no permanent address to receive the bill. It was also very interesting that she tried to hide the use of a cell phone. You got something to hide? About o
