The historically-lucrative career of begging


Lately I've been talking to people about their experiences with what I call "career beggars". That is, people who make a very good living by asking for money from strangers out in public. I saw a lot of it when I lived in California, where you could actually watch someone park their Mercedes to walk over and find a place to sit and panhandle, but for many people it comes as a surprise. Yes, it's a con.

Now calm down there, I don't mean that EVERYONE who is coming up to you in public asking for money is a phony, there are plenty of people who have genuine needs. I'm talking about the people who make a TON of money at it, and do it disguised as the genuinely needy people. And it's sad, because it makes it impossible to know who is genuine, and who isn't, so people like me who've seen a lot of it tend to just keep walking. My phrase is "No thank you", which acknowledges them, gives them a chance to see my smile, and implies that they want to sell me something.

My favorite story about a career beggar is from 1891, and is called "The Man with the Twisted Lip", a Sherlock Holmes story. No, I won't spoil the story for you, except to say that the character was a career beggar, who made a lot of money that way, and tried to hide the truth from his family. So it's an old, old, story. A person can make a LOT of money begging in big cities like London, or New York, and while it's illegal, it's seen more as a nuisance than anything else.

Speaking for myself, when I set out to make my way in the world I decided that there were career paths that didn't interest me at all, in spite of the promise of wealth. I had no interest in robbing banks, or being a gigolo, or starring in a major motion picture. They just didn't interest me, and seemed as if they'd get in the way of what I considered the most important part of life, which was playing golf. So I landed some corporate jobs, and was just fine.

The lack of density where I live, in a suburb of Phoenix, works against someone having a lucrative career begging. Most businesses don't want you there, and will either call the police or social services to have you removed, which would spoil your chances for cashing in big that day. If you're a genuine homeless person, you can go sit in a park somewhere, but the volume of people walking by would be too low for a career beggar. Career beggars have to get themselves out in front of traffic, which is why you'll often see them at freeway entrances. Again, I'm not saying that everyone with a sign begging for money at a freeway entrance is a career beggar, I'm just saying that career beggars know that they need to be in these places.

And like I say, this isn't a career path that I've ever even considered, but if it's what you want to do, please do it as far away from me as possible. Thank you!
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