whats with homeless people begging for money on TTC lately?

[MizTEcK]

is it just me or this has really starting to become a trend? ppl asking for money for food etc. on ttc subways. I dont recall ever seen any of these, but this year alone i've encountered 5 of them already, and get this, last week i seen 2 at the sametime!

[Hanniganite]

I won't say they're common but certainly not rare...
There's a skinny crazy looking old guy at Bloor station often (usually end of staircase)
Then there's a young man (I'd say 20s ish) who goes around trains asking for change (I've seen at least 4-5 times at different stops)
And more recently this black woman who seems sorta crazy also...yelling out "I'm so hungryyyy! Can anyone help me?!" She pissed me off because I was sleeping (or trying to) and she whacked me on the shoulder/chest to ask for money.

[Montecore]

subway panhandling is very common , just last week I gave tokens to 2 runaways who needed to go to a shelter .

[NG]

I'd imagine they need money to stay alive.

[guest10586]

Panhandling has been around for a long time... You must live a sheltered existance...

[Jump]

I used to see this woman practically every day who'd come on the streetcar and yell "Can anyone spare me two dollars?" and people would pay up thinking she needs the money for a streetcar ride but she just takes the money and gets off. She usually holds up the driver too which gets people angry.

[Montecore]

Panhandling has been around for a long time... You must live a sheltered existance...

he must be from the 905 region .

[JimG]

Well I'm a 905er and frankly, all the homeless people in Toronto harrassing me for change (which I can't carry) is one of the reasons I avoid Toronto.

Jim

[devious9191]

Well I'm a 905er and frankly, all the homeless people in Toronto harrassing me for change (which I can't carry) is one of the reasons I avoid Toronto.

Jim

I hear you. The homeless are a plague on this country. I work and live near a mission.. it's disgusting the way these people choose to live (and they do make that choice)

[hightech05]

These people have a choice in every city in canada there is atleast a shelter and they choose to not take advantage.

[cheukiecfu]

i volunteered in Red Cross once... and one of the ladies there said these homeless pplz would rather go homeless than staying in one of those temporary shelters government provided....
and i understand that... but the problem is quite serious in the DT area...

[Montecore]

These people have a choice in every city in canada there is atleast a shelter and they choose to not take advantage.

the homeless has it pretty good compared to the poor in 3rd world countries like Africa , where they are dying of starvation on the streets of mass famine .

[quanta]

Queen St. streetcar: An old lady sometimes walks the aisles, asking for two dollars for a bottle of juice. I always want to shout at her, "Go to no frills and buy a 2L concentrate can for 70 cents!"

Soliciting on the TTC isn't legal, but it happens sometimes. It's extra annoying though, since you're tired and you certainly didn't pay to get hit up for cash.

BTW, I don't have much sympathy for panhandlers anymore. One "homeless" one actually lives in Parkdale, and every morning gets on the Queen streetcar (complete with cup of coffee, a pack of cigarettes and PET bottles of pop) to camp out at the TSX.

[Rogue_77]

What about that "shaky lady" I've read about in the sun a few months back, is she still around panhandling? She's the one I read that lives in a condo I think with leather chairs and big-a$$ tv

[guest10586]

I got panhandled by a guy on the street once. He asked me politely for money and I politely said I didn't have any (when I obviously did but didn't want to hand it out to him for booze). He then proceeded to complain about Asian people being cheapskates... (I should have told him I visit RFD often).