Hi All,

I'd answer this by saying that it's clear that panhandling is seen as a problem at Simon's program. I'd like to see this list be about us helping solve problems for each other rather than implying expectations of a particular moral or political stance. I'd rather hear you say "My program likes panhandlers because..." because then you'd be enlightening me, I dare say all of us have known people who have stolen bikes, and we all know how we knew they had stolen a bike. I think it's OK for people to keep out thieves, and I'd go as far as to say that if we were to keep out someone who isn't a thief now and again it could still be best. As Mr. Spock once said, "sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one."

Peace,

Andy

Graham Stewart wrote:

Two questions:  Why is panhandling a major problem?  How do you decide 
if someone is a bike thief?

Graham

Simon Z wrote:

The major problems I have seen are sexual harassment, threats of 
violence, panhandling, theft from the shop or use of the shop by known 
bike thieves. None of these behaviors are tolerated and shop 
coordinators are free to remove and ban indefinitely anyone doing 
this. We try to keep a photographic record of these offenders to 
display in our shops.


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