After reading a second letter this week in The Herald regarding panhandlers, I feel the need to invoke my First Amendment rights.
A few years back I had occasion to be in North Seattle both in the morning and afternoon. Using the Northgate exit off of I-5 heading south, and using the northbound on-ramp later that day, I encountered the same unfortunate man with a cardboard sign petitioning for funds.
As the day wore on, I began to wonder if there was some sort of panhandlers’ union, and did they have to bid on certain corners, some having the best exposure to traffic. I know in Pike Place market the buskers have to bid and sign up for time slots for their busking (in front of the original Starbucks being the top spot).
Fast forward to my solution. I began going to Denny’s, Taco Bell, and various pet stores in strip malls obtaining job applications. I then folded them neatly, one each in a sealed envelope labeled “panhandler assistance” and stuck them in my glove box. I have handed out a few, most recently this past Sunday to a young man, clean-shaven, about 20 years old, with a sign asking for work to earn money for food and shelter.
The apple picking industry is hurting in Eastern Washington. I wondered why this able-bodied young man wasn’t pursuing a paying job in Eastern Washington, when the light turned green. I quickly slipped him an envelope, and went on my way. I hope he took my gesture in the right spirit.
Vince Taylor
Marysville
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