re: where do all the homeless people find markers for their signs?

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You should look into panhandling culture. There are pretty strict rules when it comes to begging locations and who gets what street corners, etc. I have several local cop friends that encounter bums on a daily basis and this is what I've learned:

1) Generally speaking, bums get together and divide up areas of the city. They use alliances and friendships to get the most desired locations. "Seniority" even plays a role, as local bums that have been there longer will push out those who just showed up.

2) When locations are disputed and consensus cannot be reached panhandlers often develop a schedule where, say, Bum A will work the corner from 8-10 AM, then pass it off to Bum B who gets it from 10-noon and so on.

3) Violence often resorts between panhandlers when they don't want to reach an agreement over certain locations and, like in prison, the toughest (or craziest) bum wins out.

4) Women and dogs and children greatly enhance the amount of money collected and panhandlers often "rent" them or use them in a sort of profit sharing scheme while working the streets. For example, a women will "sell" her services by standing alongside the panhandler with her kids. Her take will generally be half the money collected.

5) Bums don't mess with other bums when they sleep. Even getting near another bum's space bubble while he's sleeping is a fairly big social misstep and you can be kicked out of the community if you're not trusted.

I find the subculture fascinating, even if bums/panhandlers disgust me.

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Squat the Planet

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