Tampa Bay residents strongly support ban on street solicitation and panhandling

[The Straight Story]

Tampa Bay residents strongly support ban on street solicitation and panhandling

Tony LoCicero has had enough of being hit up for money in Ybor City and West Tampa. The 45-year-old father wants the city of Tampa to copy St. Petersburg and ban street soliciting.

So do a lot of other people from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

A new poll shows 72 percent of adults in the two counties support St. Petersburg's ban on transactions between motorists and people in the medians — a law geared to thwart panhandlers.

Plus, 65 percent support the idea of other cities passing similar laws, according to the survey of 600 adults for the St. Petersburg Times and Bay News 9.

"It makes me feel uncomfortable sitting in traffic while there is someone on the side of the road holding up a sign and asking for money," said LoCicero, who lives in unincorporated southeast Hillsborough.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/tampa-bay-residents-strongly-support-ban-on-street-solicitation-and/1142609

[bowens43]

1. ""It makes me feel uncomfortable "

"sitting in traffic while there is someone on the side of the road holding up a sign and asking for money,"
Poor baby!!! How sad that you have see someone who is homeless and without food while you sit in cozy comfort in your car......

How much you want to bet that vast majority these pathetic idiots consider themselves to be Christians?

So now we are passing laws to that violate the rights of the poor so those who are not poor can be comfortable???

[peekaloo]

2. Step one in the big cleanup for the 2012 RNC . nt

[xchrom]

3. Oy. Nt

[handmade34]

4. I support a ban on street solicitation...

as soon as we commit to providing safe housing and healthy food for every single individual and at the same time ban corporate solicitation of the people's money

[lunatica]

5. They don't want to pollute their beautiful minds with such sights

[Ineeda]

6. I wonder if that will include

the firefighters' boot drive, Salvation Army bell ringers, veteran' organizations, and every school-affiliated entity (athletic team, cheerleader squad, marching band, etc.) begging for donations at intersections and grocery store entrances. Or will the ban be limited to homeless and desperate people?

[handmade34]

9. oh! something for them to think about...

[BlueJazz]

10. Amen...I get sick and tired of having a Boots , Pails or whatever jammed in my face...

...at intersections. These "Organizations" are not what they appear to be.
Next time one of these folks call, ask them what percent actually goes to the people it is intended for.
The silence will be deafening. (It's usually 40-55 percent)

[MindPilot]

11. That was my first thought too.

It seems like it's really a hazard; all it would take is somebody to hydroplane approaching the intersection.

[flvegan]

7. Not all of us. n/t

[SpiralHawk]

8. "Are there no prisons for these smelly proles." - Scrooge (R)

[DonCoquixote]

12. Sad

I admit, I get wary sometimes on the street, because some people giving people money have gotten jumped, but the ban on them on the road is silly.

[lonestarnot]

13. Ain't that just too fucking bad. How bout they beat in your windows and steal your fucking car?

Prefer that you annustard LoCicero