Most of the panhandlers in Philadelphia are pros. I need my money much more than they do, so I hold on to it. The ones in my neighborhood know that I don't give, so they usually don't ask. But if they say hello, I'll smile and say hello back.
Once I asked a guy, who used to come into our store to exchange "Hard money for soft money" why he always had so much change. He replied, "It's what I do. It's my job." He told me on another occasion that he was an alcoholic and couldn't keep a regular job, so I guess his chosen profession was the only job he felt he could keep. He did pretty well--made enough to be able to eat at nice Old City restaurants once in a while.
