AEP/PSO has sent the following message out:
February 20, 2014
Beware Aggressive Panhandlers in Downtown Tulsa
In keeping with our "See Something, Say Something" safety philosophy, PSO is sending this alert to all employees in the General Office.
A woman was assaulted recently in broad daylight during the lunch hour by a man aggressively asking for change at the intersection of 5th & Main in downtown Tulsa.
The victim was walking from Billie's On the Square after picking up lunch when the man asked her for money. When she said she didn't have any change, he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. The perpetrator then released her. She was shaken up but otherwise unharmed, and nothing was stolen.
The Downtown Tulsa Coordinating Council has received reports from the public that a group of men, sometimes accompanied by a pit bull dog, has been congregating at this intersection, and can be quite aggressive when asking for money. The Tulsa Police Department is aware of the incident.
Billie's is a popular lunch stop just a few blocks from the General Office. Employees who frequent Billie's are encouraged to either re-think their lunch plans, or go as a group, for safety.
Always look ahead when walking in the downtown area wherever you are going. If you see a group of people asking for money, turn around and go somewhere else for lunch.
Same warning at other DT businesses sent out Friday.
http://www.newson6.com/story/24792274/aggressive-downtown-tulsa-panhandler-gives-group-a-bad-name
AEP-PSO seems to be credited as the author in this story.
I'm a healthy middle aged male. I am downtown daily, early and late. I'm comfortable with all kinds of people.
BUT, this winter the panhandlers/ bums have been more numerous and more bold. Asking for money from further away (that is, one cannot avoid them). Cat calling women. And generally being more aggressive.
I have never been assaulted, verbally of physically. But if I am made to feel uncomfortable I can imagine a lone person who is older, smaller, or less confident in an "urban" environment being flat out scared.
We need a panhandling ordinance and we need a way to enforce it.
You are free to be a bum, but leave people the hell alone.
Sorry.
Hmmm. That's not a panhandler. That's a mugger.
Perhaps people should recognize the difference?
Needs to be illegal. Completely ruins the 5th and Boston intersection.
And Holy Trinity needs to get involved. It's fine that they feed the homeless, but they bring tons upon tons of them to the area everyday then they linger and cause problems. We've had stolen bikes, female employees harassed, people causing trouble in the store and now they are all walking around with pit bulls. We need to take care of the homeless, but not at the expense of everyone else.
Quote from: davideinstein on February 24, 2014, 03:46:28 PM
And Holy Trinity needs to get involved. It's fine that they feed the homeless, but they bring tons upon tons of them to the area everyday then they linger and cause problems. We've had stolen bikes, female employees harassed, people causing trouble in the store and now they are all walking around with pit bulls. We need to take care of the homeless, but not at the expense of everyone else.
I contacted Iron Gate a few years ago asking them to reduce the use of Styrofoam containers and to ask their guests to act more respectably toward the DT workers walking past going to work.
The phone call and following emails I was accidentally left on were less than a shining example of love thy fellow man...
I was quite the hater of the down trodden and Jesus would judge me when the time came.
Unfortunately if you feed, house and clothe them they will stay. If you provide them with Greyhound gift certificates and make it less convenient for them to use public/private space as over-night shelter, and loitering areas, then they will migrate to more comfortable surroundings.
I felt sorry for the guy sleeping across from the courthouse over the last few weeks. I hear Florida is nice this time of year.
This email was circulated last week to my office by our landlord. While I agree panhandlers have gotten more aggressive this winter, this story has a lot of holes. This is a busy area at lunch with a lot of foot traffic and construction workers working on the Owasso Cheerleader Honorary Fountain. Yet, a man with a pit-bull grabs a woman by the hair and no one sees or does anything? For that matter, this woman is assaulted, but doesn't bother to report it to the police and cannot provide even a basic description?
Eid I mention bums poop in the lobby of my parking garage. Not even my dog poops where he sleeps.
Quote from: cannon_fodder on February 24, 2014, 07:24:26 PM
Eid I mention bums poop in the lobby of my parking garage. Not even my dog poops where he sleeps.
Should have seen the Mayo before renovation. Hard to get that out of your head.
Billie's sucks. Pack a lunch. That's all.
I'm confused by the part where they say 5th & main is full of panhandlers when the intersection is closed for construction.
Wondering if DCC originated this.
Quote from: Conan71 on February 24, 2014, 08:36:01 PM
Billie's sucks. Pack a lunch. That's all.
Ate one lunch there a couple of weeks ago. Like bad school cafeteria food. I don't get the popularity.
Don't give panhandlers money...it is that simple.
Quote from: carltonplace on February 25, 2014, 08:49:44 AM
Don't give panhandlers money...it is that simple.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1HsPh3JxiU/TACTbQ7qX1I/AAAAAAAADyQ/Cw4novDkZhw/s1600/one-ding.jpg)
Quote from: Gaspar on February 25, 2014, 06:04:10 AM
Ate one lunch there a couple of weeks ago. Like bad school cafeteria food. I don't get the popularity.
It's an "institution". So are mental hospitals.
Quote from: Conan71 on February 25, 2014, 09:09:46 AM
It's an "institution". So are mental hospitals.
They serve at the BOK..most everyone I know is enamored of the Theta Burger. Blech. Only thing I'll buy from them out there is a soda. And maybe onion rings, because it's difficult to get those wrong.
Quote from: Hoss on February 25, 2014, 09:20:50 AM
And maybe onion rings, because it's difficult to get those wrong.
Not really, ever try them at Sonic? Some sort of nasty vanilla cake thing going on.
Billy's is popular because:
1) location
2) they are fast
3) they have a wide variety
4) standard price point, and
5) the food is a consistent quality. Not great, but good (it is burgers, fries, chicken, etc.)
I probably eat there 1x a month when someone wants to meet or whatever. And yes, there are bums at the intersection in spite of the construction.
Quote from: Hoss on February 25, 2014, 09:20:50 AM
And maybe onion rings, because it's difficult to get those wrong.
In my experience it's apparently hard to get them right..
Different styles of batter (light n crispy to a a thicker crunchy), different styles of onion (from real onion cut think, to some sort of McOnion)
Billy's definitely gets them right
Quote from: Conan71 on February 25, 2014, 09:30:51 AM
Not really, ever try them at Sonic? Some sort of nasty vanilla cake thing going on.
I said difficult....not impossible. :)
Quote from: BKDotCom on February 25, 2014, 09:42:08 AM
In my experience it's apparently hard to get them right..
Different styles of batter (light n crispy to a a thicker crunchy), different styles of onion (from real onion cut think, to some sort of McOnion)
Billy's definitely gets them right
they do, however I've had better at Freddie's AND Ron's (the one on 21st/Garnett, the one by my work at 15th/Sheridan does em crappy).
Quote from: carltonplace on February 25, 2014, 08:49:44 AM
Don't give panhandlers money...it is that simple.
Thats what really baffles me. They wouldn't be panhandling unless someone gave them money. It's sick, immoral, and hurtful to be giving them money like that, but yet, apparently there are enough people like that downtown to do so which is not a pleasant thought in itself.
The more divorced from the reality of street life, the more likely someone is to give to panhandlers without question. They do it either out of fear, misplaced goodwill or an attempt to brush them aside. Some of them are quite good with their stories and their presentations and they all seem to know instinctively who to avoid.
I was met by an aggressive panhandler in downtown Kansas City on a business trip a couple decades ago. I was in a hurry to catch a cab to the airport and simply told him, "no time" and kept walking. He hadn't missed many meals. Started cursing me and threatening me. I said, fine...if you can catch me!
If I feel someone truly needs help, I don't wait for them to ask. They rarely do though. I keep a couple spare cigarettes in my pocket, next to the dogfood I carry for animal strays. Its called humanity.
As far as public urination and poop....there are no public restroom facilities downtown but there are alleys, garages and parking lots. Nature doesn't care. They will all suffice.
Every church has a public restroom. Nearly every public building (you cannot go in our City Hall unless you have "business"). The shelters do to.
But I sympathize with the need to use the restroom. The need to stay warm. I get that.
But you don't poop indoors. pancakes?
Also, the "bums" on the streets are the ones who are not welcome at the shelters because they are violent, refuse drug treatment, have warrants out, or otherwise have failed to cooperate with the shelters. Most, certainly not all, have made the situation they find themselves in. Between Irongate, Helping Hand, the Salvation Army, the Day Center, John 3:16, Catholic Charities, several food banks, the dream center and on and on and on - there are plenty of charities downtown that will help people. It certainly isn't perfect. I'm positive there are people in unfortunate circumstances that need help.
BUT - they aren't the ones pand handlings, pooping in my parking garage (next to the elevator ffs!), and assaulting people.
Give money to any of these charities if you wish. Don't give it to the bum. Please.
Quote from: cannon_fodder on February 25, 2014, 01:06:51 PM
pooping in my parking garage (next to the elevator ffs!),
The poop shaft?
Quote from: Townsend on February 25, 2014, 01:10:13 PM
The poop shaft?
Slightly off topic, but. My brother lives in San Fran and when I was there for work a couple of months ago I took the subway one day to his house from my conference because cabs were impossible to get. Most of the escalators don't work in the SF subway stations. And the stations stink, even the one on Mission Street.
Do you know why?
He told me the homeless take use the escalators as toilets and human feces is particularly rough on mechanical systems. You see, SF has almost no public toilets. There used to be a lot of them but the homeless were just doing drugs in them leaving needles and all sorts of terrible and dangerous things in them so the city closed them. That moved the homeless into the subway stations and broken escalators is the result. BART or BARF?
Quote from: Townsend on February 24, 2014, 04:16:52 PM
I contacted Iron Gate a few years ago asking them to reduce the use of Styrofoam containers and to ask their guests to act more respectably toward the DT workers walking past going to work.
The phone call and following emails I was accidentally left on were less than a shining example of love thy fellow man...
I was quite the hater of the down trodden and Jesus would judge me when the time came.
The one good thing is that you can always find a parking spot over there!
Quote from: davideinstein on February 25, 2014, 03:51:10 PM
The one good thing is that you can always find a parking spot over there!
Not during the breakfast bell.
Quote from: davideinstein on February 25, 2014, 03:51:10 PM
The one good thing is that you can always find a parking spot over there!
They tried selling people in my office parking spots.
Main street and 5th street has become panhandler central.
Congregating on the benches, standing in doorways. We get hit up 3 out 4 times we walk down either street.
Typically the same people. Down on Archer around Boston and Main is also bad at times.
I've never been threatened or had someone not be nice but I'm 6'4 and 230 typically walking with a buddy that's 6'7 and 265 so I'm certain that plays a part in not being threatened. There are some random homeless that are scary and seem to ramble incoherently as they look at you with crazy eyes.