Panhandling

Jane Pitfield, conservative and mayoral candidate, is pushing for an anti-panhandling by-law to be read at City Hall. This from a woman who lives the high Leaside life where, if the undesirables of society make it too far up Bayview, they’re quickly shooed back to their Don Valley homes (Open-air bedrooms, complete with surrounding trees and pleasing tarps to keep out the rain. A great fixer-upper option!).

How does panhandling make it to the top of Ms. Pitfield’s agenda of things to change?

I can’t remember a time when someone was rude to me if I did not fulfill their request of a quarter or a loonie. In fact, all I hear these days is the polite phrase: “Thanks anyway, have a good day,” even to people who have whole-heartedly ignored their fellow human’s plea. I once heard a guy, seated comfortably in his SUV, tell a panhandler to get a job. An exchange of words occurred, the panhandler remaining polite and dignified, the SUV driver disintegrating into insults and epithets.

Perhaps it is not an anti-panhandling law we need, but an anti-asshole law. Just as you would politely decline being able to give the time to a fellow human being because you weren’t wearing your watch (and not scold them for being so imbecilic and inept for forgetting to put one on that morning – oh wait, you forgot, too), so should you acknowledge the request, “spare some change?” with eye contact and a polite, “sorry,” instead of ignoring, or worse, chastising the person below you who, “but for the grace of God,” go you.