The latest in Portlandia: drive-by panhandling
A friend writes:
I just had a new experience in the new Portland.My wife and I were driving west on NW Johnson this evening when a car stopped next to us (while we were at a stop sign) and the driver signaled to me. I rolled down my window, thinking he wanted directions. Nope, he asked for money "for gas."
| Posted at 8:45 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
Sam can give that a try once he is out of office.
Posted by portland native | July 27, 2011 8:59 AM
Panhandling is growing as the occupational choice for many. If we could only count it as an offical means of income I think we would could tax it, and find unemployment numbers to be much lower than originally estimated.
Posted by Gibby | July 27, 2011 9:15 AM
Wow. It'll be awesome when you are panhandled at a stop by a guy in a better ride than yours. Time to put the locking gas cap back on.
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | July 27, 2011 9:26 AM
At last -- a use for the automobile that bicycles can't fill!
Posted by Isaac Laquedem | July 27, 2011 9:35 AM
Was he trying to get back to Welches?
Posted by Dave J. | July 27, 2011 9:41 AM
Panhandling is a funny term.
"Panhandler" is said to derive from the Spanish "pan", meaning both bread and money (just as the American slang "bread" does today).
OR
Origin:
1895–1900, Americanism ; back formation from panhandler; so called from the resemblance of the extended arm to a panhandle 1
Posted by Ralph Woods | July 27, 2011 10:44 AM
Yesterday around 4 PM, there was a young woman near Powell's (wearing a nice, not inexpensive hat) asking for cash for a unicorn.
Posted by Attorney At Large | July 27, 2011 10:54 AM
Clearly the City will crack down on this, mostly because it's happening via use of an automobile.
If they were asking for carbon offset money on the streetcar, it would be lauded as a pioneering effort in sustainability.
Posted by MachineShedFred | July 27, 2011 10:57 AM
If he wanted something from you, the least he could have done was to unsheath a squeegee.
Posted by Newleaf | July 27, 2011 11:43 AM
Att.at Large , was she hoping to buy a Unicorn , or just feed one ??
Cause I myself , would enjoy owning a Unicorn...
Posted by billb | July 27, 2011 2:01 PM
So David bought a car?
Nothing surprises me in Portland anymore.
If I saw a group of little people riding unicycles and wearing nothing but a smile I would probably forget to tell my wife about it when I got home.
And if I did tell her, she would probably ask if they were begging for spare change.
Posted by Mister Tee | July 27, 2011 2:54 PM
I had one in Tigard last week at the Jackson Oil company owned Shell station at 99W just west of 217. Guy walking back and forth along the line of cars at the pumps asking very beligerently for a "spare two bucks". I complained to the pump jockey, who said it wasn't a big deal and I should chill out.
I now buy gas at the Chevron on 99W just west of 217.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | July 27, 2011 4:40 PM
Sam can give that a try once he is out of office.
I wouldn't recommending walking up to that car window.
Posted by John Rettig | July 27, 2011 6:45 PM
I had the a guy pull up to me in a parking lot here in north Portland. He was driving a late model Toyota Camry with Washington license plates and asked me to roll down my window. He then asked for money to get back to Bellvue. Strange. Must be a trend.
Posted by John Berg | July 27, 2011 7:14 PM