I drive to the Seattle area daily for work, and I tend to come home roughly the same time each day. If you are like me and do the same thing, you tend to start noticing repetitive events in your coming and goings right? Whether it’s the same person working the same shift each Tuesday and Thursday at AM/PM or the same lady waiting for the bus each day, you tend to notice these things. Well over the summer and going up until yesterday, I noticed I had found a pattern to panhandlers in Federal Way.

Originally, I had thought about taking video and pictures of these people I suspect as being professional panhandlers but then decided against it because without being 100% sure of the situation, I could be putting someone’s business out there and be totally wrong so instead I decided to write about what I saw, what I believe and if I find more out, then I’m going to go get video and get more in-depth about it. I believe that to be the fairest solution. If I just started video taping people and not knowing the full story, and then called them a professional panhandler, I believe I’d be wrong to do that so I won’t….at least not without more proof.

So what have I noticed? During campaign season, when I was helping sign wave for various candidates or the school bond, I noticed every Friday on the corner of 320th and 99 (by Bank of America) there was a lady with a “ Anything Helps, etc etc” sign and on the opposite corner of 320th and 99 (sort of in front of Sears) there was an older man, with the same sign and same handwriting. Over the course of 3 Fridays in a row, just after 5 pm or so, the lady would walk to Bank of America and the guy would cross and go to Bank of America from the other side. They would meet up there, and then walk somewhere down the other end. I never followed them and if I had known I was going to write a blog later, I would have, but they would head down to the end where Subway and Black Bear Diner are.

Then over the course of my trips, I noticed one gentlemen who would work the street on 320th right in front of where Ivars and TJ Maxx are located. I had seen him a few times but never thought much of it until I was pulling out of the Ivar’s parking lot one day , heading into the plaza where TJ Maxx and Trader Joes are and I caught him walking into the parking lot. Color me shocked when I saw him get into a fairly nice looking Toyota Corolla and drive off. Now just because he has a car doesn’t mean he’s a professional panhandler, but it also raises questions that I want answers to.

The concept of Professional Panhandling is a thing. In this article, they talk about a organized team of 8-10 people who would work an area of Dallas each day. A quote from the article says “CBS11 watched two cars repeatedly pick up and drop off several of the panhandlers. The driver of a black Lincoln dropped off two panhandlers, then later met two others at a nearby bus station. The car had an expired temporary tag, so there was no way to identify the driver.” I just wonder if we are starting to see this blossom in Federal Way and if so, how do we stop it while also being attentive to those who really need a bed or meal to eat?

A lot of times in the past, I would see someone with a “ Anything helps” type sign and I would offer to get them food from Safeway or Subway or something, and more often then not, I’d be turned down. I’ve gotten responses like “Just let me get the money , I know what I want” or “I’m not hungry but I need money” and on and on. Now I personally feel I know why they want the money and not the food, and I am pretty sure its because of drug addiction, which is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT blog post. However, this problem of professional panhandling is something I fear is ruining it for those that REALLY NEED the help. I used to see panhandlers in one lumped group and the more I look around, the more I see its really a number of sub-groups.

When I see someone on the corner of 320th and 99 with a sign that says “Need Money for Gas” and its the 4th time in a month I’ve seen them, well maybe you shouldn’t be driving a car because you obviously have no idea how to manage a gas tank OR you are the UNLUCKIEST person in the world that you ran out of gas, at 10 am , on Friday, 4 weeks in a row? Come on..get real, if you know what to look for, I think you can agree with me that this is a scam and not a cry for help.

Someone who needs help – they should get it – no questions asked. Someone who is profiting tax free at the expense of those who really need help? That is a different kind of human being and one that I would like to expose in the near future. So Federal Way readers, be on the lookout because I will be. I’m going to start keeping tabs on the repeat panhandlers in our area, I’m going to get proof on those that are robbing us blind while the ones who need help continue to go without. If I find it , you’ll see it, and if I don’t, well I can at least say that I tried. Point blank – we need to help those that need it, want it, and can benefit from it. We need to start getting tough on those that are just capitalizing on someone’s else bad fortunes.