Q: I have a story to tell Stephanie Bell, one of your readers who recently told us to get off our high horse and give money to panhandlers along freeway onramps and city streets.

Karen A.

San Jose

A: Giving money to roadside panhandlers has stirred up a major Roadshow debate, with the vast majority of readers saying they won’t give cash to roadside beggars and with a few cops weighing in as well.

Q: One Sunday after church, a woman came in, looking somewhat downtrodden, going from person to person begging for money, saying she and her family were hungry. Our minister talked to her and said we wouldn’t give her money but had a bag of food we could provide (many churches have food to give out to the hungry). She declined, then proceeded to walk away and jump into a fairly high-end BMW that was parked around the corner. Say no more.

Karen A.

A: And “…

Q: I read the letter from the reader who likes the feeling she gets from giving money to these highway bankers and was not surprised that she will continue to do so. These guys make a lot of money and are always competing for the best road spots, and sometimes physically fight each other for them. I retired a couple of years ago after 25 years as a San Jose police officer and worked the West Side. I often had to respond to Saratoga Avenue and Kiely Boulevard for a “man in the roadway” call. I would sit in my car and evaluate the situation before I made contact with him and observed several things.

Officer David Aguilar

San Jose Police Department (retired)

A: Such as “…

Q: He would stand in the narrow island and dash out to cars with the hands of drivers out their windows with money in them. This made some cars stop suddenly, triggering some close calls of rear-ending and lane changing. He would come very close to being hit and one time was bumped by a car. This guy was a regular on my beat and I would cite him and sometimes arrest him. Yes, I know this may seem mean. But then I would find him at the 7-Eleven on Kiely at night, drunk and having a party with the money from drivers. I am not saying all of these road bankers do this, but many do. Your kind reader can always help in soup kitchens, or many other volunteer organizations can use the cash. I am not saying stop giving, but please, from a safety point of view, do not encourage these road bankers.

Officer David Aguilar

A: And now we hear from a San Francisco cop.

Q: As an officer with the San Francisco Police Department, I’ve seen and dealt with residentially challenged people many times. Most, if not all, are there because it’s an easy and free way to make money to supplement their welfare and disability checks. The generous drivers who give them money want to believe that they’re doing their good deed for the day by helping a homeless person. Would they continue to do so if they knew the money often goes to buy alcohol and drugs? You may only encounter them for a few seconds as you roll down your window, hand out some money and drive off. Police see the results of where that money goes. I always tell people that if you really want to help the homeless, don’t hand them money. Instead, donate to a homeless shelter or organization like St. Anthony’s Foundation, where it’ll do some good.

Sgt. Ray Gee

San Francisco Police Department

A: And “…

Q: Here are a couple of stories to show you how scheming panhandlers are. I encountered a couple begging on the center island of a busy street. Both were barefoot. When I asked where their shoes were, they told me that they get more money by not wearing shoes. On another afternoon, I was coming off the freeway and was caught up in a line of cars waiting for the signal to change at the bottom of the offramp. I watched as the panhandler at the bottom of the offramp walked off. Another homeless person was walking toward him. As they approached each other, the first panhandler handed off his cardboard sign to the second guy. As the second guy approached the offramp, he suddenly started to limp. Another sympathy ploy in action. I thought to myself, “What is this? Shift change time?” As long as drivers continue to hand out free money, panhandlers will be there to receive it.

Sgt. Ray Gee

A: On Monday, we’ll hear from more motorists about panhandlers they have observed.

Have a gripe, minor annoyance or major problem with transportation? Contact Gary Richards at mrroadshow@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5335. The fax number is 408-288-8060.