Beggars / Panhandlers / Homeless, Seattle

Please forgive the following rant:

I've read everywhere things like "oh, they're not that bad," and "the homeless problem is worse other places" and maybe that is true.

& most important to remember imho is they're people too.
I truly believe we should be kind to them whenever possible because there but for the grace of U-Know-Who go you & me.

But:

I've been to just about every major city in the US for years, and one of the things that I & others I know end up talking about is the homeless situation in Seattle, and the hostility sometimes that goes with it.

In fairness, a lot of 'em are friendly and some even downright creative:
but nowhere have I ever been harrassed more than walking certain parts of Seattle, day or night.

If I'm cash-broke, I try to say "No, thank you" when I can, & it seems the worst thing you can do is blow some of them off with the "if I don't see you, you're not there" approach that works in other cities.
Me and others I know have been followed down the street by crazed aggressive types screaming "hey I'm fuc#in' talkin' to you...!!" and other fun stuff for merely walking by and forgetting to apologize to them for being out of cash. To be honest, when this happens, it takes every bit of self control I have to stay cool and not carve some of them up, homeless or not.

Hey, I truly wish I always carried around a big bottomless bag of money that I could give away everywhere I go, but I'm afraid that isn't possible. I give when I can, and I really don't appreciate getting screamed at the times that I can't.

Sorry if this offends you, but it ain't just me... lots of people I know that travel to and spend the majority of their time working in downtown Seattle say the same thing....
some of the homeless in Seattle REALLY have some serious attitude.

I took some pictures of people panhandling on the streets, but as an afterthought have decided not to post any of them.

Seattle's Union Gospel Mission

When going to Seattle, we go for girl trips! That means shopping, eating, and drinking. There are sooo many amazing resturants that one can't help but leave half of a plate uneaten as they're still full from the meal before! Seattle is all about recycling...so recycle! Don't waste your food. The people who are often asking for money are saying that they are doing so because they are hungry (minus those that blatently tell you they will buy alcohol) so ask for that pasta or whatever, unless it has seafood in it, to be wrapped up, pour the rest of the bread basket in, and Ta Dah...you have fulfilled your responsibilities of not wasting food and helping someone in need. When I travel I sometimes will also buy McDonald Gift Certificates (they come from $1 on up) and hand those out if I know that I will spend my night worrying about what I didn't give. Someone once shared with me her conviction..."I am not responsible for what they do. I am only responsible for my own actions." Very true. Now you can get into the whole enabler aspect of things but anyways, I hope that this is helpful. It really helps to make our trips to this WONDERFUL city that much more enjoyable!

I've lived in Seattle my entire life, and as a small girl who doesn't carry a weapon of any kind, I have always felt safe walking in Seattle anywhere after dark. Homeless people in this city are not dangerous, but they have needs. That is why they ask for money. Many if not most of these individual suffer from mental illness, that is why some of them can get belligerant. MAny of them are addicted to drugs, or are otherwise unemployable -- skillless, undereducated, without a picture ID (ever tried to get a driver's license when you don't have access to a car?), unshowered, with no permanent residence. Now, the homelessness issue is a huge problem in Seattle, for us, but it is a bigger issue for them. If you really want to be constructive, don't cause unwarranted paranoia for tourists, write a letter to the city of Seattle's government and complain about how our undertrod citizens are not being provided the resources they need to get back into the work force. Do NOT criticize, blame, condemn, or otherwise judge people you don't know anything about. And give them a freaking dollar. It's nothing to you and everything to them. If the city isn't going to take care of them, then we have to. And if they go and buy booze with it, then maybe that's what they need to stay warm and to self-medicate against painful disabilities and the difficulties of living on the street. If you're not comfortable with that, then offer them your leftovers from the meal you just had out. Or offer to take them to the nearest coffee shop and get them a coffee. Offer them your coat. These are not the scum of the earth, people. They are human beings just like you and me. You and I could be one mental breakdown or one layoff away from being on the streets. If you have a heart and/or a soul, pick up a book ("Crazy" by Pete Earley or "Shelter Blues" by Robert Desjarlais) about the issue and actually try to put yourself in someone else's disadvantaged shoes. And then, after getting informed, maybe take some constructive action.

Reading some of the comments on the homeless I can't help but think...grow up! Homelessness is a fact of life, its just more obvious in big cities. If if disgusts you, then keep your vacations limited to Disneyland. Don't dehumanize them, they are people too!

Seattle is not scary- it is beautiful & fun & as long as you're not walking down some dark alley way (which you shouldn't do anywhere) you will be just fine! And if you look like a vulnerable tourist, well, of course you'll be a target (again, this is true most everywhere)!

I live in Seattle, work downtown, play downtown & have even worked in the "bad" areas of downtown at 3 a.m. delivering papers & seldom was I scared. (& FYI, I am not some big, strong, intimidating-looking person). Sure, there may be a crazy or weirdo or two out there. . but that's life & you're going to come across the unexpected sometimes.

Of course it's ultimately you're call whether you want to give them money or not. I would never tell someone what they should do. But living in the city, I don't ignore the homeless. I give what I can & what's appropriate. Whether it be food to a food bank, clothing or even the beer I'm not going to finish...

I'm just back from Seattle & while I was a little surprised by the number of homeless people (there weren't that many but more than I was used to) I found it a very safe city. Vancouver also nice and slightly fewer homeless. Apparently the temperate climate and moderate winters attract those without a home. Thought Seattle was a mix of Canada and the US and has an outdoorsy, relaxed, civil fairly hip vibe to it too.

problem with the homeless eh? can't stand being harangued for your hard-earned dollars? tired of that money being spent on cigarettes, beer, and maybe even, omygod! crack! let me break it down for you all, as you all seem a little deluded. in our western culture we have been taught to despise poverty, we see it as a sickness, and we do our very best to distance ourselves from it. the homeless crack addict on the street is nothing more than a festering sore to the eyes of those never haven been in a similar circumstance.
but have some humanity, you don't attack the commercials streaming across your tv screens, or across every marketable surface available, when THEY try to ask for your money. why it so repulsive when that same act takes a human form, with no illusions or trickery involved? at least you can see exactly where your money is going in that case. why do they drink so much? try sleeping on the pavement and see how you feel in the morning. who decided that you were so high and mighty to micromanage exactly where every penny you dish out ends up?
i'll stop with the rhetorical questions now, and offer some solid advice. give them your money, but get something out of it. make them play you a song, or recite a poem, or tell you their life story. make it clear what you're going to give them, and what you're going to take. once the exchange has occurred, walk away. if they try to ask for more, then they are in the wrong, and make that clear to them. believe it or not, even homeless people have morals, and will honor a deal just as well as any other human.

I work with homeless people as a social worker, so I'm alarmed by the complaints people are posting about agressive/negative encounters with the homeless in Seattle. I agree that the homeless in downtown Seattle are more obnoxious than in other cities, especially in the touristy area west of Pine Street around Pike Place Market. This is an area where locals don't generally hang out after dark. However, they are concentrated there because it is near services, not because they want to attack you. It's true that they shouldn't hassle you for money, but it's also true that you don't have to be a victim. I've never had a bad experience because I keep the interaction brief and polite. If someone hassles you, say "sorry, no thank you" in a sweet, polite tone and disengage. If you react negatively or disrespectfully (grimacing, acting offended, arguing, yelling, insulting them... all of which I've seen before!), they will react the same toward you. Remember that these people have been through a lot of bad things, which have shaped the way they interact with those they view as having money and social status. If you react like the enemy, they will see you as an enemy. If you choose to fight them physically or verbally, they will always win! If you react respectfully, they will treat you like-wise. Most have politely responded "have a nice day". All have left me in peace. That being said, if you are worried about exposing young children to this sort of encounter, there are plenty of other places in Seattle that would be better suited than the downtown area. I certainly hated being dragged there by my parents when I was little...

I took a vacation to Seattle with my three children last August and was horrified by what I encountered! Every public park is infested with urine soaked bums, drinking, begging, yelling and in general exhibiting extreme antisocial behavior. The playgounds were littered with reeking human feces and the bathrooms are not safe. My ten year old daughter witnessed a grown man of about 50 deficate near a rose bush in park by the Space Needle. This city is NOT a place to take children. It is a scary, dirty, nasty place filled shiftless panhandlers who scream and yell if you do not give them a dollar or two. My son still has bad dreams about the three bums that chased my husband off 'their turf' near the warf.