Panhandling on Waxpool

Is anyone else getting sick of the panhandling on Waxpool at LCP and Pacific Bvld? Traffic is bad enough without people jumping in and out of the road to collect money. Drives me nuts when a lane gets stopped while someone is digging for change. If you wanna pay a toll to get out here, take the Greenway.

I'm also not sure where all the money might be going. I felt a little better when the fire dept was out there - they had fire trucks on the side of the road and were in uniform collecting money in a fire boot. This past week and today there are guys with non-matching construction vests and plastic buckets. Who do they represent? Maybe me and a few of my friends could go out there and say we're collecting for some charity but really just pocket the money for ourselves?

 

They drive me crazy!!!

My only suggestion is why not do the ethical thing? Start a charity to help all the Sasquatch's in the greater Loudoun area! You can then pocket the money without being deceitful!

-Paul (please see below for donation information to a needy charity)

(*PDILLM- Paul's dependents ironically love lotsa money)
*Donations accepted-No checks-Cash only-no receipts

 

Believe that VA enacted a law on Jul 1 that prohibited such actions. Not sure if it has made its way down tothe county level for enforcement or not by LCSO. You can always call LCSO and claim they are distracting drivers and are endangering themselves and others. They can make them leave at that point.

Technically, the property they are on (generally) is owned by VDOT and they are trespassing.

 

From what I could see, there were actually three things going on at the same time there. The panhandling, kids with signs for car wash and people with political signs. It's very destracting having all these people waving signs, running in and out of cars, etc. Is it going to take someone getting killed before they realize it's not such a smart idea?!? People don't pay enough attention to their driving as it is, with cell phones constantly glued to their ears.

 

In the past week I have seen them at Waxpool, the intersection of Rt.50 and Gum Springs, then again at rt.7 in Sterling. I am not positive it is the same group, each time. The ones at Gum Springs Rd. were approaching cars and then stood at my window, even though my window was up. I felt incredibly uncomfortable...and I'm not doing anything wrong. The buckets said "Community Church" for the homeless. We give generously as a family, but not to people collecting at stop lights. I wish someone would put a stop to it. It is not safe for them and disrupts traffic more than it already is.

 

They have also been at the intersection of Waxpool & Ashburn Village. I absolutely hate it! I give money to charities, but refuse to give them to anyone holding a bucket at a stoplight!

 

or cold calling me at home, especially paid solicitors calling on behalf of another organization! YUCK!

 

i'm considering printing up a biz card sized message to stuff in the bucket:

"I appreciate your committment to your charity, however there are better way to raise money than begging for money on the street."

 

I'm with you quailpond. It really dismays me to see Fire/EMS people do it. One would think of all groups, they would know better.

 

you know, as annoying as the begging IS- the problem is that it works. ppl here would rather throw a buck in a bucket than go out and attend a pancake breakfast, take 10 minutes to participate in a car wash, buy baked goods from in front of a store, not knowing who baked it or what's in it...

we can sit here and kvetch all day about it but the fact is- many of us simply don't give the time to real fundraisers but we roll own our windows and get our good deed for the day out of the way in 5 seconds. if it didn't work so well, they wouldn't do it.

sad but true... i am just as guilty.

there's a years old thread on this same topic in here somewhere with all of our same arguments... i will look for it! FOUND IT:

http://www.broadlandshoa.org/hoaforum/showthread.php?t=7380&highlight=begging

 

I remember last year the buckets read "New Life Church", but the words keep changing. Yesterday, the bucket simply said "help needy children" with the word "Thanksgiving" below. It's so unclear what they're collecting for. These gentleman came to my house, going door to door years ago collecting for New Life Church.

Anyhow, I found this interesting article. Maybe it's legit, maybe not...but I think it's worth the local news to investigate.

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/the_staten_island_change_gang.html

 

And a few more (one with video)...

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/64119512.html

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/64103957.html

http://www.rickross.com/reference/deeper_life/deeper_life9.html

http://www.rickross.com/groups/deeper_life.html

(Disclaimer...I'm not completely certain that the folks on Waxpool are from the same organization, but it matches their M.O.)

 

Personally, I feel the same way about anyone soliciting goods for someone needy. You never know if the stuff you donate is ending up at a yard sale, flea market, EBay, or padding someone's pocket. It's easy to part with pocket change or a dollar and the "panhandlers" know this.

There are ligitimate charity organizations that don't mind giving their contact information out.

 

Would they not be soliciting businesess from occupants of cars ? Violation of below county code:

440.03 SOLICITING EMPLOYMENT OR BUSINESS.
No person shall stand in the vehicular traveled portion of any highway or road for the purpose
of soliciting employment or business from the occupant of any vehicle.

 

Another reason we do all our charitable giving through our church. I also got a call this week from a "paid professional fund raiser". That's when I stopped her and told her we don't give to charities that use professional fundraisers. The charity ends up getting a much smaller percentage of the money collected. I also have a major issue with anyone collecting at the intersections, including the firemen because it's extremely distracting and I've seen so many near misses on LCP at Evergreen Mills that I can't begin to count them.

 

i beleive that a state law was passed last year and went in to effect in July thst prohibits collecting at intersections.

In any case, one could argue that this activity is dangerous to the folks doing it, as well as motorists.

Call LSCO and complain. they will most likely send an officer out and get the people to stop.

 

46.2-926. Pedestrians stepping into highway where they cannot be seen.

No pedestrian shall step into a highway open to moving vehicular traffic at any point between intersections where his presence would be obscured from the vision of drivers of approaching vehicles by a vehicle or other obstruction at the curb or side. The foregoing prohibition shall not apply to a pedestrian stepping into a highway to board a bus or to enter a safety zone, in which event he shall cross the highway only at right angles.