Ann Arbor Panhandlers Speak Out

A man who goes by "Doug" and does not reveal his last name, is a homeless man and a panhandler downtown Ann Arbor. Doug sits on the corner of Liberty Street, with a sign explaining his plight, a suitcase and a cane, hoping people passing by will drop spare change in his plastic bowl. While he hopes people downtown will help him with money, he refuses to act aggressively, like the other panhandlers he sees disturbing people in Ann Arbor.

"You really should be careful who you talk to down here young lady, most of these folks are crooked," Doug said. "Most of the people asking for money are crack heads, I see them taking hits in the alleys all day, so watch out."

Doug arrived in Ann Arbor to receive medical attention at the University of Michigan Hospital for his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD. Ever since, he has been in debt due to steep medical bills and has resorted to panhandling to survive on a daily basis. 

Doug explains that all of the people working the streets of Ann Arbor talk to each other, so it's easy for him to obtain the inside scoop on the who's who of panhandlers. While some are innocent and truly need help financially, Doug says "the majority are drugged out."

The Ann Arbor Homeless Shelter  attracts a lot of panhandlers and homeless people to the area according to Doug's observations, and Shane Brady, manager for the Process Outreach Team in Ann Arbor, that specializes in homelessness.

But as Doug sits on his corner and sees panhandlers receive cash all day long from the people of Ann Arbor, he says he only wishes people would give to the "real" homeless people, instead of posers. Since Doug knows which people are scamming city goers for their money, he wishes people would take his actual homelessness more seriously.