Oh yeah. It DOES get bad here in the US, especially in big cities like LA, NYC, Chicago, etc. Google "squeegee men" for some examples of situations where you have EXTREMELY aggressive & demanding panhandlers. The situation got so bad in some places for a while with guys literally jumping out at redlights & "washing" peoples' windshields then demanding money. Comendians did routines about it (example (http://comedians.jokes.com/reggie-mcfadden/videos/reggie-mcfadden---wasted-talent-on-the-streets)) and it was used in movies. There were articles about how you literally would have 3 or 4 guys fighting over yur windshield on some corners in NYC or LA.
For all of that, it's FAR worse in other countries. That's partly because of crushingly lower standards of living, partly the "space" issue Americans have that's not shared elsewhere, and partly because begging is a long established tradition in much of the world, almost revered in some places eve, whle it's generally looked down on here in the US.
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Date: 7/7/11 11:39 pm (UTC)From:For all of that, it's FAR worse in other countries. That's partly because of crushingly lower standards of living, partly the "space" issue Americans have that's not shared elsewhere, and partly because begging is a long established tradition in much of the world, almost revered in some places eve, whle it's generally looked down on here in the US.