Chased by the Spare-Changers

Throughout Los Angeles, people regularly talk about how to revitalize the city, particularly how to help the central city to become a place with vibrant night life.

It’s to the point where it is extremely difficult to patronize any business, especially restaurants, and not be panhandled.

Activists for the homeless contend that the act of “asking” for spare change falls within the 1st Amendment right of freedom of speech. That may be true, but the scene doesn’t end at merely asking and being refused. Often, such denials of assistance have led to intimidation, verbal abuse, violence, robbery, or forms of harassment.

One of the first steps of any community’s effort to reinvent itself is to ensure the safety of its citizenry. People must feel safe to come out at night and enjoy Los Angeles’ restaurants and night life. Los Angeles markets itself as being “the place to be.” Let’s stop it from being the place to be panhandled.