Back to the topic at hand ... it really pisses me off when bums and crack addicts hit me up for money. Seriously at least four of them on my route to and from the train station each day. Save it for the tourists. 
I live in a fairly busy area near the nexus of 3 of the 5 major arteries in my town. Needless to say, this is a panoply of panhandlers. Everyday on my way to work, I drive by these folks' offices. You get to know these folks by sight, and it's somewhat impressive how dedicated, consistent and punctual they are. The market is so saturated that their marketing techniques have evolved rapidly, and as a result their signs can appear quite ridiculous to the casual observer. I saw one this morning that simply read, "Cha Ching". As the light turned green, he folded the sign to put under his arm and turned around to return to the start of his beat. The reverse of the sign was clearly a heartfelt plea to help out a disabled war veteran. Classic A/B testing. These guys are pros. One of the most successful overtures I've seen recently was a grinny, grizzled old hippy holding a sign that read, "Not gonna lie, need booze." Top notch. I don't begrudge these folks for their chosen professions. However, I find it hard to look them in the face while refusing to give them money, and so I feel some animosity on some level that I should feel guilty for not giving away my money. Therefore, I look at my phone or look at the stoplight and wonder what, if anything, these feelings can reveal about the nature of our society and my relationship to it.
