The Emerging Single Story: The Homeless Beggars

The cardboard sign. A Sharpie written plea. Dirt ridden faces. Sad eyes. Drive around for a while in almost any city or town and you are likely to see someone who is homeless and begging for some type of help. Their signs explain what they need or where they have come from. Money. Food. Transportation. Some are brutally honest saying they simply want a beer; others try to have some humor. Most say any help will do.


I would be lying if I said I haven't thought at one point or another that if I give them money they will just be spending it on alcohol or drugs. They are a drug addicts or an alcoholics. They got themselves into this mess. 

While I feel like that is often the more common single story that is given to every homeless person, I think now more than ever there is a different single story that has been given to those who are homeless, and a reason that many use to not give to them. The single story I want to focus on here is that they really are not homeless.

The Huffington Post published a story about the fact that panhandler Shane Warren Speegle told police he was making $60,000 a year in Oklahoma City off of people's charity and conscious'. Unlike other beggars on the street, Speegle was not homeless.

"In Speegle's case, perhaps beggars can be choosers. In words that would stir up many hard-working Americans and the 8.2 percent who are unemployed, Speegle reportedly told the officer: 'I'm lazy and I made $60,000.'"

The Huffington Post continued by explaining at $60,000 Speegle's average income places him with architects, appraisers and computer programmers analysts. He also would be living above the U.S. median household income of $49,434 and $51,413.

While not in the U.S., another story similar to Speegle's was reported in England. A Homeless beggar in London was making 50K a year as he sat with his dog and a sleeping bag outside a Natwest Bank.

Everyone who knew these "homeless beggars" were shocked to learn they were not as homeless as they thought.

"Studies on homeless income find that the typical 'career panhandler' who dedicates his time overwhelmingly to begging can make between $600 and $1,500 a month."
-The Atlantic, 2011

This man is faking his situation as a mentally handicapped person in Kentucky and making over $100,000 a year because of his act.

On a more locally note, Mike Headrick from KSL News started an investigation about all the panhandlers in Salt Lake City. He followed over 10 panhandlers and tracked their travels. This news broadcast features three beggars and Headrick found out a lot more than just the fact they were lying about being homeless. It was all about the Business of Begging. 

This was a follow up. According to Headrick, panhandlers are different from those who are homeless. Most panhandlers do actually have a home.

As people read and watch these stories, a picture is beginning to be painted about homeless beggars. A feeling of  disgust and shock comes over the reader that people would do such a thing as us "hard-working Americans and the 8.2 percent who are unemployed," as reported by The Huffington Post, are trying hard to make an honest living. I think that this wordage, along with the comparison to salaries and the average household income in America, provides a good reason for people not to sympathize with those who are homeless. These articles are painting an image that we usually don't associate with those who are "homeless." These people are actually well off and making good money by begging. The videos shown above make viewers hesitant to help and makes it easier to make snap judgments about those we see on the streets. This can be dangerous because this is not the story of every single homeless person. There are others who really are homeless and in need.

This single story is limiting because there are so many other reasons that people are on the streets begging and homeless. Perhaps they simply lost their job and soon their house. Maybe medical bills forced them to sell all they own. Others' situations could be self-induced because of drug or alcohol abuse. We will never know their true story unless we ask. I think we would be shocked once we found out the real story behind some of the cardboard signs we see (watch video above). The Pursuit of Happyness is also a good example of this (see video below).  I think that the social implications of this message of bogus beggars for this group puts people who are truly homeless in a never ending loop and perpetuates their situation instead of helping them get out.

The artifacts that I have chosen show that there is a developing single story portrayed by the media about homeless beggars and how they are not actually homeless, but rather are conning generous people out of their money. This leaves readers with little desire to give when they would normally consider it. This is a limiting story because while there are those who are in the business of begging, there are also those who have a different story. I think that it is sad how we tend to put "cultural/social tags" on people just because of their situation, looks, race, nationality and other factors. As Chimamanda Adichie taught, tagging people with a single story is dangerous.