Don't let any hobos clean your shoes. They get violent.
Yup. I was 18 in Chicago with some of my friends from high school. It was late and a bum walked up and started cleaning my shoes. I pulled my foot away and he demanded $20 for his "service." I told him no way and walked away. He followed us down the street and yelled he was going to gut us. We took off for our hotel which was about a block away. He continued to chase us before we ducked into the hotel. I'm sure he could have got a nice crack rock with my $20.
Many of the homeless in Chicago are professionals. They know what they are doing and aren't looking for real confrontation, although some are crazy - literally. Better to be safe than sorry, but really most are more annoying than dangerous. It really burns me though that there are people pretending to need help when there are actually those who do need it. Working security at a Chicago school for a while, I picked up a few stories, one which includes a homeless "regular" who was spotted on TV in a suit and with a wad of cash outside his usual spot. He is probably making a great living.
A great tax-free living. I can't imagine he's reporting that income.
Exactly. When I worked downtown as a college student during summers, I saw a guy at the same spot on a bridge every day with a cup. If one in five hundred people gave him something, he made a good living I am sure.
there's random homeless people who hang out in my neighborhood (Gold Coast)..they expect since people are rich around here, they are just going to hand over money. Most are just asking for money and not doing anything for it. They get kicked out after a handful of minutes though.
I've only had one guy really try and clean my shoes and it was in the more touristy section of River North. If they tried that in gold coast, they'd get the cops called on them after awhile and they know not to do it here. They just ask for money straight up instead.
Was it the guy on the corner of Madison & Wells in the wheelchair?
Yeah, I think the shoe shine must be for tourists. The Gold Coast used to have a lot of characters that came over from Cabrini Green area, but with it shrinking, I am guessing there are less now.
No, it was on Randolph Street over the Chicago River between Wells and Canal. Not too far from there.
Yeah, there's really not much of them left. Cabrini Green is almost gone. The only characters like that even close to around here is the McDonalds on State & Chicago. I hear though it's because there might be a shelter in the old YMCA building near it.
Ah nice....yeah there's a guy at the corner in a wheelchair. I think he's a vietnam vet or something. I've never actually heard him ask for money. He literally just sits in a motorized wheelchair, blanket when needed with a cup.
People actually converse with this guy though, so I know he's not a 100% shady character. People as in guys in suits will actually stop and talk to him.
Yeah, I know where you mean on Chicago Ave. It is a little north of Holy Name Cathedral. There is/was a YMCA down the street, but I didn't know that had become a shelter. I don't get down there too often, but sometimes.