Atlanta’s homeless meters not faring well
March 31, 2009 at 10:26 am by Thomas Wheatley in News
If Atlanta only had a few more "giving meters" the homeless problem would go away.
Remember the homeless pay “giving” meters the city installed downtown to discourage panhandling? They’re not working out too well.
From the Associated Press:
Six months after Atlanta business leaders set up parking meter-like machines to accept spare change donations and discourage panhandling, just $500 has been deposited – not much help for beggars who say they can sometimes raise $300 in a day on their own.
Despite the program’s dismal beginnings, Atlanta leaders are encouraged. They are installing more of the “giving meters” and using signs to make more people aware of the machines. In other cities, like Denver, thousands of dollars have been raised to help the needy.
…
The new program has had several problems, including confusion. Pedestrians have mistaken the new machines for regular parking meters. Atlanta also has far fewer than the 86 meters Denver had when that city started.
(Hat tip to Rogue at Peach Pundit)
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
March 31st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
The headline for this should have been “Stupid idea that everybody knew was stupid turns out to be really stupid.” SEO-be-damned!
March 31st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I considered titling it “Municipal area’s vertical donation devices disappoint anti-’spanger’ activists.” People search those terms all the time.
Also, who knew panhandlers were also called “spangers?”
July 29th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
To educate people that giving money to the homeless only enables homelessness and to direct them to someplace where they could donate to homeless charities instead makes perfect sense.
There is huge difference however in places where it has worked like Denver where there are 86 meters compared to five or six in Downtown.
July 29th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
not stupid, just poorly implemented.