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SALT LAKE CITY -- The Gateway is filled with shops, restaurants and panhandlers.
A new Salt Lake City ordinance seeks to change that by proposing rules against aggressive commercial solicitation.
On a recent weekday afternoon, panhandlers begged for dollars on every corner of 100 South and Rio Grande.
"I don't want to judge them," said shopper Suzanne Mitchell.
Another shopper, Lance Turner, said he doesn't mind the panhandlers as long as they are not aggressive.
"It's just kind of shocking when they come from out of nowhere asking for money," said Turner.
This has become such prime real estate for begging, panhandlers say it's tough to keep a spot.
A panhandler, who did not want to be identified, said as soon as he moves from his spot another panhandler will quickly move in.
Related:
Sunday Edition: Panhandling in Salt Lake City
KSL's Bruce Lindsay discusses panhandling with Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Downtown Alliance executive director Jason Mathis, ACLU executive director Karen McCreary and homeless advocate Pamela Atkinson.He told KSL he has been out of construction work for a year and now panhandles regularly.
"If I got a job this would end. I go out looking for work from 7 to 10 in the morning," he said.
William Feller sits in a wheelchair with a cardboard sign and a book.
"All I do is sit here and read with a sign in my hand," he said with his sign that reads: "Disabled Vet."
The 49-year-old says he was shot in Vietnam during the fall of Saigon at the hard-to-believe age of 17.
"I was in Saigon. We were mainly pulling out, but I did get hit," said Feller.
He was quick to show us his identification, but a KSL investigation found no record of him serving in combat in any war.
- 91 percent are homeless
- 86 percent say they would prefer to work a minimum wage job than panhandle
- 86 percent say the money goes to food
- 59 percent on transportation
- 55 percent on laundry
While his story doesn't stack up, Feller was candid about why he needed the money.
"I only come out here when I need cigarette money and stuff like that," said Feller.
Terri Martinez is also a regular panhandler at The Gateway. She says she ran away from the Indian reservation when she was 14 and is mentally ill.
"It's been diagnosed since I was in my teenage years. I have multiple personality disorder, major depression with psychosis... ADHD," she stated.
Martinez says she sleeps in shelters or parks, panhandles almost every day and never looks for a job.
She says panhandling makes her about $40 in three to four hours. The panhandlers we spoke to say $20 to $40 a day is average, but their luck changes in bad weather.
"The most I ever made was at a Jazz Game. There was 6 inches of snow. I was the only person out there. I made $174 in 15 minutes," said Feller.
The panhandlers believe they have as much right to the sidewalk as shoppers and say police are cracking down unfairly.
"I'm on a sidewalk. I'm not obstructing. The sidewalk is 9 feet wide," said Feller.
Feller says in the last month he's received 10 tickets totaling $2,000 in fines, and police have threatened to throw him in jail.
"I fought for this sidewalk and I'm going to stay on this sidewalk and they are not going to stop me," said Feller.
The proposed restrictions for Salt Lake City would prohibit panhandling within 20 feet of sidewalk cafes, lines of people waiting to be admitted to a place, street vendors, bus stops, entrances to some religious establishments and ATMs.
E-mail: cmadsen@ksl.com
