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Recently I ventured downtown and observed the constantly growing problem we have with panhandlers.

Their anti-social behaviour of harassing law-abiding citizens amongst a torrent of profanity is usually topped off with a few hand gestures. Most just want a free ride, and in this world they should not be given it at our expense.

One with a cell phone in one hand and a Blackberry in the other had the gall to ask for money. Stop waiting for someone to give you a handout. Life is not like a lottery ticket that you can sit back and wait for a big payout. You need to have some pride in yourselves. These individuals are a constant annoyance who take advantage of the system and I call them bottom feeders. Then there are those who actually need help but are overlooked. If kids are so streetwise then let them help themselves. There are jobs out there but that would be too easy for them. If this is the city's blueprint of the future then kids are in big trouble. Start doing something to correct the problem before we lose more kids to the streets.

Gary St. Jean