The Top 11 Hottest Spots in Tri-Cities For Begging for Change

I've been seeing more and more panhandlers across the Tri-Cities.

I'm torn when it comes to panhandling and people begging for money. The empathetic person in me feels bad for them and wonders what happened in their life that put them on the street. I also wonder if that could be me one day. But then there's a much louder voice in the back of my head that says, "don't make eye contact."

Get our free mobile app

So now I, like the person begging for my loose change, am at a crossroads. If I roll down my window and give them some money, will it make a positive difference or will it enable a bad addiction or reinforce that panhandling is the way to make a hustle?

I was approached while loading my car with groceries at a store that's on my list below. A woman told me her "baby daddy kicked her out" and she and a friend were trying to get back home to California but needed gas money. She then told me she'd do me a favor if I could spare some money. You tell me what she meant.

My best excuse is that I don't carry cash. Maybe it's a millennial thing, but it is the truth. If I do get cash, it goes into my bank account. If I spend the cash at the store, I tip the loose change.

In case you didn't know, it is not illegal to beg for money unless a trespassing sign is posted. Even then, it's muddy as panhandling is protected by the constitution under the first amendment.

That being said, here are the areas you will encounter the most panhandlers around the Tri-Cities.