Panhandling
Begging is the various methods used by homeless persons to obtain money, food, shelter, or other necessities from people they encounter during the course of their travels. It is also referred to as panhandling or peddling.
In larger cities, it is common to see the homeless asking others for money, food, or other items. They may also offer "services", such as washing car windows. They may attempt to sell items to others to make money. An unfortunate outgrowth of begging, particularly among young women, is to turn to prostitution to obtain resources to live on. One method of begging that is particularly dangerous is for homeless to station themselves either in or near vehicle traffic in order to peddle goods or solicit donations. In these cases, the homeless run the risk of being struck by passing vehicles.
In many larger cities, such as Chicago, Illinois, peddling has been banned. In Chicago, there are a number of signs at regular intervals reminding people that peddling is banned.
