posted on August 10, 2005 07:23:22 PM new
What the heck? It was on our local news, had to look it up. A guy with a website is Paying panhandlers to add to their sign his website.
Ok, I see nothing wrong with this, but the coalition for the homeless says he is exploiting the homeless. what? they are out there anyway with signs saying different things like; Please help, no money no food. So, how is this exploiting them if they are already out their begging??? Yes I said the UN PC word begging because that is what it is.
Why would this coalition be upset? Because he is not providing medical benefits, with the money he gives them to advertise his website???
Stop the world I wanna get off!
Bum'vertising Stirs Up Some Controversy
August 10, 2005
By Michelle Esteban
SEATTLE - A panhandler's cardboard sign is the last place you'd expect to find a marketing campaign.
But that's what's happening. A UW grad says panhandlers are an untapped homeless labor. So he's putting them to work and watching his business grow.
Ben Rogovy is a budding entrepreneur with a newly launched Web site, but at 22, he has little money to spend on advertising.
"Oh, hi Teresa how you doing?" Rogovy asks of a woman sitting on a plastic bucket at an I-5 off-ramp. Her signs says she needs money for diapers and food.
Panhandlers like Teresa are Rogovy's way around his tiny marketing budget. Instead of advertising, he told KOMO 4 News he's "bum-vertising." A term he even trademarked.
"It dawned on me this could be inexpensive and effective," he says, adding he's giving panhandlers a job and getting advertising on the cheap.
One of his "regulars" willing holds up a green sign with a web address on it. "Now he's holding my sign and everybody stuck in traffic is looking at it," says an excited Rogovy.
In exchange for food, water and an undisclosed amount of cash, panhandlers agree to hold their please-give-sign and Rogovy's sign advertising his website, Pokerfacebook.com. "Janetta" took less than 10 seconds to say yes.
"Sure why not, anything to help a budding entrepreneur," says Janetta. She told us she has to beg. She has two other jobs, but it doesn't pay the bills. Neighbors told us Janetta begs everyday and doubts whether she really needs help.
Janetta says Rogovy's money is "easy money" - extra cash she doesn't have to beg for. "The one thing people don't know, this is a job this is not easy," says "Janetta". She doesn't want to reveal her last name.
"They're better off advertising for me than not advertising, I wish I could help them more," says Rogovy.
Not so says Nicole Macri, co-chair of the Seattle King County Coalition for the Homeless. She says Rogovy is exploiting the panhandlers.
Rogovy says they're adults and they can make up their own minds. But Macri argues because the panhandlers are poor, homeless and begging, "they've lost their free choice" and have no choice but to agree to Rogovy's request.
"It really reinforces stigmas about people who are homeless that they're not humans, that they're just signposts," says Macri.
She insists the practice and the term "bumvertising" have to go. "Being called 'bumvertising' reinforces the idea people who are poor bring this upon themselves cause they're lazy."
"They claimed the term 'bum' was derogative, I'm sorry it wasn't my intention," says Rogovy.
He told KOMO 4 News he'd consider changing the name, but disagrees that he's exploiting people. He wholeheartedly believes he's doing a good thing, giving them a job.
We asked Janetta, "Do you feel exploited?" "No. No 'cause he's exchanging a service for another, ya know?"
But not everyone says yes. One panhandler turned him down today.
Rogovy's signs have been on street corners in the U-District and Wallingford for a month. Panhandlers will hold his signs for 30 minute shifts at a time up to 8 hours a day.
He says he used to get hundreds of hits a day on his website, now he gets thousands a day. He admits he's not sure and can't prove it, but thinks it's the signs.
posted on August 10, 2005 08:24:04 PM new
I'll agree that the name is pretty bad but the concept is smart. I'm not sure how him paying these people to hold up his sign is a bad thing. They are being paid and he is getting a service.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on August 10, 2005 08:53:05 PM new
Seems the homeless are being exploited all over the place now. Saw this on the internet somewhere, maybe it was the same people;
WILL WORK FOR FOOD
FRANCHISES STILL AVAILABLE
YES MAKE BIG $ $ $ (TAX FREE)
WITH YOUR VERY OWN "WILL WORK FOR FOOD FRANCHISE"
WE SUPPLY THE CARDBOARD SIGN, THE PRIME LOCATION, THE THRIFT CLOTHING, A SPECIAL TAPE "HOW TO LOOK HOMELESS"
Say goodbye to that deadend job. Call today, operators are standing by. Just dial 1-800-RIP-UOFF.
Now until the end of the month as a bonus we'll include a wooden crutch in case some assshole actually asks you to do some work.
posted on August 10, 2005 09:13:24 PM new
I don't see a down side to this.... I'm sure there are some who really need to beg, but I know from experience in Mexico that it can be a pretty lucrative business. My favorite "bum" is an old man at the Nogales, AZ border crossing on the Mexican side. He's 75 if he's a day old, dresses in tattered old fashioned Tom Mix style cowboy duds, and walks through the cars and trucks lined up waiting to cross the border, doing amazing rope tricks with his braided leather lazo. Every now and then he passes his big old cowboy hat among the cars, and from what I can tell, does pretty good...sure beats all the others hawking tamales and washing your truck window whether you want it washed or not.
____________________________________________
Fue por lana y saliσ trasquilado...
posted on August 10, 2005 09:21:14 PM new
Tamales? If the sellers at the San Ysidro border were smart they would do food and cold drinks but instead all you get are plaster surfing monkeys, 3D Last Dinner pictures and those funky wooden folding kids desks... and of course chickletts. On my regular routes into town though there are a troup of 4 or five kids that do gymnastics, juggling and fire breathing at on of the intersections. They seem to do pretty good. How do you not give a kid money that does a handspring onto his partners shoulders and then juggles while his partner is blowing fire up into the mix?
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on August 10, 2005 09:54:40 PM new
"How do you not give a kid money that does a handspring onto his partners shoulders and then juggles while his partner is blowing fire up into the mix?"
Id give them a lot more money if they'd jump off a 100 foot cliff.
posted on August 11, 2005 12:02:56 AM new
Nothing nasty or uncivil in the following post by a NEOCON!
"" classicrock000
posted on August 10, 2005 09:54:40 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How do you not give a kid money that does a handspring onto his partners shoulders and then juggles while his partner is blowing fire up into the mix?"
Id give them a lot more money if they'd jump off a 100 foot cliff. """
Wishing kids dead...how sweet.
Ya, and we Liberals are sooooo BAD because we didn't wet ourselves over a shuttle landing ??????????
posted on August 11, 2005 01:01:13 AM new
This reminds me of my early days in the Navy in the balmy Philippines. As you would leave Subic Bay Naval Base you approached the SP checkpoint and started to smell, well, an outhouse. As you funneled through the checkpoint the smell got incredibly worse. Then crossing the bridge to go into Olongapo you were over-whelmed with the fetid stench arising from the river below, referred to by one and all as the #*!@ river.
But wait, there are kids down there in boats! Two to a boat, Throw a coin and one will dive into the river to retrieve it! A 25 centavo coin was about four cents at the time. The kids were all smiles and cute.
posted on August 11, 2005 03:42:16 AM new
"Wishing kids dead...how sweet.
well thats the difference between you and me CROWFART-when I saying something like that-its a joke-when you say something like that you MEAN it.
"Ya, and we Liberals are sooooo BAD because we didn't wet ourselves over a shuttle landing ??????????"
After that idiotic statement,it shows me what I've known all along-what an anti-American scumbag you really are.Now, instead of wetting yourself on these boards all night,why dont you go to bed and get laid once in a while-it might cure that.
---------------------------------------------
"Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean and turned into a jabbering idiot"
hey CROWFART thanks for telling us all your hubbys name.First you come in here with a different name thinking you're fooling everyone-but your too stupid and ignorant and too fool anyone and showed your true colors.Now your telling us your hubbys name-DUMB
[ edited by classicrock000 on Aug 11, 2005 04:36 AM ]
posted on August 11, 2005 04:50:34 AM new
Oh so now you've changed your mind and it's a JOKE? Pretty sick but that's coming from a guy who also has wished his own wife dead.
You neocons are the vilest sub-species......
""After that idiotic statement,it shows me what I've known all along-what an anti-American scumbag you really are.Now, instead of wetting yourself on these boards all night,why dont you go to bed and get laid once in a while-it might cure that""
Another typical neocon "civil" statement.....why don't you go to Crawford where neocons are making fun of the greiving mother...you'd enjoy that so much wouldn't you?
You can always tell when a neanderthal has been backed into a corner...the OLD saw about needing to get laid just jumps right out.....stupid, but it's the only answere their dim minds can come up with
[ edited by mingotree on Aug 11, 2005 04:53 AM ]
[ edited by mingotree on Aug 11, 2005 05:43 AM ]
posted on August 11, 2005 08:24:24 AM new "My favorite "bum" is an old man at the Nogales, AZ border crossing on the Mexican side. He's 75 if he's a day old, dresses in tattered old fashioned Tom Mix style cowboy duds, and walks through the cars and trucks lined up waiting to cross the border, doing amazing rope tricks with his braided leather lazo
My favorite "bum" is a fellow in the Georgetown area of D.C who plays classical music on his flute to solicit donations. His hat is always filled with money too!
posted on August 11, 2005 08:27:55 AM new
"You can always tell when a neanderthal has been backed into a corner...the OLD saw about needing to get laid just jumps right out.....stupid, but it's the only answere their dim minds can come up with"
LOL just keep posting and putting your foot in your mouth you jabbering idiot
[ edited by classicrock000 on Aug 11, 2005 08:28 AM ]
posted on August 11, 2005 08:30:53 AM new
We have a large man who dresses like a woman, always wearing a huge floppy brimmed hat and dresses with outrageous wild prints.. He sits on the side of the entrance ramp to I-59 in Slidell Louisiana most days, on his suitcase always hitchhiking, but never goes anywhere, that I'm aware of..people know him and honk and wave and he has become a fixture there.. He looks well fed.
posted on August 11, 2005 08:47:38 AM new
Now, that's not how I picture Logansdad at all! I picture Logansdad as tall, well built, handsome and very classy.. maggie
posted on August 11, 2005 08:49:50 AM new
magster-you have me and Logan mixed up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Golfer:Stop checking your watch all the time,its too much of a distraction.
Caddy:Its not a watch, its a compass
posted on August 11, 2005 08:51:54 AM new
<snicker>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Golfer:Stop checking your watch all the time,its too much of a distraction.
Caddy:Its not a watch, its a compass
posted on August 11, 2005 09:18:53 AM newthe OLD saw about needing to get laid just jumps right out.....
Too much truth to it for you mingtree??
Why dont you go get ya-self some touch from something other than a farm animal or a keyboard? Then maybe you'll come back refreshed and reminding yourself and others again how your an adult.
Crowfart to Libra after suspension:... being as I am an adult....
Careful Classy, DBL's Big Head is rubbing off on you!
mug-a-male-a-roni! You live and breath me now? Yes, Dbl's got a big head, and some big (big!)people who support her and watch out for her. But being as.. besides we all know who's who and whats what like you so unprofessionally dribble out of yourself all over these boards...[/i]- I presumed you knew that already?
But you DONT really know quite as much as you think you do oh little data'miner fanatic of mine - do you? Sad. Like they say, a little knowledge in a little brain, is a dangerous thing.
posted on August 11, 2005 04:31:47 PM new
I never understood the popularity of panhandling in Portland or in Seattle, especially during the cold winter months. You would think they would hitchhike down to LA or San Diego.
Anyhow, I saw a woman holding a panhandling sign one day while talking on her cell phone. I tried to turn back around and take a photo with my camera phone, but gave up b/c of traffic.
posted on August 11, 2005 04:52:40 PM new
""What school yard mentality this board has descended so totally to? """
Well maybe it's THIS from Dble :
"""No, kakesituptherearkiara/maggiemuffinlover - I dont make threats. But I do deliver on some pretty awesome promises. You can go ahead and 'cry a river'. When I cry; it'll be like a flood all over you.
Just like kiara you spend your days - chronicling my every post! yea, I'm sure you have no alter ID's here. Why dont you try putting on a professional one once in awhile? Besides.. we all know who's who and what's what now.. don't we.. How unprofessional can you get??? What a loser! And youre such a gossip, you can't hardly contain yourself, can you? A disgusting internet bobbling babbling niggler what you really are!
And to set the record straight, that post about my car was MONTHS AGO. Sorry I didnt give you the info when it got fixed so you could update your minds databank on it and forget all about as I did. lol.
... No, not too fascinated with my every word, are you?!! But how you cling and you cleeve for more.
But the thing is this, muggslydearist, oh fairist redhead in all vendioland that you think you are; with *my* game things change real fast.
You hardly have what it takes to snap to this beat. (I've had legends come and see me because they are enamored of it. Those that have that 'something special' themselves, and actually produce something without following somebody elses que, - like you do.)
You and your mingotree are just monkey's fixated in your tree...rattlin on in the wind - about yesterdays news, and I'm long gone from it. hahahaha!
But you'll need to go stick your head up somebody else's butt and find a new fixation. """
