Even though millions of inaugural revelers will pour into Washington this weekend, local panhandlers aren’t too hopeful they’ll get much change.
“I expect to see less money than normal,” said Ruth Neary, confined to a wheelchair, at 15th and H streets NW. Like many Washington-area residents, Neary is considering not coming downtown at all because of the crowds and potential chaos.
“Mostly people from out of town are scared of D.C. and its homeless people,” Neary said. “That’s why you don’t see much panhandling on the Mall.”
Drew Sanders, who usually stands outside of Georgia Brown’s Restaurant near the White House, said that in 13 years of panhandling, he’s yet to see a pattern with big crowds, or who gives and who doesn’t.
“It’ll probably be like a normal day — a few dollars here and there,” Sanders said. But he’s keeping his fingers crossed.
“I’m hoping the crowds will be in a better mood than usual,” he said. “It’ll all hinge on our new president, Barack Obama, and what he expects of all of us.”
Jim Edwards, who held a cup near McPherson Square, said he would “stick near the Metro where it’s warm and I know there’ll be a lot of people.”
But even if the crowds arrive in record numbers with pockets of change, weather and security tactics could keep panhandlers at bay.
As early as Thursday morning, officials informed people who slept outdoors within the inaugural secure zone that they’d need to find other accommodations for the coming week. The frigid weather is proving an added incentive to find a shelter even for those who feel more comfortable in the open air.
Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said the city has gone out of its way in advance of the inauguration to get people off of the streets while avoiding disruptions. Shelters will be open around the clock and storage facilities will be available for people who carry duffle bags and shopping carts full of belongings. Buses will travel to the most popular places for the homeless and panhandlers, and provide transportation to the shelters.
Sanders, however, would prefer to keep his regular routine, explaining that shelters are rarely “up to expectations.”
“I think I’ll be left alone here,” he said, cup in hand. “I’m not a threat.”
Staff writer Freeman Klopott contributed to this story.
