Berry pushes forward on street solicitation ban
KHOU-11's Mike Zientek reports that Councilmember Michael Berry is proceeding with his effort to rein in Houston's out-of-control street begging:
City Council members said they have received many complaints about people in the street asking for money, and this week they will look at changing solicitation policy.
Jack Shaver makes his living in 32-second blocks by washing car windshields.
Jack Shaver’s workplace is the intersection of Way side and the I-45 feeder.
He makes his living in 32-second blocks of time.
“I don’t like this part of my life,” Shaver said. “I landed in this.”
Houston City Council will soon consider a measure that will make Shaver’s job illegal.
It would ban anyone from walking into the street and asking for money.
“I’m asking a simple yes or no question,” Shaver said. “If they want it -- great, if they don’t – great. I don’t see where the harm is in that.”
But at least one city official disagrees.
“If someone wants to squeegee windows, they can get a location and squeegee windows,” said City Councilman Michael Berry. “But not in the public roadways.”
Berry is spearheading the proposal to ban all street solicitors.
He said it is a matter of safety on the streets and calls from constituents.
“The democratic process works that if people complain to us and there are enough of them, we know it’s a real problem,” he said.
It's not a "workplace." It's a street. Streets are for driving, not for selling and not for begging.
Leaving aside the annoyance and the potential danger to drivers (whose use of seat belts and reclined position puts them at risk), it is unsafe to use streets for commerce (even though some local businesses choose to conduct deadly street commerce in order to prop up declining circulation). Here's hoping Council gets behind this ordinance.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/05/05 09:11 PM | Houston Miscellany | Print | Comments (4)
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