Amarillo Adds 'No Panhandling' Signs in City to Address Concerns

When you take a drive around town there are a few things that you notice. Amarillo has a lot of restaurants. That is good because we are one hungry city. We also have a lot of hotels.

Yes, that makes sense. We have I40 running right through town. We need a lot of places for those travelers to stop. Which, ok, also explains are over-abundance of places to eat.

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The other thing we seem to have a lot of are Panhandlers. Sometimes they are homeless people just looking for a little help. Sometimes this is the job that they decide to have. Regardless there are a lot all over town. All over town.

This can cause an issue. We have seen accidents. We have seen lives lost because of this issue. So it is an issue. What I didn't expect to happen is to see signs like this pop up in Amarillo.

credit: Melissa Bartlett, TSM

Signs that are encouraging us to say no to panhandling. I get it. The signs offer ways to help that are safer. Its just that the money is not going to that individual standing before you in the moment.

Another issue is the sign itself. I drive by this sign location of 45th and Coulter a lot. This sign is right in front of the AT&T Store. I don't know how long it has been there because it is not an in your face sign. In fact it is pretty small. With everything going on in that intersection I am sure you missed it a hundred times.

credit: Melissa Bartlett, TSM

I would have not even known the sign was there had I not seen a friend of mine post it on Facebook.

I just saw that city of Amarillo, placed
A No Panhandling sign at the corner of
45th and Coulter, on NW corner - David

The sign directs you to where you can go on-line and give. The info is HERE. It's the different programs that will help out the homeless. It also gives information on Transformation Park in Amarillo.

I guess the size of the sign really gets me. There are two that I saw in the area of 45th and Coulter. I drove an extended way home and drove by other intersections in Amarillo but those are the only signs I saw.

I was talking to my mom and she said that in Phoenix they have signs like that too. They are also ridiculously small. So Amarillo is not unique in this area. I just wish they stood out or there were more to really help our homeless.