Mayor Bloomberg stuck his fancy loafers directly in his mouth at a press conference today when, unrelated to the topic at hand, he scolded a reporter for saying the subway is a "last bastion of quiet, with the exception of the occasional panhandler." Mid-question Bloomie turned to the reporter to chide him, as Rachel Sterne smiled on, that "There aren't very many panhandlers left, c'mon, that's a cheap shot at an agency that has worked very hard to fix that problem." more ›

Besides the fact that they are obviously having a shittier time of it than you are, you may want to be nice to panhandlers for reasons beyond altruism. Like if you don't want lose an eye. Because an encounter can go from asking for change to that a lot quicker than you would think. more ›

As if the skunks weren't bad enough, the Bronx is being overrun by slick panhandlers promising to keep your car safe from vandals for a small fee. And while their presence is annoying, court precident protects their right to do this. In 2006 panhandler Eddie Wise was awarded $100,001 after he sued the city, citing the First Amendment right to ask for anything from motorists. While local business owners are concerned, State Senate majority leader Pedro Espada tells the Post "It’s pretty f---ing funny, what these guys do here." Worrying that your car will get vandalized if you don't cough up a dollar? Hilarious. more ›