TULSA, Okla. — From donation signs to bright yellow vests to spare change cups, panhandling for money on the side of the road is legal.
And it's pretty common around Tulsa.
In fact, it's the best way for Micah Barnett to get financial stability. But that doesn't mean he always feels safe.
“I’ve had a couple cars (that) may have leaned in too close to me, not saying they wanted to hit me but you know, they got pretty close," said Barnett. "So it could be dangerous, it has been dangerous a couple times, people having attitudes or road rages and what not.”
Wearing a vest makes Barnett feel better. He thinks it also gives drivers a better heads up that he and other panhandlers are around.
That's one of the three stipulations the City of Tulsa asks panhandlers follow.
- Solicitation must happen between a half hour before sunrise and a half hour after sunset.
- A solicitor must be over the age of 16
- Person must be wearing high-visibility safety apparel that meets the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of the American National Standards Institute
- TULSA CODE OF ORDINANCE >> CHAPTER 11. - PEDESTRIANS - RIGHTS AND DUTIES
Are the rules in place to protect the panhandlers?
2 News brought these questions to Lt. Justin Farley with Tulsa Police's Riverside Division Traffic Unit.
“The roadway is always a dangerous place and as a pedestrian you really are no match for any motor vehicle," said Farley. “Most of the time, these motorists, even though you’re wearing a bright vest, motorists may not see that particular person again because they may not expect a pedestrian to be in the roadway.”
How does TPD police panhandlers across the city?
"There is just more panhandlers out there than there is officers," said Farley. "There are so many intersections and any time where that there's a choke point, that becomes a focal point for panhandlers. And panhandlers know where the intersections where traffic becomes more backed up. They’re out there more frequently during our rush hours when we’re at our very busiest so again it becomes just difficult to enforce because we have so many panhandlers and not enough officers.”
Do accidents with panhandlers happen frequently?
"We haven't investigated a lot of panhandler accidents but we do know that they happen because most of them are very low speeds so they're often not reported," said Farley. "We'll have a brush or two with a pedestrian and most of the time there's no damage to the vehicle. In other words, when there's no damage to the vehicle, most of the time those wrecks are not even worked... I would call them infrequent."
- PREVIOUSLY >>> Tulsa increases efforts to keep street solicitors safe
Those are the kind of scares Barnett has experienced.
“I’ve had a couple cars that may have leaned in too close to me, not saying they wanted to hit me but you know, they got pretty close, pretty close, so it could be dangerous. It has been dangerous a couple times, people having attitudes or road rages or what not.”
Farley said it is on drivers to keep their eyes open, and be alert at all times when behind the wheel.
“Our primary problem is not just the panhandlers in the roadway, it’s the citizens who stop. They’re fidgeting around, trying to dig out money, and I know that may sound cruel but they end up causing accidents because they’re stopped when the light turns green.”
As far as further legislation to protect panhandlers, or drivers, Farley said that is in the hands of legislators.
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