Addressing Street Disorder 
to Preserve Jobs and Improve Our Quality of Life 


Excerpts from Correspondence 
Received by City Council Members 


ÒI would like to address the issue of panhandling in the streets of SeattleÉ.As a 
downtown working mother of both a newborn baby and sixteen year old daughter, I have many 
concerns about my safety. As a female worker, I try to dodge panhandlers at every intersection 
while I make my way to our different locations. I avoid those panhandlers I know to be 
aggressive, vocal and intimidating while also being compassionate to the plight of some of the 
Real Changes sellers whom I respect for their hard work and devotionÉ.It seems to me that over 
the years panhandling has become more aggressive, personal and intimidating in Seattle. I 
simply avoid going places if I know that I have to walk by someone who will treat me 
aggressively and rudely.Ó 

-Devony Boyle, Rainier Beach Resident 

Ò. . . I am taking the time to let you know the importance of my take on public safety in 
Seattle. (Not getting any better, but largely getting worse.) Being in the hospitality industry, I 
have seen deterioration of our streets, [in]filtrated with intimidating characters, blatant drug use, 
and solicitation. . . . I deal with hundreds of guests and visitors to our city every day. I . . . listen 
to what they are saying about whatÕs going on in our streets, both day and night. They tell me 
what a beautiful city Seattle truly is . . . with one exception, Ôthe street people.Õ The visitors do 
not feel comfortable walking from their hotels, to the market, or catching the bus without being 
approached by many different panhandlers and street people along their route.Ó 

-Louise Smith, Downtown Hotel Employee 

ÒI have lived in Seattle for 11 years and never have I felt more unsafe living and working 
in this city as I do today. I work downtown and my 18 month old daughter attends a childcare 
downtownÉ.Yesterday (Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. on 1st Ave. between Spring and Madison) I 
was chased and harassed after I said I did not have any spare changeÉ.I am uncomfortable 
taking my family downtown day or night and find the situation getting worse and worse -year 
after year.Ó 

-Cara Egan, West Seattle Resident 

ÒI live and work downtown. I'm a resident in the Watermark Condominium building on 
1st & Spring Street, and work on 6th & Pine. Everyday I get asked for money during this 10 
block walk. It happens both from the homeless, or non-profit organization such as Save the 

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Children, Greenpeace, or SPCA. All are rather annoying and I've learned to deal with it living 
downtownÉ.I've witnessed countless times a male worker prey on an attractive female and give 
her a hard time. They sometimes walk half a block step for step with you until you have to be 
plain rudeÉ.Just over the weekend my girlfriend was aggressively panhandled in the pay 
parking lot behind Watermark around Western & Spring. It was quite late at night and luckily I 
was in the area walking her dogs. There have been several times where a person has walked up 
to her car on Western when she's been parking and aggressively hounded her for money.Ó 

-Brian Ellis, Downtown Resident 

ÒThis incident occurred in the Chinatown ID yesterday 01/25/10. The gentleman, early 
40's, is from out of state and was trying to take his 76 year old mother out to dinner. They 
were walking to a restaurant in the 600 blk of S.Weller St when their way was blocked by the 
intoxicated man who panhandled them for money. The couple attempted to step around him 
but he blocked their attempts to get past him several times still asking for money. 
The mother/son succeed[ed] in getting around the person, but he started following them asking 
for money even though the victims told him no. They were followed for several blocks, the man 
continuing to ask for money even though they declined. 

ÒThis is a specific example of incidents that too often happen in the CID when 
families/visitors try to go out for dinner. While this is clearly aggressive, it is a 
graphic representation of the impact panhandling has on visitors, residents and business owners.Ó 

-Maribeth Ellis, Executive Director, Chinatown 
International District Business Improvement 
Area 

ÒI lived at Harbor Steps (1st & University) for the past two years, before moving a couple 
of weeks ago to the Denny Triangle. The move made me realize just how much aggressive 
panhandling, non-aggressive panhandling, and petition/donation solicitations (both aggressive 
and non-aggressive) I was subjected to at Harbor Steps. 

ÒOne very rude and profane panhandler chose to sit out in front of the closed clothing 
store on 1st just north of University. Walking by or entering or exiting a taxi, this fellow would 
ask for money, and when politely declined would let fly with a long string of insulting profanity. 
Once, accompanied by a middle aged woman and my 20 year old daughter, he made specific 
derogatory remarks to each of them.Ó 

-Brian Scott, Former Downtown Resident 

Ò[A]s a business operator in the downtown area, aggressive panhandling is the most 
problematic issue that I deal with on a daily basisÉ.Panhandling in Seattle is no longer the 
benign activity that it once was. Today, panhandlers no longer confine themselves to anonymous 
spots on the sidewalk between businesses or underneath overpasses where commuters and 

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passersby may come across them. Now they position themselves right next to the front doors of 
the restaurants and businesses in the downtown area in order to take advantage of the more 
captive audience entering and exiting the building. Their attitude, when asked to step away from 
the flow of business traffic or that towards those that do not give them what they ask for, is one 
of entitlement and belligerence that too often escalates to verbal harassment or abuseÉ.As 
someone that operates five restaurants downtown, this poses a burdensome challenge to my 
efforts to create a welcoming, tourist and family-friendly atmosphere of commerce in our city.Ó 

-Alan Booth, Restaurant General Manager 

ÒI write this email as a patron and long time supporter of Pike Place Market that grows 
weary of the continued overt drug activity and panhandling across from and in Victor 
Steinbrueck ParkÉ.The past year there has been overt violent activity across from the VS Park 
in front of the restaurants and shops that line the Park. Not only is this violent behavior scary, 
threatening and disconcerting--it crushes business for the shops, restaurants and Pike Place 
Merchants both inside and outside the PPM.Ó 

-Alexis Berry, Seattle Resident 

ÒI would like to briefly share an encounter that I had just yesterday in Bell Town with a 
pan handler. My family lives at the Vine Condo Building on Western and Vine. While walking 
home from getting coffee on 1st avenue at Starbucks we had a pan handler demand $20 dollars 
from my wife and I. We were walking our puppy with us and continued to walk without 
addressing the gentlemen. At this time he turned following us and reached to grab at our puppy 
for no explainable reason. I had my wife walk ahead with the dog while I pulled out my cell 
phone and told the gentlemen that I had called the police. He continued to walk behind me and 
used some derogatory language in an aggressive manner. This incident was witnessed by some 
patrons that were just coming out of another coffee/pastry restraint (Macrina Bakery). These 
patrons were clearly frightened and did not want to walk out onto the sidewalk while he was 
there. I have noticed the pan handlers getting more brazen and aggressive over the past 6 
months.Ó 

-Matt Brandenburg, Belltown Resident 

ÒAs a downtown business owner, I cannot stress enough the need to address the 
increasingly aggressive panhandling taking place on Third Avenue, which is now trickling onto 
Fourth. 

ÒThis morning while walking to work in front of Macy's on Fourth, I was essentially 
stopped by an aggressive panhandler named ÔJustinÕ on a bike. When I declined to give him cash, 
he said there were ways I could help him other than money. I told him, ÔNo thank you.Õ He 
followed me closely (within inches) for a block, continuing to harass me along the way. 

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ÒHe finally asked if I were interested in helping him and his daughter with a bus ticket. 
When I said, no, he said, ÔThis is the way bad things happen to people,Õ then rode off. In part, 
this is the reason we're moving our office from our current location on Fourth between Pike and 
Pine to a safer part of downtown. We've seen countless drug dealings, even shootings at Third 
and Pine, and we're bombarded daily with aggressive panhandlers.Ó 

-Roger Nyhus, Downtown Business Owner 

ÒI have lived/worked in downtown Seattle for about 20 years. While there have always 
been panhandlers, they never really bothered me until the last four years. I think I speak for a lot 
of people on this issue. I know friends, co-workers and clients (usually from out of town) who 
are scared to park their car or walk around certain places downtown even during the 
daytimeÉ.[T]he panhandlers never made an impact on me until the past few years. They used to 
ask for spare change and when you said, ÔSorry, donÕt have any,Õ or ignored them, they left you 
alone. It was never an issue. The tide has now turned.Ó 

-Arie Stewart, Downtown Restaurant Manager 

ÒI reside just a few steps from Pike Place MarketÉ.I witness on a daily basis the same 
individuals consuming and dealing drugs, harassing residents and tourists, urinating and 
defecating on public and private property, vandalizing (spray paint, etc.) and panhandling. These 
activities are inextricably tied together. I can sit on my balcony and watch the same characters 
panhandle from the tourists who routinely give them money to "make them go away". This is 
done in the middle of Virginia St., and if residents (who are less likely to give money, because 
we understand the problem it maintains) refuse to give them money or ignore them, oftentimes 
the panhandlers shout obscenities or worse. I have been spat upon for ignoring one such request, 
right outside my doorstepÉ.Though there are many more serious crimes being carried out by 
these people, the one thing they do conspicuously and continuously is ask for money, using 
means of intimidation and harassment.Ó 

-Calvin Tang, Downtown Resident 

ÒIÉhave lived and worked in downtown Seattle for over ten years now. I have dealt with 
homeless and panhandling most of those days. I have had to deal with a rape incident in the pike 
street market, seen prostitution/drug abuse/drug deals outside my window and, chased 
panhandlers out of a restaurant I was working at, people defecating on our restaurant 
windows while people were eating, panhandlers using our restroom then destroying it. At many 
instances I would tell a panhandler that I don't have cash and they begin to cuss you out because 
of it. It has become a large issue.Ó 

-Ron Anderson, Downtown Chef 

ÒWe have been in the Chinatown / ID serving the Seattle community for over 25 
yearsÉ.The Chinatown / ID is an important neighborhood in the City of Seattle that offers not 

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only cultural diversity, but also it is rich with history. These unique characteristics of the 
Chinatown / ID are vital to the City's efforts to make Seattle a major metropolitan center and 
global city as it helps attract a more diverse population, work force, and businesses to Seattle. 

ÒUnfortunately, we have seen the level of panhandling and crime increase dramatically 
over the last several years such that it has significantly deteriorated the level of safety, 
cleanliness and overall business activity in the neighborhood. Despite our best efforts to keep 
the neighborhood clean and safe, our buildings and parking meters are constantly littered with 
graffiti. We have witnessed panhandlers harass our customers as they get out of their cars, 
approach our doors, or just walking along the streets exploring the CID. In the evening, we have 
witnessed increased drug trafficking on multiple street corners. 

ÒThe community we once had that offered an inviting place for Seattleites to come 
experience and learn more about Asian culture has now become threatening to visitors and 
tourists. We have heard from our long-time customers and tourists that they feel unsafe walking 
to their cars at night.Ó 

-Bob Ho, Chinatown International District 
Businessman 

ÒI am writing to urge you to support stronger restrictions on panhandling in our 
community. The prevalence of panhandling in Seattle has increased in the last year, creating an 
unwelcoming environment in our neighborhood business districts. 

ÒI believe we have an obligation as a community to help those in need, however I donÕt 
believe we have an obligation to allow individuals to solicit money from others near ATMÕs, bus 
stops or while they are getting in or out of their car. It is time to impose common sense 
restrictions on these activities just as other cities in Washington and cities across the country 
have done. 

ÒPanhandling is one of the many activities that define the city's culture and reputation. It 
not only affects residents and tourist but directly impacts Seattle businesses' ability to recruit and 
retain the best employees and to stay competitive. 

ÒPlease do not minimize the effect that this behavior has on our personal safety, our 
enjoyment of our city, our ability to attract tourists, and our ability to remain a viable city for 
businesses to thrive.Ó 

-Carla Murray, Downtown Hotel Employee 

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