A new bill that was recently introduced in the California legislature is aimed at improving roadway divider safety on California Streets by removing panhandlers who typically walk these areas, asking motorists for money.
The bill, SB 674 would make a change to the California Vehicle Code, and specifically affects panhandlers who work at several local intersections. These people walk these areas asking people for money. It's fairly common to find these people standing at these intersections with a handwritten sign, asking for money, and hoping to make a few dollars.
However, according to law enforcement officials, this is a dangerous practice because very often, these panhandlers cross the street illegally or when there is a stop light. Los Angeles car accident lawyers know that all of these are dangerous practices, and increase the risk of an accident for panhandlers.
According to the promoters of the bill, the point is not to remove panhandlers from the dividers, but to keep them safe. In many cases, these panhandlers try to attract motorists by doing tricks, and this distracts motorists and exposes both motorists as well as pedestrian panhandlers to the risk of accidents. A motorist, who is busy watching a panhandler do his stuff, is likely to miss an important accident cue, seriously risking injuries to himself as well as to other people on the road.
However, the bill is likely to see quite a bit of a fight from civil rights activists as well as homeless groups. The panhandlers insist that they are not distracting or delaying traffic. If the bill is approved, they would have to move their activities to the sidewalk. Panhandlers as a group are likely to strongly oppose the bill, because according to them, it is impossible to make any money on the sidewalk.