Quote Originally Posted by 401don View Post
Toronto and Vancouver have huge numbers of beggars downtown. A lot of runaway teens from small towns tend to migrate to these cities and the homeless problem is just as bad. The problem in Detroit is not the number of beggars, it's the lack of other pedestrians. You are one-on-one with the beggars instead of part of a crowded sidewalk.

I agree 100% with this. I have never been to a large city where I HAVEN'T been pestered by beggars. I think it makes people more nervous in Detroit when they see more beggars on the street than not. Personally, I have never had anyone be hostile towards me. Persistent? Maybe - but not in a way that I have ever felt threatened. So what's the solution? Get some more pedestrians on the street, and you won't notice as much! Easy fix- right?