Beggars - and religion

This may just be me over-analyzing everything, but there do seem to be definite patterns and modes within what you'd politely call the begging community here in Sydney. I noticed at the start of the year that the panhandlers in Kings Cross (their MO is to walk up to you and ask for money very matter-of-factly) had all simultaneously adopted the tactic of starting their request with "hey Bro...". Did they all have a meeting to sort this out, some sort of new theme for the New Year? Or was it a fashion thing, maybe one especially successful or cool panhandler started it and they all copied? It died out pretty quickly - which I assume was some empirical thing. They weren't getting results.

The beggars in the city have a quite different schtick, maybe as an evolved response to more aggressive policing. They look as wretched as they can (they probably don't have to try too hard, to be fair), huddled on a blanket with a crudely-drawn cardboard sign. Years ago there would have been a dog, but I assume that doesn't work any more. The sign may or may not have some language acknowledging the public's weariness and scepticism ("no bullshit", "genuine homeless", "no lies" etc.) but what it will have in almost all cases is a reference to God or Jesus. If you don't believe me, have a look.

Now this is in a country with a very low percentage of people who go to church. Even the 50% (I'm guessing) of Australians who say they're a bit religious usually aren't - a fun thing to do at a dinner party is to quiz people who say they're christians about how much christian doctrine they actually believe in - and so as a marketing ploy this doesn't sound smart. So why does it persist?

Maybe homeless people themselves are more religious than the rest of the community? That's a lovely notion. But more likely, they think the appeal to religion will shake the consciences of passers-by, and make them incrementally more likely to give. And of course if hard-core christians happen to walk by, it may indeed help.

Of course it makes me less likely. I find myself thinking 'if God's so munificent he can give you a dollar, not me' but then again, I wouldn't give them any money anyway so there's no loss.

If I was even slightly more ambitious it'd be fun to go around taking photos of the cardboard signs, maybe for a fabulous coffee table book. I expect for $5 they'd be happy to let you take a pic. And it'd certainly be easier and much safer than my other great coffee-table book idea, the collection of really stupid tattoos (which is, I know, a bit of a tautology, but you know what I mean).

Back to my piano....