Panhandlers’ rights win again

I read with total disbelief the latest results of the vote by Saskatoon city council on the right of panhandlers to continue to hassle citizens who are once again paying for city services, including the councillors’ salaries, at the parking meter collection stations.

I would like to know what actually differentiates a street parking machine from the banking ATM where it is currently not acceptable or allowed for anyone to pander for money.

You have your wallet out, are feeding the parking machine with cash or a credit card and now are totally vulnerable!

I expect none of the councillors who actually voted against this common sense bylaw have also ever had children or grandchildren with them and while trying to comply with the strictly enforced parking regulations sadly will have to also endure being hassled by a panhandler for money at the same time.

Why not go one step further and just let them come into city hall and do the same thing right at the tellers’ stations where you are paying a parking ticket fine or perhaps the council chamber entrance where these sorts of decisions now actually take place.

I simply cannot believe that a common-sense approach like this for overall public safety by only requiring appropriate behaviour from others to maintain a comfortable, safe and reasonable distance from any person making a legitimate financial transaction could ever be defeated.

I expected better from our elected officials and in particular our new mayor, who sadly also voted against this bylaw. Robert Freberg, Saskatoon