Took this picture last night about 9 PM on the corner of 10th and Phillips. Oh the irony of a person panhandling under a sign that doesn’t do a damn thing. It was funny to because two middle aged men stood about 20 feet from him on the sidewalk and were mocking him and laughing, he was irate with them and screaming at them while holding his sign. These folks would not be panhandling if they weren’t getting money. It is obvious your cute little signs and billboards are NOT working.
There’s another approach for the 8th Street strip. EXPOUND ON IT.
– In the 60’s and 70’s, Haight Ashbury in San Francisco became a tourist attraction. There were buses to view the slum with stops for refreshments and souvenirs.
– In the 80’s, there was an area of Turtle Creek in Dallas with prostitution and drug deals. Restaurants started popping up because people took in the scenery and stopped for some good food.
– In Denver there’s an area known as Five Points. Lots of crime and weekly murders. It’s where Rockies Baseball Stadium is and near Union Train Terminal. The train station has been remodeled. It’s known for trains into the mountains via 16 tunnels to ski and gambling areas. There’s upscale pubs and restaurants in the area.
– In LA east from LAX is gangs and crime. People early for their flight drive through hoping to get carjacked.
– 8th Street in Sioux Falls can be both slum and tourist area. It is now. Isn’t it?
In case someone’s not noticed, the original downtown loop (12th-Phillips-10th) is back. If you’re middle class who can’t afford Saturday night, take the course at slow speed. Watching the racing, burnouts, and kids hanging out windows is entertaining. Watching police stop the High School Harry’s is fun knowing they’ll lose their keys for a month. Hopefully, cops will start deploying tack strips so kids must explain tire repair for the family SUV.
cash handouts don’t help. tifs do.
Maybe that’s why the Parks Department has never placed along the bike trail the proper and adequate signage to address speed and classification issues with e-bikes that they promised when they first advocated more e-bikes on the trail, huh?
( and Woodstock adds: “Do I dare say that this is just a sign of our times?….
” ….. )