[Pyromaniac]

it's a good point that's been made that Starbucks might seem like a good spot until you realize the tip jar is sucking away your profits.

...and how easy is it to say "oops sorry I put my change in the tip jar" even if you didn't...

Also,

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Assume that we're talking averages here, so given panhandlers of all types, where is the best average take?

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should we factor in "average time before you get chased off"? cities differ, of course, but I'm thinking again, that while Starbucks seems like a sweet spot to stake out, that a lot of places are going to run you off of the sidewalk before it has a chance to be profitable.

side note of my own: what if you're panhandling for a charitable cause? What's the best spot to be a bellringer for the salvation army, this time of year? I always see one outside a Sam's Club - and while people wheel a ton of stuff out of there, most of them, I'm thinking, have paid w/ a check or plastic and have no leftover change from the transaction. and again, it's a lot easier to blow by the guy when you're pushing a full cart of stuff and have both hands tied up anyway.

best place: I'm thinking busy intersection. You have a new set of possible donators every time the light changes, and that's more than the turnover of a starbucks. also, people have to sit there and wait and get uncomfortable--they can't keep just walking past you. And, finally, when someone *does* hand something out the window, it's usually some green, not change. so when someone does give, you get more.