"Now, this is my third one."
Mark says he has few choices other than /*panhandling*/. "Because I'm homeless, I ain't got nowhere to stay. It's better than me going out and stealing ... I'm not aggressive. You can give if you want to give."
Mark says because of his criminal record for past drug use, and a lack of education he says he can't even get a job flipping burgers. "Sometimes I see people passing by and they say ... Get a Job ... they don't understand you know. Put yourself in my shoes. It's kind of hard."
Everyone out there claiming to be homeless and hungry has a story ... but not all are willing to share. One panhandler being cited by police yelled at our camera, "Get the hell out of here!" I'm no star."
Fresno Police started warning panhandlers to stay out of the medians ... now they are issuing citations. Lt. Tony Bennick says the results are mixed. "We are getting some compliance but there are some that have chosen at this point to see what's going to happen after they receive the citation I think is what they are waiting on."
Mark says there's no way he can pay the fines and if he goes to jail, well, he figures that's the cost of doing business. He has no plans to give up on working the islands.
The goal of the new law is safety. The panhandlers are at risk of being hit or causing an accident. Many motorists find them annoying.
Police say repeat offenders will likely be arrested ... but the hope is they will get the message and move; it's still okay to panhandle on the street corner just not in the median.
