What is the Best Way to Respond to Panhandlers?

[CaliNative]

Every day I must be asked for change by strangers several times. If I the person is polite and seems honest and appears to be in genuine need, I might give them a few quarters or even a dollar or two. It must be very tough to be homeless and ask strangers for help. If I am having a bad day or am in a hurry, I sometimes ignore the panhandler, or just say hello or "I'm out of change". If the person is overly aggressive, I rarely give anything. I have heard that the best panhandlers can make hundreds of dollars a day. Can this be true? I don't see how, since most people seem to ignore the panhandlers.

How do you deal with panhandlers? Is it a mistake to give them money? How frequently in an average day are you asked for money by strangers, and if you want to say, how numerous are panhandlers in your city? In the San Diego area and most California cities, homelessness and panhandling are widespread.