When people use cardboard signs to ask for money, their success depends on a number of factors, including the sign’s explicit message, the target of its solicitation, and even whether a passing historian happens to find it worth buying. Consider the following approaches, turned up in a scan of Flickr photos.
A claim of sobriety and/or family responsibility:
Photo: Mistermuckle
Photo: yummyporkySeeking help for meting out revenge:
Photo: The ConsumeristOffering self as a sounding board:
Photo: slavaThe romantic touch:
And a plea to fulfill the most basic human right:
Photo: RogueSun Media
and 
. You can also watch it on 
My favorite all-time: “Why Lie I Needs A Beer”
Wildly successful.
A Street Outreach program in Minneapolis recently did a survey of panhandlers and folks on the streets to find out why they beg and what they spend money on (as well as other interesting information). They posted the results as a PDF: http://www.ststephensmpls.org/Library/upload/why%20i%20beg.pdf
@#2 Mike B,
I’d wager that most people aren’t giving money to people on the streets because they think it’ll help the homeless, per se, but because the direct confrontation has embarrassed them and made them feel immediate guilt.
I live in Puerto Rico and here and sadly begging on corners in even more common than I saw when I lived in Washington D.C.
The comic relief on the topic came from a friend who just had to stop and take a picture of the guy she saw holding a cardboard sign that said…NOTHING. Not a word written on it.
There was a guy who used to stand by the Holland Tunnel entrance in New York City with a sign reading:
What is the greatest nation on earth?
DO NATION
During morning rush hour on Astor Place in NYC I saw my favorite plea for cash: “Need $1,000,000.50 for wine research.” I laughed out loud so I had to give him the 50 cents as I’m sure many others did.
In Portland, Oregon, I once saw a guy holding a sign that said “Vision of a Cheeseburger.”
Socialists took all my money!
I want my country back!