So I went to the Atlanta Zoo today to take a few photographs. I parked in the designated parking area, which is well marked, and started walking through the gates of Grant Park toward the zoo entrance. Like the hungry mosquitos we have in the south, no less than three panhandlers attacked me, asking for various amounts of change, between the parking lot and the zoo entrance. When I responded to these panhandlers by ingoring them, they continued to ask me, “Sir, can I axe [sic] you a question?” When I responded, “No, you don’t need to ask me a quesion,” they became hostile, followed me, and uttered statements under their breath.
When I reached the zoo toll booth, I told the toll-taker there were panhandlers bothering me (and others) in the park. I pointed to the panhandler that was most agressive, and the toll-taker replied, “He is a known panhandler and I will tell security, but we can’t really do anything because he is not on zoo grounds.”
Sorry, Atlanta Zoo, but if you can’t do anything about the panhandlers who accost me on the way into your park, then I can’t do anything more about supporting you. Welcome to Atlanta, ya’ll!