Lake Worth's proposed panhandling ban is too broad | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

The Post's editorial board weighs in on the anti-panhandling ordinance up for second reading this coming Tuesday. Click title for link. I have some concerns about its ability to be enforced and with that comes some vagueness, and they pick up on that. Here is a bit from the editorial:

City attorneys say Lake Worth’s ordinance, which faces a final vote Tuesday, is modeled on similar panhandling bans in Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg. Lake Worth’s ordinance wouldn’t ban panhandling across the board, but it would do so in many of the places where people are most likely to congregate: bus stops, cafes, parking lots and within 15 feet of the entrance to any business or government building.
That would seem to eliminate nearly all of downtown Lake Worth’s main strip, whose sidewalks are lined with small stores, cafes and bars. The rule may not officially impose any blanket bans on panhandling downtown, but that very well could be its practical effect.
The proposed rules would also impose a sweeping ban on all “aggressive panhandling,” which is defined as repeated or intimidating requests, including those accompanied by physical contact or verbal threats. Since much of this sort of behavior is illegal already, it’s doubtful that this prohibition will raise many hackles. It’s the bans on simple panhandling that seem more problematic.