Charlotte employs a new strategy to discourage panhandling
City keeps quiet on recent effort to keep panhandlers out of medians
The following article appeared in the May 9, 2025, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
City tries new tactic to discourage panhandling — but details are scarce
At the busy intersection of Fairview and Providence roads, something new appeared in recent weeks: a yellow notice stenciled directly onto the concrete median on Fairview Road, declaring: “No Standing. No Sitting. No Lying.”
Below that, a citation: “Charlotte City Code Sec. 14-282.” That ordinance makes it illegal to stand, sit, lie or loiter in a road or median strip for the purpose of soliciting a ride, employment or business.
The median is a common site for panhandlers, so The Ledger wondered: Was the notice a sign that the city is planning to step up enforcement? Who painted the notice? And why?
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