Winston-Salem downtowners disagree on aggressive panhandling claims

On Saturday, Darrell Lyles, a black homeless man, walked from table to table on Fourth Street, asking patio diners if they had three dollars to spare.

Lyles is just one of several panhandlers — exact numbers are vague — working the downtown area. He said that he sometimes follows people for money but that he hasn’t seen other panhandlers doing the same thing. Lyles said he does it so he can get food to eat.

“I like to do the same thing they do,” he said, pointing to the diners enjoying their sandwiches and salads on Restaurant Row. “I think it’s nice.”

Bobby Finch, a partner at Triad Commercial Properties, and Jason Thiel, president of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, have recently said that aggressive panhandling is an increasing issue in downtown Winston-Salem.

Read more: https://triad-city-beat.com/winston-salem-panhandling/