The clientele that I deal with who are so messed up that they can't hold a job would not be able to beg, either. Getting to the begging place and frequently standing out there for hours is simply not possible for them. To do that for more than a few days at a time is not something I see any of them being capable of doing. We all know about the mentally ill who wander the streets pushing their shopping carts - poor souls. Those aren't the ones standing on the corner with a sign. Their thougths are so disorganized that they simply couldn't do it.
Panhandlers are, for the most part, professionals. This is what they do for a living. Some of them work harder than they would in some office jobs.

I very rarely give to panhandlers. I have a choice to patronize or not patronize any business or type of business, and I choose not to patronize this type of business.