Kevin Barbieux explains this so much better than I ever have:
Ok, so what’s the difference between a Panhandler and a Beggar? Well, to my mind there is a difference. The panhandler is stationary, his technique involves picking one place to sit or stand while waiting for you to pass by. The beggar is on the move, his technique involves finding one in the area most likely to buy his pitch. The panhandler works on the odds that a certain percentage of the entire population will walk by him, and throw something into his pan/hat/cup/palm. The beggar is more aggressive, and more cunning; he is the tiger on the prowl, looking for the weak and the young.
Why do they beg or panhandle? Drugs…
