Beggars a growing nuisance on Shanghai streets

SOME foreign travelers have complained about their frequent encounters with street beggars in the evening on some upscale streets in downtown Xuhui District.

And some local residents and cabbies also say they find panhandlers a headache especially after dark.

A taxi passenger surnamed Lin said he almost lost his BlackBerry to a beggar last night when he got off at the Donghu Hotel. A woman beggar in her 20s followed him to the hotel door and picked up the phone that slipped from his pocket and ran off.

But the cabbie saw the whole thing and shouted at Lin, who was able to catch the woman and retrieve his mobile phone.

Some locals are urging Xuhui District authorities to address the problem of street beggars and maintain order in public places.


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