Click to watch video

You see them on the streets, panhandlers asking for money or food.

KHOU-TV

Nathan has made a career of crossing busy intersections.

These days they’re getting more creative in their attempts to cash in on compassion.

If you live in or around the Montrose area, you've probably seen Nathan. For more than a year this well-spoken man, who is legally blind, has made a career crossing busy intersections.

HPD said nearly every day someone calls 911 telling them a blind man needs help.

But by the time police arrive, he’s usually been picked up by someone.

Someone who gives him a ride, like 11 News reporter Jeff McShan.

On this night Peggy and Dan Crone stopped to help him.

What Nathan does when he gets in you car is ask for money for a hotel room.

People across the street at a bar tried desperately to warn the Crones that this is Nathan’s career.

When McShan said apparently there were a lot of people over at the sports bar, “Screw them,” Nathan said.

“Well you know what I think. People can screw off basically because I need the help and the bottom line is I am going to get the help regardless so with that, I am out of here,” he said.

It’s been well documented that across the nation that street beggars are becoming creative. Some have been said to make more than $40,000 dollars a year.

One woman, who was soliciting money for her dying child, actually avoided our cameras after we learned her story was a lie.

“Probably most of them are lying to get the money,” said Assistant District Attorney Russell Turbeville.

Unfortunately, the United States Supreme Court interpreting the Constitution basically said that no state or locality can enact any law to effectively regulate any charities.

These street beggars are classified as working as a charity.

So for now, the tugging of your heart continues.

Because for now it’s been profitable to people like Nathan. Whether he will admit it or not.