Detroit Homeless Man Goes High-Tech

I’m assuming homeless people hear the sentence, “Sorry, don’t have any cash on me,” thousands of times a day. But there’s a guy in Detroit who got creative. Abe Hagenston has been homeless in Detroit for about seven years, living under an overpass.  And he recently took his panhandling to the next level . . . by accepting CREDIT CARDS. Quote, “I take Visa, Mastercard, American Express.  I’m the only homeless guy in America who can take a credit card.  It’s all done safely and securely.” Abe has a cell phone, and he bought a small credit card swiping attachment from Square.com.  It costs about $10, and they charge a small percentage fee. Even with his ability to take credit cards, he says his panhandling hasn’t been going that well.  He’s trying to get new glasses, but hasn’t gotten enough money to afford them yet.

See his story here