A Holiday Catalog of Bumming

Name: Bob Mauer

Age: 50

Tenure: About three years; he took time off to go to prison for aggravated assault, possession of an illegal weapon and burglary after he crawled into someone's unlocked garage. "I was just looking for a place to sleep," he says.

Distinction: Sign flyer

Tools: Camouflage jacket, candle for when it gets dark and cardboard sign that reads "HELP HOMELESS VET. Thank You."

Hangout: South side of the Truman Road and Broadway intersection

Smells like: R&R Whiskey and Roll Rich roll-your-own smokes

Odd detail: Wears Army shirt but says he was in Navy.

Formal education: Eleventh grade; machinist shop in prison

Previous gig: Oil-rig worker

Average take: $20 a day

Best take: "Yesterday, I made 28 bucks in about an hour, and that was enough. We left and got some cigarettes and some whiskey and shrimp over there in the River Market. We cooked them down there on the grill [in Case Park]. One night, we did chicken wings."

Trade secret: He points beneath the I-35 overpass. "Some of us live down by the bridge over there. We take turns, giving each one of us 30 minutes or so. I look for single people in cars. I think people are more giving when they are by themselves. What it is is, they don't have someone arguing, 'Why you giving them money?'"

Justification: "It's either this or I go around and try to bum money from people. That's more degrading than this."

Claim to fame: "Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night because some guy was stealing [my friend] Emily's purse, so I broke a bottle of whiskey over his head. But he still ran off with it. Then there was no more whiskey."

Best street Zen: Sleep near the railroad tracks. "The guys on the railroad train will come down and throw an eight-pack of water out to us. It's great because you wake up in the morning and you are thirsty. You know what I mean?"

Best street Zen, part two: "If you find someone else's backpack stashed, don't ever take that, because it is someone else's stuff. What if you run into them again? If you ain't got nothing, why take it from someone else? Usually all it is is dirty clothes."

Name: Pierce Vallier

Age: 61

Tenure: Fifth year of seasonal work

Distinction: Salvation Army worker

Tools: Company-issued wooden-handled brass bell, beanie, apron, name tag, red bucket on a stand, sign with the Salvation Army shield that reads "Doing The Most Good"

Hangout: In front of the Plaza LattéLand on 47th Street

Smells like: Coffee

Formal education: High school, some college

Previous gig: Worked part time for the AARP.

Average take: He doesn't know because the bucket is locked

Best take: "When I worked that corner right there [by Sharper Image], it was hundreds and hundreds of dollars. The bucket was so stuffed, I had to call someone to empty it."

Trade secret: "A lot of people are conditioned to the bell. Like Pavlov's dog, they know to donate." He shakes the bell, singing "Give up the money!"

Justification: "I needed the work. It was dependable. Working conditions are good, stuff like that. It's pretty hard to get people to volunteer 10 hours a day, seven days a week. I think I'm making $8 [an hour]. And they always give you gloves."

Side biz: Released his own spoken-word CD, The Blues 101, which he carries with him.

Claim to fame: "Just getting people to donate is a great achievement because it gets money to people to help. Christmas brings out a lot of people, but Salvation Army gives the money to people who really need it."

Political affiliation: "Mostly, I'm a Democrat. I worked the polls the last four years. I've worked [Emanuel] Cleaver's first campaign for Congress, canvassing."

Best street Zen: "Dress warm and always wear enough clothes because if it gets warm, you can take something off, but if you don't have enough, you can't put something on."

Name: Joseph

Age: 49

Tenure: About a year

Distinction: Cup rattler

Tools: A plastic bucket to sit on, given to him by Vincent, and a cup from the trash

Hangout: In front of Tommy Bahama on the Plaza

Smells like: Fresh air

Odd detail: Clean clothes, usually shaven; carries ornately beaded walking stick that he made himself.

Formal education: High school, some community college

Previous gig: Was laid off after 9/11 from his job as an airplane factory worker; a former Air Force mechanic (claims to have been shot in the stomach "during maneuvers").

Average take: $30 a day

Best take: $45 in a day: "It was a Saturday, and there were a lot of people."

Trade secret: Rather than rattle a cup, he asks directly. "A lot of it is eye contact. A lot of people, if they are not looking at you, they are not seeing what you are doing. Open your mouth. If you are asking for something with a closed mouth, you won't get fed. A lot of it depends on how many people you talk to. You are playing a game of odds. A lot of this boils down to a gimmick."