Amid growing concern about homelessness and associated problems in Waikiki, the City Council will soon consider banning "aggressive" panhandling near ATMs and check-cashing businesses.

"Unfortunately, some of our residents, and especially our visitors in Waikiki, have been harassed by aggressive panhandlers when they get money from ATMs," said Councilman Charles Djou, who represents the area.

Djou sponsored the proposal after the Waikiki Neighborhood Board voted 10-6 earlier this month to seek such a ban. Members complained about abusive behavior among a subset of homeless people in the area.

"This bill seeks to prevent individuals, including foreign visitors unfamiliar with local customs, from being intimidated when obtaining cash," Djou said.

If the measure is approved by the council, panhandlers would face a $25 fine for each offense.

The council is scheduled to take an initial vote on Bill 81 on Wednesday. Final approval would require several additional votes over two months or more.

One man who was discreetly panhandling along Kalakaua Avenue early Friday, away from ATMs, said he was not particularly worried about a ban, but conceded that some competitors become too forceful and draw unwanted police attention.

No aggressive panhandling was apparent near prominent ATMs before noon, but several homeless people strolled or sat along Kalakaua and other Waikiki streets, including a few who appeared intoxicated despite the early hour.

On Kuhio Avenue, a police officer questioned a disheveled man and woman sitting outside a convenience store with a soiled blanket. They soon stumbled off down Lili'uokalani Avenue, where he stopped to urinate in some bushes while glaring at passers-by, and she collapsed at his feet as her pants slipped to thigh level.

Djou, an attorney, said he modeled his legislation after similar bans enacted in Denver and Minneapolis. Laws that broadly targeted begging and panhandling in some other cities were struck down in courts as unconstitutional violations of the right to free speech. The American Civil Liberties Union's Hawai'i chapter — which has opposed some efforts to ban other controversial public behavior in Waikiki, such as street performances that include solicitations — could not be reached Friday for comment.