ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - On exit ramps around the city of St. Louis, more “no begging” signs are going up.

Bill Siedhoff, the city’s director of Human Services, says the signs are needed at places such as the eastbound Highway 40 exit ramp onto 14th Street.

“In some cases, it’s so aggressive that it’s so intimidating to people that they actually choose to change their route,” he said, standing alongside the exit. “They don’t even want to use this exit and this is one of the major exits as you come into the downtown area.”

Last year, city officials put up the signs in 25 locations and plan to add another two dozen at begging hot spots, including Lindell and Skinker near Washington University, to cut down on “excessive begging,” described by Siedhoff as “where you actually go up to someone’s car, you beat on the window.”

“That’s so intimidating to people and it literally scares people,” he said.