Beggars harassing the public, in public....
Discussion
Do they really wonder why most people ignore them and try to avoid them like the plague?
Leaving the supermarket tonight, I was asked if I 'got sum change mate' by a beggar. I did, plenty actually, but I don't give money to beggars out of principle, even more so ones that can't even be bothered to ask me in a polite manner, so I just replied with 'sorry, no'. Firm yet perfectly polite.
I was then called a liar as I carried on my business...
Outraged at the bare face audacity and sheer cheek by a half drunk waster, clutching a can of strong beer and swaggering about with a couple of his equally oxygen theiving reprobate chums, making a menace of themselves and expecting a handout to feed their habits, I felt compelled to advise him that it was people and attitudes like his that are the reason why most people avoid making eye contact with beggars let alone giving them money to feed their alcohol and drug habits. All perfectly factual, especially given that said beggar personified the stereotype to a tee.
Cue a rant about 'my' attitude towards homeless people and how I thought I was 'so f
king superior' blah blah blah coupled with a couple of insults. All thoroughly charming indeed.
I work for every bit of change I have in my pocket. How I choose to spend it is my choice. If I want to put a quid in a cancer charity box once in a while, I will. But if I choose not to give money away that is my choice. Especially when I question where that money will go and what it will buy. My decisions shouldn't be open to question by anyone if I am frank.
For a second I was going to go back into the store and ask them why they were allowing beggars to pester and harass customers right outside the door, but frankly I couldn't be bothered with a scene and probably ending with with a knife or dirty needle in me. It wasn't even worth dignifying a drunk drug addict with anymore of my time or an argument, so pootled off to my car and onwards to my warm, comfortable house, which incidentally I also work 45 hours a week to pay for...
When common courtesy eludes people it gets by back up. But when people are that damn right rude I get damn right annoyed, especially when such people are a bad reflection on beggars when there really are so genuine cases involving people who really do want some change to afford them a cup of tea and a hot meal...
I could understand if I was rude from the outset, or at least draped in expensive clothes, but I wasn't.
Does anyone else have an opinion on beggars or any similar experiences to share?
How do you deal with beggars?
Leaving the supermarket tonight, I was asked if I 'got sum change mate' by a beggar. I did, plenty actually, but I don't give money to beggars out of principle, even more so ones that can't even be bothered to ask me in a polite manner, so I just replied with 'sorry, no'. Firm yet perfectly polite.
I was then called a liar as I carried on my business...
Outraged at the bare face audacity and sheer cheek by a half drunk waster, clutching a can of strong beer and swaggering about with a couple of his equally oxygen theiving reprobate chums, making a menace of themselves and expecting a handout to feed their habits, I felt compelled to advise him that it was people and attitudes like his that are the reason why most people avoid making eye contact with beggars let alone giving them money to feed their alcohol and drug habits. All perfectly factual, especially given that said beggar personified the stereotype to a tee.
Cue a rant about 'my' attitude towards homeless people and how I thought I was 'so f
king superior' blah blah blah coupled with a couple of insults. All thoroughly charming indeed. I work for every bit of change I have in my pocket. How I choose to spend it is my choice. If I want to put a quid in a cancer charity box once in a while, I will. But if I choose not to give money away that is my choice. Especially when I question where that money will go and what it will buy. My decisions shouldn't be open to question by anyone if I am frank.
For a second I was going to go back into the store and ask them why they were allowing beggars to pester and harass customers right outside the door, but frankly I couldn't be bothered with a scene and probably ending with with a knife or dirty needle in me. It wasn't even worth dignifying a drunk drug addict with anymore of my time or an argument, so pootled off to my car and onwards to my warm, comfortable house, which incidentally I also work 45 hours a week to pay for...
When common courtesy eludes people it gets by back up. But when people are that damn right rude I get damn right annoyed, especially when such people are a bad reflection on beggars when there really are so genuine cases involving people who really do want some change to afford them a cup of tea and a hot meal...
I could understand if I was rude from the outset, or at least draped in expensive clothes, but I wasn't.
Does anyone else have an opinion on beggars or any similar experiences to share?
How do you deal with beggars?
reminds me of a story...genuine.
My best mate had bought a hot chocolate (to take out) from a generic coffee shop chain. He literally had got out of the door and there was a beggar a few yards down the street and so having a fit of good nature he walk towards him. It was a bitter feb morning and he went up to the beggar and said (words to the effect of) "here you go mate, warm yourself up"
My mate hadn't taken a sip from said drink and was being 100% genuine and good natured. So he gets a few paces away from the the beggar who must have just taken a sip...the words he hears were....and i quote..."i don't like hot chocolate, i want a tea"
Whats the saying....
My best mate had bought a hot chocolate (to take out) from a generic coffee shop chain. He literally had got out of the door and there was a beggar a few yards down the street and so having a fit of good nature he walk towards him. It was a bitter feb morning and he went up to the beggar and said (words to the effect of) "here you go mate, warm yourself up"
My mate hadn't taken a sip from said drink and was being 100% genuine and good natured. So he gets a few paces away from the the beggar who must have just taken a sip...the words he hears were....and i quote..."i don't like hot chocolate, i want a tea"
Whats the saying....
theironduke said:
reminds me of a story...genuine.
My best mate had bought a hot chocolate (to take out) from a generic coffee shop chain. He literally had got out of the door and there was a beggar a few yards down the street and so having a fit of good nature he walk towards him. It was a bitter feb morning and he went up to the beggar and said (words to the effect of) "here you go mate, warm yourself up"
My mate hadn't taken a sip from said drink and was being 100% genuine and good natured. So he gets a few paces away from the the beggar who must have just taken a sip...the words he hears were....and i quote..."i don't like hot chocolate, i want a tea"
Whats the saying....
Was it him?My best mate had bought a hot chocolate (to take out) from a generic coffee shop chain. He literally had got out of the door and there was a beggar a few yards down the street and so having a fit of good nature he walk towards him. It was a bitter feb morning and he went up to the beggar and said (words to the effect of) "here you go mate, warm yourself up"
My mate hadn't taken a sip from said drink and was being 100% genuine and good natured. So he gets a few paces away from the the beggar who must have just taken a sip...the words he hears were....and i quote..."i don't like hot chocolate, i want a tea"
Whats the saying....
DAVEVO9 said:
theironduke said:
reminds me of a story...genuine.
My best mate had bought a hot chocolate (to take out) from a generic coffee shop chain. He literally had got out of the door and there was a beggar a few yards down the street and so having a fit of good nature he walk towards him. It was a bitter feb morning and he went up to the beggar and said (words to the effect of) "here you go mate, warm yourself up"
My mate hadn't taken a sip from said drink and was being 100% genuine and good natured. So he gets a few paces away from the the beggar who must have just taken a sip...the words he hears were....and i quote..."i don't like hot chocolate, i want a tea"
Whats the saying....
Was it him?My best mate had bought a hot chocolate (to take out) from a generic coffee shop chain. He literally had got out of the door and there was a beggar a few yards down the street and so having a fit of good nature he walk towards him. It was a bitter feb morning and he went up to the beggar and said (words to the effect of) "here you go mate, warm yourself up"
My mate hadn't taken a sip from said drink and was being 100% genuine and good natured. So he gets a few paces away from the the beggar who must have just taken a sip...the words he hears were....and i quote..."i don't like hot chocolate, i want a tea"
Whats the saying....
I wish i'd have been there, when i was told the story i was in tears.....to this date my mate still can't believe the smelly old barsteward said it!
iPod + headphone seem to do the trick, to be honest.
That said, I did have a bit of a consistent "relationship" with one guy on the way to my local - I knew he smoked, so if my packet of cigs was down to 5 or so, I'd usually drop them to him and pick up a new pack down the road.
He never hassled me, never asked for anything, just said hello whenever I walked passed, even if I wasn't giving him any cigs. Seemed like a nice enough guy.
That said, I did have a bit of a consistent "relationship" with one guy on the way to my local - I knew he smoked, so if my packet of cigs was down to 5 or so, I'd usually drop them to him and pick up a new pack down the road.
He never hassled me, never asked for anything, just said hello whenever I walked passed, even if I wasn't giving him any cigs. Seemed like a nice enough guy.
I once parked up in town (quiet street with parking meters) and saw one approaching me when I got out. Expecting the usual BS he suprised me by opening with, "Give us 50p and I'll tell you something useful". Normally I'd just use a more diplomatic version of 'ps off', but I was actually quite intrigued so I forked out 50p for the guy.
Not expecting much, I asked him what useful knowledge he had, and he said, "Park over by that meter instead, it's got an hour and a half left on it".
So some of them are alright
s off', but I was actually quite intrigued so I forked out 50p for the guy.Not expecting much, I asked him what useful knowledge he had, and he said, "Park over by that meter instead, it's got an hour and a half left on it".
So some of them are alright
There are numerous reasons for proper down and out beggars and unless you know the full story it's hard to tar them all with the same brush. What really infuriates me is pikey s asking for 'a quid for't bus maate' decked out in Elizabeth Duke's finest wares. They tend to attempt to be more intimidating than beggars and more persistent. A firm 'fk off you scrawny little ' tends to work though.
s asking for 'a quid for't bus maate' decked out in Elizabeth Duke's finest wares. They tend to attempt to be more intimidating than beggars and more persistent. A firm 'fk off you scrawny little ' tends to work though.A friend of mine is a hard working guy; over the years I've seen him work his way up from being a local salesman bombing round in his old Mini to being a VP of sales in a multinational.
Him and a few friends got on the Tube one day and a guy got on going along begging; my friend was polite but declined to give anything and turned away from the guy.
The beggar started a rant about "you think you're better than me" etc. etc. My friend wasn't rude, tried having a reasonable conversation, but said crusty just got more and more ranty.
It all ended when the beggar said "there's nothing you can do that I can't" at which point said friend had had enough, took a £20 or £50 note out of his wallet, and set fire to it with his lighter with the words "can you do that then?" Exit beggar stage left.
Not big or clever, but he'd had enough verbal bashing from the beggar.
Him and a few friends got on the Tube one day and a guy got on going along begging; my friend was polite but declined to give anything and turned away from the guy.
The beggar started a rant about "you think you're better than me" etc. etc. My friend wasn't rude, tried having a reasonable conversation, but said crusty just got more and more ranty.
It all ended when the beggar said "there's nothing you can do that I can't" at which point said friend had had enough, took a £20 or £50 note out of his wallet, and set fire to it with his lighter with the words "can you do that then?" Exit beggar stage left.
Not big or clever, but he'd had enough verbal bashing from the beggar.
I would never give money, from my experience the vast majority are hopeless drug addicts/alcoholics.
Regardless of the sob story you can be sure that within 30-minutes of handing over your hard-earned it will be shot straight up their arm or exchanged for a can of special brew.
To top that off, the majority will also be thieving from charity boxes, prolific shoplifiting, burgling your homes and robbing to fund their habits.
As already said if you feel the need ensure it is food/water/blanket rather than sterling!
Regardless of the sob story you can be sure that within 30-minutes of handing over your hard-earned it will be shot straight up their arm or exchanged for a can of special brew.
To top that off, the majority will also be thieving from charity boxes, prolific shoplifiting, burgling your homes and robbing to fund their habits.
As already said if you feel the need ensure it is food/water/blanket rather than sterling!
There used to be a paraffin that sat outside the Spar next to my old works. I was in there one day and the stinking bd was walking out of the shop. The guy that run the Spar saw the look of disgust on my face and told me that the day before, he came into the shop with a cheese sandwich saying someone had bought it for him. He said he didn't like cheese and asked could he swap it for a can of Special Brew.
d was walking out of the shop. The guy that run the Spar saw the look of disgust on my face and told me that the day before, he came into the shop with a cheese sandwich saying someone had bought it for him. He said he didn't like cheese and asked could he swap it for a can of Special Brew.I try not to be clever because you don't know what they are "packing".
In Sydney once a guy asked for change for a ticket to Paramatta I said no and he walked off, I said "it's not far to walk" (it was) as I went through the barriers and he shouted back "what did you say?", vaulted the barriers and started chasing me! I doubled back and nipped into the office and the staff chased him off.
They said to "smack him in the face next-time mate".
In Sydney once a guy asked for change for a ticket to Paramatta I said no and he walked off, I said "it's not far to walk" (it was) as I went through the barriers and he shouted back "what did you say?", vaulted the barriers and started chasing me! I doubled back and nipped into the office and the staff chased him off.
They said to "smack him in the face next-time mate".
Edited by Gareth79 on Friday 22 January 23:31
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