The poor going hungry.

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Justayellowbadge

Original Poster:

37,057 posts

243 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Anyone hear this on R4 this morning?

They were interviewing people at a food bank, food poverty being so prevalent, apparently.

There were some sad stories, admittedly. But..

Woman was collecting free food for the week and was asked how she did spend what she had.

"Well, I smoke. And my husband smokes. We tried to give up but can't."

Even as a smoker (well, now ex) it raises my blood pressure a tad...

essayer

9,085 posts

195 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
It was the fact they ate st like fish fingers as well which didn't help them.

The presenter even asked them "what about buying lentils, high in protein and cheap?"

"Oh we don't like those"

ffs

Hugo a Gogo

23,378 posts

234 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
give em free fags

them fake chinese ones they confiscate

job jobbed

ukwill

8,918 posts

208 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
essayer said:
It was the fact they ate st like fish fingers as well which didn't help them.

The presenter even asked them "what about buying lentils, high in protein and cheap?"

"Oh we don't like those"

ffs
Leave fish fingers the fk alone. furious

turbobloke

104,074 posts

261 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
They could go and stay with Polly Toynbee in her Tuscany villa.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

187 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Justayellowbadge said:
Anyone hear this on R4 this morning?

They were interviewing people at a food bank, food poverty being so prevalent, apparently.

There were some sad stories, admittedly. But..

Woman was collecting free food for the week and was asked how she did spend what she had.

"Well, I smoke. And my husband smokes. We tried to give up but can't."

Even as a smoker (well, now ex) it raises my blood pressure a tad...
Ooh, yes, I had to open the van window and direct air over my bladder region.

She didn't know how much she spent on fags, and almost snorted at the idea at eating cheap protein. Nope, she just wanted the free food.

Was quite impressed at the resilience of a smoker that can keep puffing away after their daughter expired from cancer.

Justayellowbadge

Original Poster:

37,057 posts

243 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Johnnytheboy said:
Was quite impressed at the resilience of a smoker that can keep puffing away after their daughter expired from cancer.
She actually gave her daughter's cancer as one of the mitigating factors for them still smoking.



Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

187 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Justayellowbadge said:
Johnnytheboy said:
Was quite impressed at the resilience of a smoker that can keep puffing away after their daughter expired from cancer.
She actually gave her daughter's cancer as one of the mitigating factors for them still smoking.
Yes, I thought "good excuse".

Deva Link

26,934 posts

246 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Justayellowbadge said:
"Well, I smoke. And my husband smokes.
It's an effective way for the Government to reclaim benefits off people.

Westy Pre-Lit

5,087 posts

204 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Let them eat cake.

Aids

206 posts

168 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Well my uncle died from lung cancer back in January 2008, this should be a warning to anybody who smokes, I gave up in 1998!

The Nur

9,168 posts

186 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Hugo a Gogo said:
give em free fags

them fake chinese ones they confiscate

job jobbed
They say 1/5 fags is a chinese fake anyway. Plus the fact that they probably buy their fags from "down the pub, coz they is like well cheap, innit", they probably smoke nothing but dodgy chinese copies.

Digga

40,373 posts

284 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
ukwill said:
essayer said:
It was the fact they ate st like fish fingers as well which didn't help them.

The presenter even asked them "what about buying lentils, high in protein and cheap?"

"Oh we don't like those"

ffs
Leave fish fingers the fk alone. furious
And tommy ketch sarnies for that matter. Poverty grub rocks.

superlightr

12,857 posts

264 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Justayellowbadge said:
Anyone hear this on R4 this morning?

They were interviewing people at a food bank, food poverty being so prevalent, apparently.

There were some sad stories, admittedly. But..

Woman was collecting free food for the week and was asked how she did spend what she had.

"Well, I smoke. And my husband smokes. We tried to give up but can't."

Even as a smoker (well, now ex) it raises my blood pressure a tad...
could we secretly add something to their food to make them sterile?

The Nur

9,168 posts

186 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
superlightr said:
could we secretly add something to their food to make them sterile?
How long before they demand IVF because they can't have benefits babies anymore?

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

251 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
I just knew exactly where your post was going.

It seems to me there are far fewer "poor" than there are who believe they are poor.

The problem is people believe they should have a certain standard of living and that is very different to what I believe should be the minimum.

I bet they don't watch Jeremy Kyle on a tv they got from Freecycle.

fido

16,820 posts

256 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Deva Link said:
Justayellowbadge said:
"Well, I smoke. And my husband smokes.
It's an effective way for the Government to reclaim benefits off people.
It would be 100% effective if they just spent their benefits for its intended purpose i.e. food. Some sort of vouchers are in order, though i suppose the feckless could sell them on to someone at a loss. Perhaps combine it with an ID system so that only the recipient can use the vouchers. F8ck it, just reduce the benefits so they are forced to choose between Sky and Food. If they still make the wrong choice then it's back to the soup kitchen.

Pothole

34,367 posts

283 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
As with most of this kind of thing, the root cause is lack of education.

turbobloke

104,074 posts

261 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
Pothole said:
As with most of this kind of thing, the root cause is lack of education.
There's room for improvement but it would be on the harsh side to blame either teachers or the education system. The fact that people can go through compulsory schooling and still emerge capable of making bad life decisions is equally down to the lazy selfish instant gratification drive in some people which would survive anything short of electrodes.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

246 months

Thursday 19th July 2012
quotequote all
fido said:
It would be 100% effective if they just spent their benefits for its intended purpose i.e. food. Some sort of vouchers are in order, though i suppose the feckless could sell them on to someone at a loss. Perhaps combine it with an ID system so that only the recipient can use the vouchers. F8ck it, just reduce the benefits so they are forced to choose between Sky and Food. If they still make the wrong choice then it's back to the soup kitchen.
If food is available free (presumeably it's provided by charity) then benefits levels could be reduced to take this into account.