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Spare any change?

Plumstead_MickyPlumstead_Micky
in Not Sports Related
What do you do when you hear these words?

Seeing a down and out in London is quite commonplace and where once upon a time I might have chucked a coin or two in their hat I now walk past believing they just spend any money on drink or drugs. There's one 'tramp' I saw regularly for years at Charing Cross underground station who I'd say is a professional beggar.

Today though I walked past a woman begging outside Erith train station. I've never seen anyone begging there. She had a note saying she was homeless. All this made me think perhaps she is 'genuine' and I felt a bit heartless walking by, although I wasn't the only one it seemed. Our London conditioning no doubt!

Who gives money regardless of circumstance? Do you think that's a mug's game and just encouraging more of the same or an act of kindness?
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Comments

  • PL54PL54
    I gave up giving on the street when selling The big Issue became a career choice not a stop-gap
  • MrOneLungMrOneLung
    Never give anything.

    Only time was one Christmas to one I had seen at London bridge opposite richer sounds for years. He wasn't begging but gave him a fiver.

    Most of them are professionals and although it shouldn't cloud my judgement most of them are foreign these days. Quite a few in Knightsbridge where I work.
  • DRAddickDRAddick
    edited September 2014
    I don't give money, but i do sometimes offer to buy them something to eat and drink. I admit I do go by their look, behaviour and my years of experience of interacting with homeless people in a previous professional capacity. You can generally tell then whether they are genuine or not by the look on their face and their response. If they're not genuine but still happily accept and play the part well at least my money's not gone towards something or someone else and it doesn't really matter as I don't know any difference. Not bothered if I've been fooled occasionally knowing that genuine people are mostly benefiting.

    Edit.....And if you think it's bad in London, I was in Brussels the other week; Jesus wept. Much worse than here and there there's also mostly groups of gypsy beggars with young kids continuously going around the tourist areas and in amongst the street restaurant tables so you have to continuously keep an eye on any bags or whatever.
  • Joshuk87Joshuk87
    I also work in Knightsbridge sick of them ATM. Rang the police re it the other day. Espc when they come along on a crutch and u try and get out the way and suddenly they regain full use of legs to get in your way! Or the crying please please please everytime I walk past! Do my head in! Rant over!
  • sadiejane1981sadiejane1981
    DRAddick said:

    I don't give money, but i do sometimes offer to buy them something to eat and drink. I admit I do go by their look, behaviour and my years of experience of interacting with homeless people in a previous professional capacity. You can generally tell then whether they are genuine or not by the look on their face and their response. If they're not genuine but still happily accept and play the part well at least my money's not gone towards something or someone else and it doesn't really matter as I don't know any difference. Not bothered if I've been fooled occasionally knowing that genuine people are mostly benefiting.

    I'm similar to this, there are some where you say, would you like me to buy something to eat and a hot drink snd they decline or say they'd rather have to money to buy for themselves, these ones are not hungry but looking for their next fix. I'd much rather give them a cup of tea and a hot snack, I then feel good that I never ignored them and they get something inside them.
  • JaddickJaddick
    Maybe a little off topic but anyone notice the amount of homeless people in Brighton?

    You had to push in a code from your receipt to go to the toilet in Burger King because of the problem, crazy.


    And as much as I'd like to, I do not give a lot to homeless people, student debts and all that.
  • MrOneLungMrOneLung
    Just remembered one in the city who used to come and say he was just trying to scrape money together for night in hostel or b&b and would tell a joke to earn his quid. Was never drunk or looked like on drugs, and would often be outside the pubs. At least he tried to charm you and put some effort in.
  • LawrieAbrahamsLawrieAbrahams
    Plumstead_Micky said:

    What do you do when you hear these words?

    Seeing a down and out in London is quite commonplace and where once upon a time I might have chucked a coin or two in their hat I now walk past believing they just spend any money on drink or drugs. There's one 'tramp' I saw regularly for years at Charing Cross underground station who I'd say is a professional beggar.

    Today though I walked past a woman begging outside Erith train station. I've never seen anyone begging there. She had a note saying she was homeless. All this made me think perhaps she is 'genuine' and I felt a bit heartless walking by, although I wasn't the only one it seemed. Our London conditioning no doubt!

    Who gives money regardless of circumstance? Do you think that's a mug's game and just encouraging more of the same or an act of kindness?

    If it's the same bloke I've seen then yes he is a professional beggar and has been for years. I saw him earlier this week by the stairs up to CX station from the tube.
    You are better off making a donation to a charity because most of them will spend it on drink or drugs.
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  • BedsaddickBedsaddick
    edited September 2014
    There is a young man who regularly walks through each carriage of our train on our way to work in the morning.
    He has a 30 second set piece that he tells everyone who he hasn't eaten or slept for days and he deliberately stinks.

    Ive watched him and on my 7 minute trip from Finsbury Park to Alexander palace and he almost always takes five pound coins from idiots who either fall for his bullshit story or who want the stink to be as far away from themselves as possible.
    Ticket inspectors avoid him.

    This guy is a genius and a very very wealthy one at that.

    Im told this guy earns from over £500 a day and I can quite believe it.

    DONT give beggers money because you can bank on it they are earning far more an hour then you ever will.
  • iainambleriainambler
    I was in Rochester for a meeting a couple of years back and as I sat under a tree by the Cathedral to eat my Subway footlong a chap in his 50/60's came over for a "chat". Opening line was "Are you a Christian gentleman?".... It so happens I am. And it also happened to be the case that I hadn't got any spare change in my pocket either - just had the folding stuff. And a footlong sub.
    Offered him half the footlong (which genuinely was all I was going to offer as a tenner just was not going to happen) and he was stalling for money so I gave him an ultimatum of half a footlong or nothing.
    I've never seen anyone devour something quite so fast as he did......!
  • Plumstead_MickyPlumstead_Micky
    LawrieAbrahams said:

    Plumstead_Micky said:

    What do you do when you hear these words?

    Seeing a down and out in London is quite commonplace and where once upon a time I might have chucked a coin or two in their hat I now walk past believing they just spend any money on drink or drugs. There's one 'tramp' I saw regularly for years at Charing Cross underground station who I'd say is a professional beggar.

    Today though I walked past a woman begging outside Erith train station. I've never seen anyone begging there. She had a note saying she was homeless. All this made me think perhaps she is 'genuine' and I felt a bit heartless walking by, although I wasn't the only one it seemed. Our London conditioning no doubt!

    Who gives money regardless of circumstance? Do you think that's a mug's game and just encouraging more of the same or an act of kindness?

    If it's the same bloke I've seen then yes he is a professional beggar and has been for years. I saw him earlier this week by the stairs up to CX station from the tube.
    You are better off making a donation to a charity because most of them will spend it on drink or drugs.
    That's right. He is always by the stairs.
  • paulbaconsarniepaulbaconsarnie
    Is the bloke with the trumpet still around charingx?
    Used to be as you go from front of station, across the road on the path that leads to post office and chandos pub.
    I always gave him a few quid if he played the red red robin. Which he always did.
  • charltonkestoncharltonkeston
    About 6 months back in one of the roads off Tottingham Court road there was a guy who made his bed/shelter in one of the door ways. Over it he had placed a sign; "This could be you".
    This man looked clean, his clothes were tidy, he looked completly normal except he was living in a pile of cardboard and wood sheets.
    I cant believe anyone starts out in life with the ambition to become down and out and for the young to be begging is one of the sadest sights you can witness on our streets.
  • nichorobnichorob
    There is a bloke regularly outside Victoria who plays songs using a traffic cone as an instrument, makes a packet.
  • AddicktedAddickted
    A lot of difference between a busker and a beggar.

    A good busker will always get something from me - they've entertained me and 'earned it'.

    To many 'professional' beggars about for me to give them the time of day.
  • soapy_jonessoapy_jones
    edited September 2014
    Interesting correlation between the subjects of begging on the streets of London and Scottish Independence. If my years of boozing outside of the Hamilton Halls by Liverpool Street station is anything to go by.
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  • O-Randy-HuntO-Randy-Hunt
    I fell for one hook line and sinker the other day.

    This fella on rathbone place pulls up his sleeve and has a massive open wound on his arm. Blood all inside the sleeve. He said to me 'can you spare some change so I can get a cab to the hospital, I've fallen off of my bike'

    Divvy bollocks here gives him a quid while in shock at the state of his arm. We walk away and my mate tells me you've just been done, he is wearing a fake sleeve. I should have said to him ill call you an ambulance and he would have probably just said, na don't worry about it.
  • boggzyboggzy
    Buskers if they're good I'll happily give something to. Beggars very very rarely unless they look in real distress.

    On a side note, if I give them money, it's completely up to them what they do with it.
  • colthe3rdcolthe3rd
    With a heavy heart I say no to them, just because you can't be sure the circumstances of the person asking and/or what they will be spending it on. I give money to charities such as shelter instead so I can be sure that the money will be put to good use.

    The one that really annoys me though are those that come up asking for strange amounts, something along the lines of "Sorry mate can you spare some change, I need another 37p to get home." Fuck off you cretin. You've just admitted you aren't homeless, you stink and most probably that money will be used on some method of intoxicating yourself. If you want my money at least be honest about what it is going to be used for.
  • GreenieGreenie
    No from me. I will put some change in the buskers hat though.
    Although Greenie Jnr bought one oily lamp breakfast a few weeks ago and the bloke wasn't too happy about it!
  • ValleyGaryValleyGary
    nichorob said:

    There is a bloke regularly outside Victoria who plays songs using a traffic cone as an instrument, makes a packet.

    I love that guy!
  • nichorobnichorob
    He does a good cover of the great escape
  • CarterCarter
    There is a guy who has earned the moniker 'billy the quid' in the medway towns. He is an absolute menace. Now what I'm about to say, I say knowing him and knowing his history and his story.

    He is of Indian blood and pretty tall, face only a mother could love and teeth that could chew an apple through a letterbox. He will do anything, ANYTHING for a nugget. People have asked him to finger his own dung button for a quid and billy obliges. Offer him a macdonalds and he will turn his nose up. The guy has money, lots of money and recently did a spell inside for defrauding a lady of about 30 grand.

    He has been given a raft of ASBO's to keep him out of the high streets of medway and this keeps him away for a bit but means the nuisance is sitting in peoples front doors in Luton.

    It is because of people like him beggars do not get much shrift from me. Which is a shame because I know not everyone is like him
  • colthe3rdcolthe3rd
    Wasn't he on that Coppers programme as well? Tv personality
  • PlaaayerPlaaayer
    I stopped giving them money when I walked past one asleep in a door way at Victoria who pulled out his ringing iphone from his sleeping bag. Where the feck does he charge the thing?
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