"The Big Issue, whose vendors are classed as self-employed, offers an opportunity for A2 migrants to work in the UK. By 2011, around half of Big Issue sellers in the north of England were of Romani origin, many of whom having migrated from Romania and Bulgaria." This is from a newspaper article headlined "Efforts to integrate Roma people are under threat from cuts".
I suppose if you are homeless then it doesn't matter that you travelled from your home country to be homeless in another one but I am not convinced this is what the programme was originally designed for is it ?
How dare those people come here to escape persecution!
Plenty of other safer, closer countries for them to choose if that's the sole reason.
Personally I don't care if they are spending it on drink or drugs. If they need money they need money. If someone has got a totally sh*t life who am I to dictate how they make themselves feel better.
So if they advertised that their intention was to spend your gift on drugs (by way of a sign or perhaps proclaiming that they needed money for this purpose) it would not change your desire to give them cash because it would make them feel better?
If me giving a couple of quid to an addict helps prevent them getting so desperate that they resort to mugging an old dear for her purse then I can live with that.
On the spare any chance line. The day after we played Bristol Rovers in Bath. A down & out offered to fight me for the price of a cup of tea!
Did he think you would pay for a fight? You should have told him that you could have got a fight in Bristol any day of the week. They spend most of the time fighting each other there anyway...
As someone who lives in Bristol most of the year I would like to categorically refute this statement. In fact, I'm quite offended by this wholly inaccurate allegation.
there is a 40/50 year old woman with ginger curly hair who regularly stands by the bp near charlton on matchdays who points at random cars that are by a petrol pump asking for two pounds for petrol cos shes left her purse at home seen he do it at other petrol stations and at petts wood train station shes very convincing as she puts on a posh-ish accent, seen blokes hand over £5 / 10 pounds beware !!
nooooooooooooooooooooo gone on say it again "roma gypsies have come here to escape persecution"--------------mwwwwwwwwwwhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa no iv got to say it again "roma gypsies have come here to escape persecution" fecking best thing on here in years
Personally I don't care if they are spending it on drink or drugs. If they need money they need money. If someone has got a totally sh*t life who am I to dictate how they make themselves feel better. If I feel I can spare it I give it, if I don't I don't. If I just feel that I don't want to give anything, I don't. If I can't let go of the money and let go of the idea that i have some responsibility or right to say how the person should use it I'm better off keeping it - that's what giving is. Once it is in their hand it is their money. If they are lying and cheating then ultimately I don't lose much by giving away a few quid but I suspect they lose something. If I am a naive fool, then I am a naive fool who has a home to live in, food in the cupboard, and not imminently in danger of being raped, beaten up or robbed, so I can't be THAT naive.
I dont give homeless people anything after a very annoying and bad experience I had a couple of years ago.
I was around liverpool street, on lunch. This bloke came up to me begging for money so he could get a bus as his daughter was in hospital and he needed to get there as soon as possible...
He seemed agrivated, desperate and appriciative of any help. I only had £5 on me. Oh dear...It was now his. I found out later I got verbally mugged...
A couple of weeks later I saw him across the road, around the same spot giving an old bloke the exact same speech...
I should have went over there and knocked his teeth out and at least told the potential vitcim about the c*nt.
I didnt... and regret it. I was just so pissed off, just kept me head down and felt like sh*t.
I hate it on tubes when apparent homeless people give speeches to carraiges... its all bulls*hit. One thing they could do, applying for a job in public speaking, they have good public speaking skills!
I also hate the "buy my tissue" nonsense. The most common one I see, is a polish speaking bloke on the northern line ...that looks like he shops in river island...
Similar one ive had near Liverpool street a couple of times is "bruv, you got a couple of quid so I can get a train home, I'll be honest with you ive just got out the nick and need to get back and pick me kids up"
On the spare any chance line. The day after we played Bristol Rovers in Bath. A down & out offered to fight me for the price of a cup of tea!
Did he think you would pay for a fight? You should have told him that you could have got a fight in Bristol any day of the week. They spend most of the time fighting each other there anyway...
As someone who lives in Bristol most of the year I would like to categorically refute this statement. In fact, I'm quite offended by this wholly inaccurate allegation.
Homeless guy asked me for 2p the other day. Dont normally give them money, as I believe it perpetuates the problem, but the fact he asked for just 2p really tickled me, so I gave him a whopping 20p instead. I dare say he was off his onion, poor bloke.
i think it always strikes home more when you see people locally as you get kind of immune to it up there London.
We've had a couple of different ones under the railway bridge at Sunny Sidcup in recent years. Sadly drunks who have lost their way, though it did make me laugh a couple of weeks ago. Bloke was begging under the bridge with his cap out on the floor. I walked past, went into Tesco, bought something for dinner that had been reduced, come out and the blokes next door queuing in the chip shop for his fish and chips !
I was working in Birmingham recently and was waiting outside the station whilst my colleague nipped over to the newsagents. There was a guy begging who was really upbeat and friendly to everyone he asked. Even when people said no he was saying "no worries mate/sweetheart, you have a good day". When my mate came out if the shop and walked past him the guy asked him if he had any change. My mate told him sorry, he didn't. Immediately the guy replied "you cockney c**t". I was pissing myself, my mate, for the first time ever was lost for words.
Personally I don't care if they are spending it on drink or drugs. If they need money they need money. If someone has got a totally sh*t life who am I to dictate how they make themselves feel better.
So if they advertised that their intention was to spend your gift on drugs (by way of a sign or perhaps proclaiming that they needed money for this purpose) it would not change your desire to give them cash because it would make them feel better?
In San Francisco years ago, anyone who has been there will know all about the beggars around the city. One guy had a sign that read "Why lie? I wanna get high!" it made me laugh and I had quite a bit more respect for him than the usual beggars.
I do occasionally drop em' a quid, mainly the guys that don't actually ask for money. Couple of instances at Charing Cross a few years back which I remember.
Was on my way to work in my suit and a homeless guy asks for some money. I said sorry pal haven't got any change on me. He looked me dead in the eye and said "Whoever bought you that tie must really f**king hate you". Couldn't think of a come back for the life of me and never wore that bloody tie again.
Also at Charing Cross, another homeless guy comes up to me as I was having a ciggy outside the boozer across from the station. "Got a spare fag mate?". No problem, pulled out my pack of Marlboro menthols and offered him one. His reply "you serious mate? I don't do menthols" and he strolled off. Fair play
There are definitely a handful of both able-bodied and disabled who operate the City, have different points for different days, who i'd be fascinated to know what they take.
Saw someone give one a score last week. Two mins later the 'need help with my telephone bill' sign came back out. Some contract he must be on...
I do occasionally drop em' a quid, mainly the guys that don't actually ask for money. Couple of instances at Charing Cross a few years back which I remember.
Also at Charing Cross, another homeless guy comes up to me as I was having a ciggy outside the boozer across from the station. "Got a spare fag mate?". No problem, pulled out my pack of Marlboro menthols and offered him one. His reply "you serious mate? I don't do menthols" and he strolled off. Fair play
Yes, quite a few homeless have Menthol health issues.
The problem with giving money directly to people begging for money is that it pretty much keeps them in their situation and discourages them from finding a more permanent solution. Although not perfect, if you want to help the best way is to find a charity that is working to take people out of homelessness (etc.).
Professional beggars annoy the hell out of me though. If someone gets 50 people to give them a quid every day for a year, their income is equivalent to someone earning around 20k gross. For doing nothing more than pretending they want a coffee or a train ticket. The Mail (I know) estimates that some work a day job then collect up to £200 in the evening alone. Do that every day and us taxpayers would have to earn around £75k to match it. Suspect there's some exaggeration involved there though... :-)
I had an encounter a while ago with someone who was asking for money to buy some street food. Given his need, I offered to buy his food for him rather than give him money. He wasn't interested, in fact he was quite rude to me because I wouldn't give him cash. I've never given money to anyone on the street since, but donate to charities instead.
Personally I don't care if they are spending it on drink or drugs. If they need money they need money. If someone has got a totally sh*t life who am I to dictate how they make themselves feel better.
So if they advertised that their intention was to spend your gift on drugs (by way of a sign or perhaps proclaiming that they needed money for this purpose) it would not change your desire to give them cash because it would make them feel better?
No. It's their decision. My responsibility stops with choosing to give or not give money. I don't ask what they need the money for. If they told me without being asked that they were waiting for a dealer or were using drugs (say, alcohol for instance) I might chat to them about it if they wanted to, if I had the time, if I felt like it. If they seemed receptive I might suggest a few places they could go - drug services, AA, NA, etc. But I wouldn't suggest they needed to stop using drugs and it wouldn't influence my decision whether or not to give any money. Unless I was in a bad mood.
Comments
We spend all of our time fighting each other.
thamesreach.org.uk/news-and-views/campaigns/giving-to-beggars/faq/
theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/06/dont-give-money-beggars-help-them
We've had a couple of different ones under the railway bridge at Sunny Sidcup in recent years. Sadly drunks who have lost their way, though it did make me laugh a couple of weeks ago. Bloke was begging under the bridge with his cap out on the floor. I walked past, went into Tesco, bought something for dinner that had been reduced, come out and the blokes next door queuing in the chip shop for his fish and chips !
It's surprising how many of them politely refuse the offer.
Was on my way to work in my suit and a homeless guy asks for some money. I said sorry pal haven't got any change on me. He looked me dead in the eye and said "Whoever bought you that tie must really f**king hate you". Couldn't think of a come back for the life of me and never wore that bloody tie again.
Also at Charing Cross, another homeless guy comes up to me as I was having a ciggy outside the boozer across from the station. "Got a spare fag mate?". No problem, pulled out my pack of Marlboro menthols and offered him one. His reply "you serious mate? I don't do menthols" and he strolled off. Fair play
Saw someone give one a score last week. Two mins later the 'need help with my telephone bill' sign came back out. Some contract he must be on...
He stinks as well.
Not what you want to think off and smell when you're hanging from the night before.
Professional beggars annoy the hell out of me though. If someone gets 50 people to give them a quid every day for a year, their income is equivalent to someone earning around 20k gross. For doing nothing more than pretending they want a coffee or a train ticket. The Mail (I know) estimates that some work a day job then collect up to £200 in the evening alone. Do that every day and us taxpayers would have to earn around £75k to match it. Suspect there's some exaggeration involved there though... :-)
I had an encounter a while ago with someone who was asking for money to buy some street food. Given his need, I offered to buy his food for him rather than give him money. He wasn't interested, in fact he was quite rude to me because I wouldn't give him cash. I've never given money to anyone on the street since, but donate to charities instead.
Many a half day on a Friday having a trawl through those establishments.
I don't ask what they need the money for. If they told me without being asked that they were waiting for a dealer or were using drugs (say, alcohol for instance) I might chat to them about it if they wanted to, if I had the time, if I felt like it. If they seemed receptive I might suggest a few places they could go - drug services, AA, NA, etc. But I wouldn't suggest they needed to stop using drugs and it wouldn't influence my decision whether or not to give any money. Unless I was in a bad mood.