When we were younger every body gave to the local tramp ( Gentleman of the Road ) food a couple of coppers , drinks , if you were a giver they put a mark on your gate post , they never gave you any hastle :cool:
I never give, the people scare me and 9/10 they are scamming. I remember being asked in town once twice by the same man, needing "change for the bus" he asked me when I got off the bus, and was obviously going around all the bus stops all day asking for change, because I was asked again about 4 hours later for "change" for the bus, but this time he was drinking from a McDonalds cup. Where I live, it doesn't take 4 hours to walk anywhere on the bus routes, so he could've walked home as he clearly was able to.
My favourite instance of someone asking for money was hilarious now I look back on it. I can't believe I never laughed, one stretch of road where I sometimes park my car has at least 4 regular people asking for money/cigs, I'd already refused one woman (pushing a buggy, needed money to buy her daughter a pie? I think bringing the daughter into it is an attempt to guilt me out of my money, but she was already eating quavers so I was pretty certain she wasn't a starving child) anyway, a bit further along the street a man appears from a side street holding a little girls hand. He asked me for 20p for the phone box (I actually genuinely didn't have a 20p) so I said sorry I don't have one and continued walking, as I got closer he informed me it was an emergency he needed to call an ambulance for his daughter and nodded down to his daughter, who was stood happy as can be eating a lollipop. I just said no sorry and kept walking. The fact I could see his daughter was totally fine and the fact that calling 999 is free didn't occur to the man, again obviously thinking that bringing his daughter into the beg would make me give him money.
When we were younger every body gave to the local tramp ( Gentleman of the Road ) food a couple of coppers , drinks , if you were a giver they put a mark on your gate post , they never gave you any hastle :cool:
So in reality, they were demanding money with menaces?
I never give, the people scare me and 9/10 they are scamming.
There's a woman whose regular patch is outside Baker Street tube station, and she deserves an Oscar for the way she contorts her face into a picture of misery whenever anyone approaches :rolleyes:
I wonder if you roll your eyes at her with the same oscar-worthy drama. What a rotten shit eh? Begging, and being quite good at it too, pulling at your heart strings, making you feel a bit rubbish as you woosh past all integrated and ready to grease the wheels of society, where's the WD40? We should run smoother than this!
For some reason it's almost always 40p people ask me for. I'm forever being stopped on my way to work at 6am. (the same guy has asked me several times now) I always just say I have no money, because I'm wary of getting my purse out, especially when the streets are so quiet.
I remember a woman asking for £3.50 as she was short of that amount for her train fares to Seven Oaks from Gatwick. She claimed she'd lost her purse with her credit cards and money. She carried a small rucksack and it looked like she had been travelling. Like an idiot I gave her the money. Later on I saw her approaching a young chap with a rucksack (German I think). He too gave her some money. All in all I saw her approaching at least 10 people. She never got on the train. Obviously waiting for the next lot of people to scam. I was relating this story to a few people and they all said they had encountered her both at Gatwick and Heathrow. I expect she does the rounds of all airports.
Very clever woman. Dresses the part. Is very well spoken. Wouldn't for a second think she was a druggie. Not like the ones who asks for a £1.00 for a cup of coffee.
I don't smoke so I obviously won't be giving cigs out and I only ever once gave change to some school kids "who's friend had lost their bus pass"... only for me to walk back that way an hour later to see them still asking. I thought scamming little f'ers!
I never give to tramps, beggers, or buskers!
I don't smoke either but always carry a box of ciggies with me in case a tramp asks for one.
One day he might be rich and I might be living on the streets.
How do you know she was a druggy? She might just like ripping off mugs and spending it on other things
I am only speculating. Thinking back their was something very wrong in her appearance. Hollow cheeks, very thin and a very pale complexion. When we boarded the train from Gatwick, I noticed she was joined by a tall guy in jeans. Well he did look like a druggie. Is there anything else I have to explain?
I had a bloke approach me once outside Malaga bus station, he had some long drawn out story about loosing all his money on his journey there.. (can't remember all the details now!), he looked well dressed and respectable, although i still didn't give him any money though!...
Anyway i spent the day in the town and when i returned late that afternoon to get my bus, i saw he was still there approaching people, with, i assume the same story.....
So they don't have to look like a 'druggy' or 'tramp' to be beggers....;)
Ah, like the man in Sheffield with no front teeth who permanently needs £2 to get back to his hostel. And the reason he's missing the teeth is because someone punched him for begging once. He should have an Oscar
Here in Aberdeen we have a lot of people sat on the pavement in the main street of the city, begging for spare change. One of them has a dog, all of them are men. One or two have them talk on mobile phones, so you'd be plain stupid giving them any money.
I am only speculating. Thinking back their was something very wrong in her appearance. Hollow cheeks, very thin and a very pale complexion. When we boarded the train from Gatwick, I noticed she was joined by a tall guy in jeans. Well he did look like a druggie. Is there anything else I have to explain?
You dont have to do anything, just thought it was a bit of a random remark. Not all beggars are druggys and not all druggys are beggars that's all I was illustrating.
You dont have to do anything, just thought it was a bit of a random remark. Not all beggars are druggys and not all druggys are beggars that's all I was illustrating.
Somebody asked me for a spare pound on the way home from work and I said I had no money!.. Only because I would never expect a stranger to give me pound if I asked!.. Same with Ciggarttes.. Do you think its rude to be asked for such things?
My response is along the lines of 'I was just gonna ask you the same thing - I haven't eaten for 3 whole days & missed my train, also my dogs still dead and my wife left me'
There's always poor eastern European women with head scarves on with babies begging for money on the tube. If you're so poor how did you get through the barriers to get on the train in the first place?
This one time a lady looked at me and said "change?" so I rummaged through my pockets as if to get money out and instead got out my iPod and put my earphones in. She looked so gutted.
Here in Aberdeen we have a lot of people sat on the pavement in the main street of the city, begging for spare change. One of them has a dog, all of them are men. One or two have them talk on mobile phones, so you'd be plain stupid giving them any money.
A small minority are con-artists but often they're people with mental health/drug or alcohol problems.
It's surprising how many are extremely intelligent and held down highly paid jobs before it all went wrong.
It seems it can happen to anyone.
Instead of giving these people money, you should offer them a spare room until they can get a job (maximum 4 months) and some food. It would get them off the streets, reduce crime and begging, you'd have someone doing your housework for free and be doing a good deed all in one go.
Instead of giving these people money, you should offer them a spare room until they can get a job (maximum 4 months) and some food. It would get them off the streets, reduce crime and begging, you'd have someone doing your housework for free and be doing a good deed all in one go.
...and just imagine all the fun to be had when the dirty beggar changes the locks while you're at work and claims squatter's rights.
Comments
Yuck.
My favourite instance of someone asking for money was hilarious now I look back on it. I can't believe I never laughed, one stretch of road where I sometimes park my car has at least 4 regular people asking for money/cigs, I'd already refused one woman (pushing a buggy, needed money to buy her daughter a pie? I think bringing the daughter into it is an attempt to guilt me out of my money, but she was already eating quavers so I was pretty certain she wasn't a starving child) anyway, a bit further along the street a man appears from a side street holding a little girls hand. He asked me for 20p for the phone box (I actually genuinely didn't have a 20p) so I said sorry I don't have one and continued walking, as I got closer he informed me it was an emergency he needed to call an ambulance for his daughter and nodded down to his daughter, who was stood happy as can be eating a lollipop. I just said no sorry and kept walking. The fact I could see his daughter was totally fine and the fact that calling 999 is free didn't occur to the man, again obviously thinking that bringing his daughter into the beg would make me give him money.
So in reality, they were demanding money with menaces?
There's a woman whose regular patch is outside Baker Street tube station, and she deserves an Oscar for the way she contorts her face into a picture of misery whenever anyone approaches :rolleyes:
Very clever woman. Dresses the part. Is very well spoken. Wouldn't for a second think she was a druggie. Not like the ones who asks for a £1.00 for a cup of coffee.
I don't smoke either but always carry a box of ciggies with me in case a tramp asks for one.
One day he might be rich and I might be living on the streets.
I'd be truly pissed off if she was spending it on shoes! (I mean Manolo whatsits not second-hand trainers.)
I am only speculating. Thinking back their was something very wrong in her appearance. Hollow cheeks, very thin and a very pale complexion. When we boarded the train from Gatwick, I noticed she was joined by a tall guy in jeans. Well he did look like a druggie. Is there anything else I have to explain?
Anyway i spent the day in the town and when i returned late that afternoon to get my bus, i saw he was still there approaching people, with, i assume the same story.....
So they don't have to look like a 'druggy' or 'tramp' to be beggers....;)
You dont have to do anything, just thought it was a bit of a random remark. Not all beggars are druggys and not all druggys are beggars that's all I was illustrating.
I'm off for a bit lest my sad turns mad and I get birched for biting the hand that doesnt feed me (or anyone else except itself.)
Fair point.:)
My response is along the lines of 'I was just gonna ask you the same thing - I haven't eaten for 3 whole days & missed my train, also my dogs still dead and my wife left me'
soon shuts em up
This one time a lady looked at me and said "change?" so I rummaged through my pockets as if to get money out and instead got out my iPod and put my earphones in. She looked so gutted.
A small minority are con-artists but often they're people with mental health/drug or alcohol problems.
It's surprising how many are extremely intelligent and held down highly paid jobs before it all went wrong.
It seems it can happen to anyone.
...and just imagine all the fun to be had when the dirty beggar changes the locks while you're at work and claims squatter's rights.