Begging - how bad has it become where you work/live?

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LakieLady

12-12-2016

Originally Posted by muggins14:
“Does that really matter? Do you really think they should go through withdrawal whilst on the streets with nobody medical or other to care for them?”

Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol should never be done without medical supervision. Alcohol withdrawal can cause such severe seizures that people's hearts give out or they have strokes. It's potentially life threatening. Opiate withdrawal is less dangerous, but it is agonisingly painful.

academia

12-12-2016

Originally Posted by james_lndsay:
“Resided in Edinburgh for a good few years now and the begging was at best a minor irritation but of late we have noticed it has become more noticeable and those doing it are extremely aggressive in their demands even if they speak no English.

Where I work its university property but at the nearby shops there is a ATM with a resident begger (professional) always with the hand out much to the annoyance of shoppers, but the centre of the city especially Princes Street has become a haven for them sitting near cash machines trying to intimidate to ensure they get money, generally making the place look seedy. In fact the city centre has become very bad for begging.

But on morning last week we were in Portobello a suburb of Edinburgh, genteel and full of local atmosphere, granted it has a Greggs but it's a nice place to wander and shop, anyway passing by Greggs my partner was accosted by this rather dirty looking thing with her hand out, partner shouted in finest German a few choice swear words only to be spat at. Luckily it missed her but if it's frightening to be accosted like this as a youngish woman it must be absolutely terrifying for a vulnerable adult or retiree to be confronted with demands for money from those kind of people.

As I said it was never really noticeable but now it's spreading out into the suburbs and surrounding towns and it's mainly Romanians & Bulgarians working the so called best pitches, I'm all for helping those down on their luck but begging has to be made a criminal offence because failure to tackle the blight head on is going to anger folk.”

I think it is illegal in Scotland to lurk round ATMs.

Brandy211

12-12-2016

Originally Posted by Chihiro77:
“Is that a fact?”

Charity Thames Reach:
Giving money to beggars can kill them.
Around 80% of beggars on the street don't need any money for accommodation.
Mike Nicholas say,s, " we want to educate the public."
The main reason people beg is heroin & crack cocaine. Your money ends up lining the pockets of drug dealers & potentially killing the beggar with an overdose.
They are dying young.
The best way to help them is to not give them any money

Metro

james_lndsay

13-12-2016

Originally Posted by academia:
“I think it is illegal in Scotland to lurk round ATMs.”

Does not stop them as the police service up here is such a mess even if you report it they promise to send someone out but nothing ever happens, I suppose the next step for these beggars is doing it on public transport up here like they do in London.

I'm so tempted to carry a few bars of soap and some packed sausage rolls to give to them, after all from the state of the ones we see a good bath would not go amiss.

Funk You

13-12-2016

How to tell a real begger from a rogue one is to refuse to give them money but instead buy them lunch from a local maccies or Greggs. If they take the food offer then they are genuine, if they dont then you know its for other means usually drink or drugs.

Chihiro77

13-12-2016

Originally Posted by Brandy211:
“Charity Thames Reach:
Giving money to beggars can kill them.
Around 80% of beggars on the street don't need any money for accommodation.
Mike Nicholas say,s, " we want to educate the public."
The main reason people beg is heroin & crack cocaine. Your money ends up lining the pockets of drug dealers & potentially killing the beggar with an overdose.
They are dying young.
The best way to help them is to not give them any money

Metro”

That doesn't say anything about them having homes and receiving benefits.

Living in a shitty hostel perhaps?

I get where the guy is coming from, I work in social care, but I disagree completely with it.

codeblue

13-12-2016

I have the misfortune to walk past a bigger regularly, sometimes 4 or 5 times a day. Clearly addicted to a substance, asking for money to continue that addiction in a very aggressive way.

Each time I refuse, now I get a "merry christmas" shouted at me sarcastically.

Ben_Copland

13-12-2016

Never been that bad where I live but when we go in to Manchester, the Big Issue sellers seem to have a stick up their arse.

Pitman

13-12-2016

Originally Posted by Funk You:
“How to tell a real begger from a rogue one is to refuse to give them money but instead buy them lunch from a local maccies or Greggs. If they take the food offer then they are genuine, if they dont then you know its for other means usually drink or drugs.”

oh hang on, I'll go up Aldi for them and do a weekly shop

the homeless in the West End are probably better fed than me, it's the not having a roof over the head is the hard bit

wear thefoxhat

13-12-2016

For as long as morons continue to give these beggars money they will continue to ply their trade.

Brandy211

13-12-2016

Originally Posted by Chihiro77:
“That doesn't say anything about them having homes and receiving benefits. Living in a shitty hostel perhaps?

.”

A hostel is an address. Hostels charge rent = housing benefit/jobseekers allowances

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