Felt sorry for a tramp.

Never give homeless people money. A lot of them will be genuinely grateful, but it ends up going towards a potential drug addiction, and it sets them back deeper into the vicious circle that got them on the streets in the first place.

The most decent thing you can do is to buy them a kebab or a sandwich (as most are on the streets of busy towns and cities), as well as a drink.
 
KNiVES said:
Never give homeless people money. A lot of them will be genuinely grateful, but it ends up going towards a potential drug addiction, and it sets them back deeper into the vicious circle that got them on the streets in the first place.

The most decent thing you can do is to buy them a kebab or a sandwich (as most are on the streets of busy towns and cities), as well as a drink.
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Not all of them are addicts though. That's a very common misconception. I know this from first hand experience.
 
Depends on how busy I am.

If I'm in a rush, or pressed for time I'll sometimes drop them some change.

If I'm not rushed and have a bit of free time I've quite often bought them a cup of tea or a burger from Maccy Ds.
 
Gamer_T said:
Hi guys.

Went to my local takeaway today to get some food and as I walked past a few buildings, I noticed an old man with his arm in a sling, sitting in a doorway whilst it was pouring down with rain.

He said 'hi' as I walked past, I greeted him back and got on with my journey.

This man was clearly a tramp, poor clothing and an unshaved long beard.

What bothered me the most was that he was an old guy and it's just a shame he doesn't have a place to live.

When I got back home, it made me think the least I could have done was throw him a £1 or something... Poor guy.

When I see a tramp it's always in the back of my mind that if I give them anything, it's probabaly going to be spent on Booze or Drugs, but surely there are some poor folk out there who aren't into any of these habbits and are just simply homeless. The guy I walked past could have been one of these people and it made me feel sad.

What do you guys do if you see a tramp in the street? Would you offer them some change or just carry on with your journey?
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Never give them anything at all.

Actually once when I was over in San Francisco there was, as there always is in America, a loads of bums hanging about begging and that but one was just sitting there holding a sign saying

"I'll be honest, im just going to spend anything you give me on booze"

:D:p

This made me laugh a lot :D the guy got a few dollars toward his next lot of booze!
 
This thread really is full of misconceptions and people on very high horses. A very similar thread was about a while back, so I'll copy my reply from there;

"I used to have little sympathy for homless people. Like many people on here I used to think that if they wanted to get off the street then there were plenty of hostels and help etc to get off.

My GF now works for a young persons charity which often deals with homeless people. It has really opened my eyes. There really is hardly any help out there, and the majority of homeless people are far from being scum, they are simply people who have had a run of bad luck or made some poor decisions. You might think they can just stay in hostels, but a lot of people deliberately stay away from hostels as they are rife with hard drugs and violence. There is a huge lack of suitable accommodation out there for homeless people, and unless they are under 18 or considered very vulnerable (and I mean very) they are likely to be turned away as there is nowhere for them to stay.

Getting a job is hard at the best of times, especially at the moment. But try doing it when you have no permanent address, clean clothes or education. Then most benefits are also hard to get if you have no address.

There simply is nowhere near enough support out there to get people off the street. I think its shameful that in a rich western county we can let this many people live on the street. Ok, there are a few people who choose to live on the streets, and some that may deserve it, but the majority have the right to basic shelter and food."

If you want to help people on the street, then either buy them food or clothing or give money to a charity. And to the numpty who thinks that all money given to charity goes to Africa, then you should maybe consider giving money to Shelter (http://www.shelter.org.uk/).

Some of you really need to get down from your high horses and cushy lives and have some empathy for those who have less fortunate lives.
 
It was said before - I know, cos I referenced it - but just to emphasise:

mac1st3 said:
Love how people decide not to give money to homelss [sic] as they're just going to spend it on booze or drugs, when that's what you're probably going to spend it on.
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This means I have no moral obligation to not give money to the homeless. I'm not really a charity person, but someone right in front of me? There are worse places for my small change.
 
Woody__ said:
Not all of them are addicts though. That's a very common misconception. I know this from first hand experience.
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So do I; I did volunteer work helping the homeless in Leicester a couple of years ago. I made a post ages ago about how hard many homeless people have it; how so many of them don't even possess any formal identification (like NI number or driver's license) or a fixed abode (which is mandatory for the vast majority of jobs and assistance) so they can't even begin to find a job or claim financial or sheltering assistance. A lot of them found themselves on the streets completely unexpectedly. For many, drug addictions came after the fact, because it's all they have - asides from the few gentle souls who stop to buy them food and drink.

It's an unremittingly bleak world when you're homeless. Funds that are spent unnecessarily (such as certain conflicts we have no business participating in) could be much better spent on programs to help and rehabilitate the homeless. It's shocking how so little are done in the way of even getting these people to re-establish the basics, such as getting them formal identification, a temporary place to stay so they can take the first starting steps to getting a job and gradually climbing themselves out from the rock-bottom depths of homelessness. I could go on and on and on, but it just seems that nobody truly gives a damn (not talking about OcUK by the way, I mean the nation in general).
 
Agreed about the seemingly higher priority to give charity to people in places like Africa, instead of at home. I'm betting it's all about making the UK look good.

I remember when the recession was just starting to pick up and the problems getting worse, yet they gave something like £40 million to Africa for Red Nose Day. It's not as if they help themselves either. A lot have aids, and yet they will still go and have 243325 children who all live in one room in a mud hut.

Anyway, apart from that, I do give some money to homeless people whenever I see them. Most of them are really friendly and aren't causing a problem, so why not?
 
Woody__ said:
Enlighten me then, as you've shown an incredible amount of ignorance about this issue so far.
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What I stated has just been restated with a bit more detail. The principles are all the same. Most people who are on the street aren't actively trying to help themselves and you'll find that those who are on the streets are probably addicts, whether it is booze or drugs.

Yes admittedly some people try their best and get no where but instead of giving to a tramp, give the same money to charity who will try and help them.
 
Sorry, but I don't have any time for them, i'm hardly rich myself. I'm not going to feel sorry for them for being "dealt a crap hand" either.

IF (and it's a big one) I do give to tramps it's through a charity that I know will work to give them a roof over their heads, food, and/or help.

I have never, and would never, give anything to them directly, i'd expect it to be pawned off for alcohol in the majority of cases.
 
Busa said:
But he probably doesn't support stoke....which makes him better than you:D
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Can't say I disagree with that one! ;) Mind you I can't say much, we're only just above the Vale!! :eek: Bloody Stoke!! :mad:

Anyways, back to the thread. I feel sorry for SOME of them but many a time in Manchester and other cities, I've seen them shouting abuse at people who walk past and don't give them anything!

A friend of mind had too much on a night out once and gave his virtually brand new Timberlands away to a tramp! You should have seen the guys face! :D:D:D
 
I also find it hypocritical that people will avoid giving money to the homeless as they will 'waste it on drink and drugs' when many of us, if not most in fact, will drink fairly regularly.

Also, I find it hard to justify giving money to a charity instead when the majority of it will find its way into the director's pay-packets.
 
cheechm said:
What I stated has just been restated with a bit more detail. The principles are all the same. Most people who are on the street aren't actively trying to help themselves and you'll find that those who are on the streets are probably addicts, whether it is booze or drugs.

Yes admittedly some people try their best and get no where but instead of giving to a tramp, give the same money to charity who will try and help them.
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I'll restate what he said, You have no idea about the topic at hand. I'm guessing the extent of your knowledge is you've walked past them before and judged them. Kudos!

There are a lot of reasons why people are homeless, and there are a lot of reasons why people DONT use shelters set up for them. NOT because they dont want to go into them because they'd rather feed their evil drug habbits. For instance, Homeless shelters house ALL homeless people, Abusive people and drug addicts. a lot of homeless people dont use the homes provided for fear of their possessions and fear of the people they would share their time with. Yes they are provided with a room and bed, with a locking door most of the time, But that's not always the case, and when that is the case, its not always enough. a lot of homeless people choose the streets and a solitary existance due to fear of other people. Yes, a lot of homeless people. Not some. Dont get me wrong, drugs are a problem amongst the homeless. But if you look at every homeless person and think that person is there because he's on drugs, then you havent any idea
 
Nitefly said:
I also find it hypocritical that people will avoid giving money to the homeless as they will 'waste it on drink and drugs' when many of us, if not most in fact, will drink fairly regularly.
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I don't drink but thankyou for generalising.

Plus i'm free to do with my money what I wish.

Also, I find it hard to justify giving money to a charity instead when the majority of it will find its way into the director's pay-packets.
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Maybe, but it's better than finding it's way into the hands of a dealer.
 
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