There is someone homeless on the street...

There are definitely professional beggars, a guy was reported in the Wandsworth News a few years back.
He had a pitch outside Putney station, and said that he was earning bundles begging there.
He lived in a smart house off West Hill, and got a taxi home at the end of his “shift.”
My wife came out of her office in Rathbone Street W1 a long time ago, and the guy who sat by the Abbey National, (as it was then), ATM, with the de rigeur dog on a length of rope, asked her for the price of a cup of tea.
She gave him about £8 of Luncheon Vouchers, and he told her to stick them you know where.
 
Theres a prime spot between a Greggs and a Tesco(next door to each other) on parliament street in Notts that always has 1-2 sat right outside the door and tbh they are a pain and its the same couple of guys who grab a free ride on the tram into the city centre from somewhere in Hyson Green to setup shop to beg for the day.

What really irks me are the beggars that sit 1 foot away from cash machines and quite forcefully pester everyone who uses them.
 
HybridX said:
Theres a prime spot between a Greggs and a Tesco(next door to each other) on parliament street in Notts that always has 1-2 sat right outside the door and tbh they are a pain and its the same couple of guys who grab a free ride on the tram into the city centre from somewhere in Hyson Green to setup shop to beg for the day.

What really irks me are the beggars that sit 1 foot away from cash machines and quite forcefully pester everyone who uses them.
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Any melt who gets ‘forcefully pestered’ by a beggar, and meekly forks over some green, is a mug, who is there to be mugged, and deserves to be, if he willingly gives his dough away.
If any panhandler forcefully pestered me, I’d forcefully tell them to Foxtrot Oscar.
 
Hilly said:
I generally just walk on - not everyone is like @Feek and @Will Gill :D

In regards to fake beggars - I was in Madrid a few years ago; I walked out of my hotel and up the hill towards the city centre and was approached by a man, who looked very worse for wear, holding a sign and asking for money. We had a guide which was taking us around (it was a Corporate award, about 10-15 of us there) and said to not bother giving to homeless as the majority of them are scammers.

After visiting the centre, we went back to the hotel. It was then I saw the previous aforementioned bigger loading his begging sign, his sleeping bag etc; into the back of his car............ That kind of put me off giving to homeless.
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haha i'm a sucker :D
 
If I can afford it and have it on me I will help them, these thinkings of modern society are "they might be lieing" is damaging. My motto is always give the benefit of the doubt.

Also if they spend it on alcohol, so what. Everyone should have some happiness. If it keeps them going then its a good cause.
 
Feek said:
And if you see the same ones, sleeping in doorways day after day, does that change your mind?
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The vast majority of the ones I see actually rough sleeping have never asked me for any money and tbh... and I'd wager the vast majority of those who do ask me for money don't actually sleep rough despite making an effort to pretend they do. Ultimately, for the rough sleepers, long term it is their choice to sleep on the street, they're generally entitled to benefits (if they're not citizens or seeking asylum then they can go back to where they came from).

As for basic services to allow them to get washed, have a shave... they've got plenty available to them, they certainly don't need you to donate money to them in order to have a shave, that's just a new line the guy has come up with and apparently it worked - shelter can direct them to their nearest shelter or day facility: https://england.shelter.org.uk/hous...e_your_phone,_get_legal_advice_and_other_help
 
A fool and his money are soon parted, I've known that for years, never seems to stop me :p I heed your advice and you make good points, guess I'm just seeking a karma injection to make up for all my other bad choices :D
 
If you give money to beggars, you are the reason they exist, you create a market for begging. If no one handed over any money over you'd soon see the real homeless people because they'd still be there, just in far fewer numbers.
 
Roar87 said:
If you give money to beggars, you are the reason they exist, you create a market for begging. If no one handed over any money over you'd soon see the real homeless people because they'd still be there, just in far fewer numbers.
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That's the way I see it.

Giving them money is just adding fuel to the fire. That money they spend on drugs is happy lining the pockets of some very nasty drugs dealers and gangs.
 
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Roar87 said:
If you give money to beggars, you are the reason they exist, you create a market for begging. If no one handed over any money over you'd soon see the real homeless people because they'd still be there, just in far fewer numbers.
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Yup, almost every train journey on the overground will have a beggar on it these days and there will be some mug in each carriage ready to give them cash, just encouraging them to continue with it (it’s potentially quite a decent hourly rate they can earn). Most of the time they’re just a nuisance but some are quite aggressive and with obvious mental health issues etc...

Homeless people are obvious to spot in London just walking down Tottenham Court road, the Strand or around Covent Garden.
 
Do you refuse to give money? Yes, I'd rather give it to a collection box in the hope that it goes to people who need help (salvation army or a soup kitchen club thing)
Do you only give food/drink? Yes, a few times people have asked for mere pennies and seemed genuine so I've taken them to a supermarket and got them some food and some sherbet fountains. Great thing was he was so excited to share it with his friends (he had learning difficulties from what I could tell so I do hope they were friends and not bullies who took away all his lunch)
Do you assume they are on drugs? A bit, thought is on the back of my mind. But if you are living on the street what else is there for entertainment? Hardly can go and play fortnight with your mates...
Do you think they could be fake beggars? Hasn't really crossed my mind, what would a fake begger be?
 
XeNoN89 said:
For anyone in London. Never give anything to the Roma beggers. It's all organised crime. Every morning a van will show up and they all jump out of the back to go begging.
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There's one that comes and goes here in Chelsea, stands there like a tripod wobbling about, making sure he's as much of an obstruction as possible. I know these gangs, I watched a Youtube video, which as we all know is like doing a degree. I've always walked past him, but then one day I saw him walking down a side road (next to McDonald's on Kings Road, you know the one) chatting on his phone without a care in the world, crutch on his shoulder.

Since then I just laugh at him every time I walk past, he always smiles at me, we have a mutual thing going on or something. He knows I know, that kind of thing.
 
Fake begger to me now is if you regularly see the same person coming up with same "story/excuse" when asking for change and carries on asking for more even if they get the "right" amount and next thing you know you see them in completely fresh set of clothes looking "fresh" on a weekend or something.
The same bloke that I gave money to get "bus" surprisingly I saw him on a saturday in fresh set of clothes asking people for change while people are paying for parking ticket and then few months he disappeared..he then reappears and had audacity to ask me for change.
Without getting angry or wanting to create a scene I kindly said no and he was on his way...he probably thought i've forgotten but nope I haven't as I have seen his face many times trying to ask for change in the same car park.
 
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