Beggers in Leeds

Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
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91,165
He seems to be of the impression that the majority are addicts, and that giving them money fuels their habits. And that putting them in houses first, and then offering them mental and addiction help is the way forward. I tend to agree with that.

Something that seems no one wants to acknowledge and even gets a bit of scorn when I've posted about it before but aside from those who are addicts, etc. (and these people might still be addicts) there are an increasing number of people who modern life is to some degree alien to and they simply can't fit in - no amount of trying to help them off the streets will work until that is remedied for them in some way - and in some cases it simply isn't possible for them to ever adjust.

For some reason a good number of people want to think and even take a strange kind of comfort in the notion that those on the streets have fallen on hard times, fallen foul of an ever more merciless government and failing social care, etc. and while that is a factor that is actually a much smaller part of the picture than many seem to think.
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
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58,912
People playing the 3 shell game, people selling the same cheap tourist tat at every location, people wanting you to sign a form and donate "for charity" etc, scammers basically.

Ah ok, yeah I have only rarely seen the 3 shell game in London (they do play it on the bridges sometimes) - I do remember seeing it a quite few times on the continent though.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Mar 2010
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12,348
I'm in Paris right now and there's not a beggar insight which I feel is amazing for such a huge capital city. There's husslers and pick-pockets etc but actual beggars I've not seen, maybe the police here are more strict or the homeless are just hidden away more but it's a very pleasent surprise compared to a recent London trip. Hell even in New York we only saw a literal hand full as we walked around (mainly street-sleepers) but then the weather was -24'c to be fair.

Paris used to be awful!

I haven't been in probably a good 5 years now, but i remember some of the trips me and my fiance did. You couldn't sit in the park without someone coming upto you with a bit of paper with some sob story about needing money. Or if you tried to use the metro/tube you'd either have someone walking along asking for money, or buskers. Now buskers are normally fine (in the UK) they play some music and have a pot out for people to donate to if they wish, but on the metro they'd play a 15 second song with an accordian and then walk along shaking their cup infront of your face as if to demand you donate. They call out a lot of English with "do you speak English" and then beg for money, in the end we just had to pretend we didn't speak English and they moved on.

I'd urge anyone not to ever donate money directly to the homeless on the street, if they feel they want to help with homelessness then donate directly to the charities, it doesn't even have to be money, there's always food and clothing they will graciously accept.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
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21,373
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
This, its a very right wing 'toryesque' forum though, there are a few good bods about though, just have to ignore the cretins who don't care about anyone other than themselves and their bank balance/status.

To be honest i think the last time a poll was done to establish party voting, Labour came out a clear majority.

A lack of sympathy for losers doesn't make people "right wing". There's plenty help for homeless people in the forms of shelters etc which makes it more of a choice for them.
 
Caporegime
Joined
20 Jan 2005
Posts
45,695
Location
Co Durham
Finally!

Someone mentions the gov't. That's the bigger picture imo. And it won't get any better now that we're under BoJo.

Yep the number of homeless people went up 4% last year

https://www.theguardian.com/society...20000-homeless-people-in-britain-says-shelter

The number of people sleeping rough has gone up 15% and 16% the last two years

https://www.nao.org.uk/naoblog/growing-number-of-rough-sleepers/

And 80% of the people sleeping on the streets are British before people blame it all on immigrants.

Its a scandal that this many people are homeless/sleeping rough in the 5th biggest economy in the world never mind that its increasing at a massive rate.

But it falls in line with the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor in this country which will not be helped by a no deal brexit.

I consider myself and my partner as being one of the lucky ones being in our 50s, no mortgage and have an household income in the top 2% of the country but that desnt mean I want the country to go to **** and the rich/poor gap to widen.

As I have said previously, my brother sleeps rough on the streets of London and I have been homeless in my life (although luckily never got as far as sleeping in the street but did sleep in my car for a few months) so I am speaking from experience,.

And yes there are some "professional" beggers and I used to know a couple of lads when I was homeless who lived in a squat and begged every day and coming up to Christmas in London they could make £200 per day no bother so never so the need to try and find a job and get out of their squat. But that doesnt mean every person begging on the street is a conman. Lots sleep there. Fact.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
6 May 2009
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19,923
There were none when I visited Bruges. My guess is that if the majority of country eco money comes from tourism and something could impact this, the authorities have rights to remove the things potentially causing the problem.
In UK, it must not be the case.

I personally see beggers in UK as sub-human, below even rats. Maybe harsh but animals and rats have a purpose in life, these creatures do not.

The real homeless I have seen in poorer areas of China. These people I gladly gave food too and they were so thankful
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Jun 2010
Posts
6,575
Location
Essex
This, its a very right wing 'toryesque' forum though, there are a few good bods about though, just have to ignore the cretins who don't care about anyone other than themselves and their bank balance/status.
Is it?
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/are-you-going-to-vote-in-the-european-elections.18854200/

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...and-ocuk-exit-poll-closing-8th-july.18782284/

According to the exit poll there's twice as many Lab/Lib Dems as Tories on this forum.
 
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