There is someone homeless on the street...

[fiveub]

Do you refuse to give money?
Do you only give food/drink?
Do you assume they are on drugs?
Do you think they could be fake beggars?

The above points are popular points as to why as a community majority of people don't support the homelessness.

So I was wondering, is being kind important than being right?

 

[Rotty]

Do you refuse to give money? It's rare I give cash
Do you only give food/drink? Yes
Do you assume they are on drugs? Not assume but the possibility drives the above
Do you think they could be fake beggars? It certainly happens but I think it's a minority, We have scam big issue sellers in Nottingham quite often

Re being kind, who knows what is being kind, funding a drug habit isn't, feeding people is, some US cities have boxes scattered around areas where there are a lot of homeless and you put money in them and it's then distributed by people much more qualified than me to know what's best

sometimes it's very difficult to know what the right thing to do is

 

[Rroff]

Do you refuse to give money? It's rare I give cash
Do you only give food/drink? Yes
Do you assume they are on drugs? Not assume but the possibility drives the above
Do you think they could be fake beggars? It certainly happens but I think it's a minority, We have scam big issue sellers in Nottingham quite often

Re being kind, who knows what is being kind, funding a drug habit isn't, feeding people is, some US cities have boxes scattered around areas where there are a lot of homeless and you put money in them and it's then distributed by people much more qualified than me to know what's best

sometimes it's very difficult to know what the right thing to do is

There are exceptions like if it is a cold night and you see someone on the streets they'd probably appreciate warm food/drink but really the best way of showing kindness is to support one of the various charities that deal with homeless. I've a relative who used (not sure if still does) to volunteer with an organisation that dealt with homeless people and a lot of the stories showed a very different perspective to the views often banded around online.

 

[ricid]

I tend to give cash. Maybe they spend it on drugs, but they are a person and that's their choice. Lots of people end up homeless for lots of reasons. If my life went that way I might want to take something to block it out as well, or I might not. Either way if someone's asking me for help, who am I to judge them? Help or don't but assuming you know better then they do about what they need is pretty condescending.

I don't really think fake begging is a thing.
OK, so there are probably one of two that will have made it into the papers because 70 million people will always throw up a couple of outliers, but that's it.
Pretty much any job would pay better without attracting so much hate, so why would you do it?

 

[koolpc]

I sometimes give food. Very rarely money though.

Places that cater for the homeless are good to give too as they know how to help them in a positive way.

Yes, many use drugs but not all.

 

[BDEE]

I prefer to give things like items of clothing, toothbrushes, tinned food etc - Via a charity. For example at xmas I donated a big winter coat, tins of food for someone to last a few days, and also bought 10 pairs of thermal gloves. Bundled it all up and passed it to the charity. This particular one was helping the homeless in Manchester.

This means it is getting to the right people and I know it will benefit them. It takes away me having to make the decision of would my money be spent on drink / drugs.

It is only a very small gesture and it doesn't make me feel any less bad about people who are homeless, but at least it is something.

 

[Randomface74]

Do you refuse to give money? Yes, but I don't carry cash so couldn't anyway.
Do you only give food/drink? No I've never given someone food/drink. I've never thought they look hungry/thirsty tbh.
Do you assume they are on drugs? It's not an assumption, it's obvious from looking at them that most are on drink/drugs. I even saw one get given money and go straight into a shop and leave with alcohol.
Do you think they could be fake beggars? I've heard stories of this, don't know if it's true.
So I was wondering, is being kind more important than being right? I think it's more a question of whether it's kinder to give them money or kinder not to. I think it's kinder not to.

 

[Malevolence]

I either just ignore them or tell them to **** off if they ask for money. There are a couple of these parasites who loiter around the cash machine at my local supermarket. One of these delightful people actually threatened to 'stick me' with a dirty needle because I told him where to go when he aggressively asked me to draw him a tenner out as I was using the ATM. Sainsbury's security staff can't move them, even though they're on Sainsbury's property, and when the the police are called they aren't bothered because it's on private property and arresting them means that they then have a duty of care and reams of paperwork.

 

[rebel rebel]

In my town all of them are professional beggers, they hang around by ATMs and get quite aggressive when you refuse to give them cash. They are all clearly on drugs.

There are enough charities and government programs around to care for the genuine cases, so there's no need to feel guilty for giving them nothing.

 

[Zenduri]

Do you refuse to give money? 100% refuse
Do you only give food/drink? A long time ago i bought a homeless guy some warm food (it was just some greggs) on a cold day and he threw it back at me with the phrase "Just give me the ******* money!" so never again
Do you assume they are on drugs? Having seen several on Parliament street in Nottingham in the middle of a Heroin nod it's mainly my goto thought even though i know all aren't the same
Do you think they could be fake beggars? There's a woman who religiously begs at the bus stops on Parliament street in Notts and she does it to beg for her bus fair home as I've seen her get off the bus and whip her keys out and go in her house. Plus there are hordes of homeless who fare dodge on the trams from the surrounding areas of the city into the city centre to setup shop and beg.

I get sick to death of being pestered for change every 25m i walk in Nottingham city centre and at every cash machine I go near not to forget the roaming groups of 4-5 homeless that wander around the city shout and swearing at everything and anyone.

I may be cold hearted but unfortunately this is what I see and this is how I react

 

[Feek]

I don't assume anything but I'll never give cash, only food and drink.

One guy gave me a mouthful in Ipswich a few years back when I gave him a sarnie and a drink, saying he wanted hot food. Sorry, pal. With an attitude like that, you won't be getting anything else from me.

When I did work in Ipswich there were some regulars who very obviously were living on the streets. Over a period of time I saw one guy appear and then he noticeably deteriorated over the next two years or so. He wasn't fake, I'd see him sleeping in shop doorways most days (I used to get to town very early and get my five miles walking in). If he was stirring as I passed, I often bought him a bacon roll and a coffee from Greggs if he was in a doorway near there or something from McD if he was sleeping near there.

I'm generally a heartless git but I get very sad and upset when I see genuinely homeless people on the street.

 

[FoxEye]

Do you refuse to give money?
Do you only give food/drink?
Do you assume they are on drugs?
Do you think they could be fake beggars?

The above points are popular points as to why as a community majority of people don't support the homelessness.

So I was wondering, is being kind important than being right?

The reality is - if you listen to people who work with the homeless - that drugs and other problems are involved 99% of the time. Chances are this isn't someone who lost their job and ended up homeless and is otherwise a perfectly healthy individual.

 

[Captain]

Do you refuse to give money? Yes
Do you only give food/drink? Neither
Do you assume they are on drugs? Mostly
Do you think they could be fake beggars? 50/50

 

[B&W]

Do you refuse to give money? (50/50)
Do you only give food/drink? (Yes)
Do you assume they are on drugs?(Yes)
Do you think they could be fake beggars?(50/50)

 

[VincentHanna]

There was the show on Channel 4 where Ed Stafford spent 60 days on the streets (over winter as well)

He quickly found that getting Food and drink wasn't a problem, though eating healthily was difficult. The biggest problem was sleeping rough, and the way he was often treated by people (being woken by a worker hosing down the pavement with cold water etc)

https://www.channel4.com/press/news/ed-stafford-interview-60-days-streets

What has the overall experience taught you about the homeless crisis? Are there any common misconceptions about homelessness that you’ve had further insight to?

I’m now quite cynical, sadly – which I never thought would be the outcome of this project.

But after spending this time with the community, I wouldn’t give directly to homeless people anymore, sadly. I think that there is plenty of food available for them, and so a lot of any cash they get is spent on drugs and alcohol. I do worry the public enable their lifestyle to some degree, with all their generosity.

But despite that, obviously I feel huge compassion for these people, because no one grows up wanting to end up on the streets. At a deep level, it’s not a lifestyle any of them would have chosen for themselves – even if now they are resigned to it. All of them have been driven to the streets by tragedy in their past - whether it’s something that happened in their childhood, a parent that’s an addict or an abusive partner.

I don’t believe the solution is cash handouts – but I do believe that they need a great deal more support and help than they are currently getting, to escape their situation.

 

[hominid]

As someone that offered food to a homeless person only to have it refused as they wanted money to buy cider, and also my partner at the time who bought a Big Issue off of them outside Uxbridge stationfor £3 only for them to beg them £5 then ask to keep the magazine to make more money, and she gave it mainly because she felt pressured(I had to go from home and track the guy down and get the money back out of principle).

So I ignore them now, most in my local town are either alcoholics and/or drugs users and there is more of them now than 5 years back - people are littering shop fronts with all their sleeping bags/cardboard it's an absolute mess. Yes some can't help it for mental health reasons but most could get a job it they wanted to. I don't think there is an issue with fake begers around here, the real ones would chase them away.

I used to feel sorry for all of them, but nearly 50 years of life have jaded me - that and my own personal experience.

 

[stuman]

Never give anything. You are enabling the culture. There are charities and help available but it’s much easier to ask a ‘feeder’ to feed their habit than actually ask for proper help / make that decision.

If I ever become homeless, I will be looking for help from organisations set up to provide the correct help.

 

[Akagi]

Do you refuse to give money? It's rare I give cash
Do you only give food/drink? Yes
Do you assume they are on drugs? Not assume but the possibility drives the above
Do you think they could be fake beggars? It certainly happens but I think it's a minority, We have scam big issue sellers in Nottingham quite often

Re being kind, who knows what is being kind, funding a drug habit isn't, feeding people is, some US cities have boxes scattered around areas where there are a lot of homeless and you put money in them and it's then distributed by people much more qualified than me to know what's best

sometimes it's very difficult to know what the right thing to do is

Exactly this. I encounter homeless people a lot in Brighton.

 

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

Good Question!

Do you refuse to give money?Yes
Do you only give food/drink?We did one time, he genuinely seemed in need. Older man who was sat outside with all his belongings in a bag. Gave him a hot chocolate and he was grateful as it was freezing cold outside.
Do you assume they are on drugs? Not all of them no.
Do you think they could be fake beggars?Yep! Big issue lady in our town regularly hops into a nice car at the end of her shift.

 

[Jasoncmor]

It's illegal in some places to help the homeless, what a great system we live in!

People may end up on the street because of drugs or alcohol, so what, no one is in a position to judge someone based on decisions they have made, which may have led to them becoming homeless, some people may have even lost their jobs, partners, home etc, even a army vet and again the system just lets them rot on the streets, then we have the media who paints a picture for everyone that homeless are just drug addicts, homeless people are scum, you should never help them, but, they are human beings and they need help. But I guess it's tough when the media portrays them in a bad manner, when they make it illegal to help homeless people as "it encourage homelessness" seriously!!?? Sorry for the rant but I hate the system and the society we live in that demonise people and doesn't help them.

But I do agree with there being fake beggars, and question with the homeless people who do drugs and booze, what if that is the only thing keeping them going? Keeping them alive, by giving them something to look forward to? What if it's keeping them sane in this insane world we live in? Just "what if's".