Begging

[Moonraker]

I was at a well known supermarket _____o.
As I came out the store a man with a cigarette approach ed me and said can he have 20p. I said nothing and then he 10p. I responded by saying 'I have no money on me.' Which was true. When I got in to my car I rummaged around and located some coins.
I returned to the man and handed him a £1 coin and said, "it's your lucky day." He was very thankful.
I usually only give money to buskers. I cannot even recall when I gave any money to a beggar. Clearly, something happened to me.

[amethyst]

There used to be a young female begging in the city centre,she always had a dog with her praying on old people to give her coins and it worked

[beccabear67]

I guess it would be a bad idea to say "quit playing at silly beggars" to anybody like that?

It definitely was a negative term, I remember it being the last thing someone wanted to be or be seen as... We have a squeegee person (with a bucket) I see regularly on one busy street with a lot of stop lights and he goes around, but he doesn't squeegee unless someone nods to him. I guess that's semi-useful. Other places have someone who has a dirty squeegee and starts on your windshield without any permission, I think then you're supposed to pay them to lay off! So our town's not so uncivilized.

[W1 Rover]

There was a blind fellow I used to give my change to sometimes, always on the same bench in a sunny area most days with a cup and a sign that said spare change. I saw him without his glasses and he had damaged eyes and slightly misshapen skull. He said he could see basic colors a bit. His disability money wasn't enough to buy treats for his seeing-eye dog maybe? Knowing someone else on a disability who has always had to work too (and luckily able to do some things like make jewellry) I know it's not always any more than just enough, especially when there is inflation.

Aggressive though... and forget it! There is no excuse for that. No blocking somebody's path or a loud voice, why reward that? I don't give to teenagers even if they say they need bus fare (that's an old one I remember from when I was one). There was a program for awhile to hand tokens good for food or drink out in the city but I guess it faded out as I haven't heard about it in quite awhile. We have a lot of addicts on streets around here (sorry tourism department) and it's not helping to give anything to them, in fact we need to bring back institutions for the hard core messes that can't take any care of themselves even with some basic supports; dumping all sorts out on streets is much more expensive, damaged businesses and property, and even gets seriously dangerous! I hate seeing them hand over a brand new housing unit to one of those hopeless types just to see them set fire to the entire complex and leave not only them but other homeless at the same time, there has got to be a better and smarter way. A very small number causes the bulk of the problems and they make things worse for the people who can be helped.

A pretty complex topic but we seem to have to keep re-learning things after various solutions to end poverty for all time and other such grandiose visions on papers fall flat in reality. Right now my change goes into poppy trays anyway.

Spot on if I may say so!
I'll not give to aggressive types, there was a fella a few months back that approached me and suggested that if I didn't give him a pound he'd be after me along with everyone else who'd " knocked him back".
Frankly I was fuming but sometimes in life discretion is the better part of valour.

It's a toughie, nothing wrong with giving , even if it's a sandwich or a coffee from Gregg's.

[amethyst]

i pass quite a few in my high st.

I cant decide if to give or not.

Not all homeless people who beg are really homeless.

I would not give to any beggars it's a damn cheek

[beccabear67]

There was a blind fellow I used to give my change to sometimes, always on the same bench in a sunny area most days with a cup and a sign that said spare change. I saw him without his glasses and he had damaged eyes and slightly misshapen skull. He said he could see basic colors a bit. His disability money wasn't enough to buy treats for his seeing-eye dog maybe? Knowing someone else on a disability who has always had to work too (and luckily able to do some things like make jewellry) I know it's not always any more than just enough, especially when there is inflation.

Aggressive though... and forget it! There is no excuse for that. No blocking somebody's path or a loud voice, why reward that? I don't give to teenagers even if they say they need bus fare (that's an old one I remember from when I was one). There was a program for awhile to hand tokens good for food or drink out in the city but I guess it faded out as I haven't heard about it in quite awhile. We have a lot of addicts on streets around here (sorry tourism department) and it's not helping to give anything to them, in fact we need to bring back institutions for the hard core messes that can't take any care of themselves even with some basic supports; dumping all sorts out on streets is much more expensive, damaged businesses and property, and even gets seriously dangerous! I hate seeing them hand over a brand new housing unit to one of those hopeless types just to see them set fire to the entire complex and leave not only them but other homeless at the same time, there has got to be a better and smarter way. A very small number causes the bulk of the problems and they make things worse for the people who can be helped.

A pretty complex topic but we seem to have to keep re-learning things after various solutions to end poverty for all time and other such grandiose visions on papers fall flat in reality. Right now my change goes into poppy trays anyway.

[darren]

i pass quite a few in my high st.

I cant decide if to give or not.

Not all homeless people who beg are really homeless.

[amethyst]

Probably not interested as long as she doesn’t enter

This was a first outside Morrisons,I have in the past seen beggars in city centres not that I go near them now

[Semi42]

Probably not interested as long as she doesn’t enter

[amethyst]

There was a woman outside Morrisons begging for money,she said can you spare a few coins,I didn't say nothing to her,reported it to security she was still there when We left the store