Fake beggar earns £23,000 a year

IveSeenTheLight

If the worst came to the worst, I play the accordion, so I'd busk instead of begging.
At least then I'd be earning any money given to me.

Running_Horse

Generali wrote: »

True. According to this bloke (link) 5% of people withdrawing from alcohol will get the DTs and about of third of them will die if it is untreated.

That's rubbish. I grew up with alcoholics and their friends and not one died coming off booze. Several went to early graves because they wouldn't stop drinking. The one thing all problem drinkers have in common is someone, usually spouse or parent, who helps them get drink.

Every time you give money to a steet drinker you are taking on that role, and might as well give them nails for their coffin. If they didn't get money from total strangers they might just turn for help available from various agencies. Nobody needs to beg in this country.

Generali

Running_Horse wrote: »

That's rubbish. I grew up with alcoholics and their friends and not one died coming off booze.

I'm sorry to hear that you grew up with alcoholics however that doesn't mean that the data in the article I quoted from were wrong.

Running_Horse wrote: »

Every time you give money to a steet drinker you are taking on that role, and might as well give them nails for their coffin. If they didn't get money from total strangers they might just turn for help available from various agencies. Nobody needs to beg in this country.

I don't disagree however someone with an addiction probably feels that they need to pay for their next fix. That you knew people that drank themselves to death reinforces that.

tomterm8

I disagree with the concept that problem drinkers necessarily rely on other people to fund their habit: the vast majority of alcoholics still function, have jobs and etc. Those that fall as far as being 'street' alcoholics really have little to lose from crime. The idea that not giving money to them will somehow force them to go get treatment, well, I don't buy it.

It's a depressing thought, but by the point they are begging on the street, 'street drinkers' have lost their home, their family, their job... if they were going to quit, they would have. Most of them are going to die.

iltisman

I came across a new tactic in the USA, beggers in petrol stations with a plastic petrol can asking for a gallon of gas to get home, whilst you are filling your tank.
They had some success with tourists.

bristol_pilot

He was not a fake begger - he was genuinely begging!

Begging has been a good way to make money in the UK ever since the pound coin replaced pound notes. People will rarely give paper money to beggars but handing over coins somehow doesn't seem as much.

I don't especially like begging and never give money, but they don't bother me much. Unlike the perfectly legal 'chuggers' who hassle me every time I go to the shops and should all be shot.

sabretoothtigger

iltisman wrote: »

I came across a new tactic in the USA, beggers in petrol stations with a plastic petrol can asking for a gallon of gas to get home, whilst you are filling your tank.
They had some success with tourists.

A can of petrol here is like 6 quid but in usa it'd be about a dollar only I think, not as much to ask


I was on my way to work once when I was asked to give help on a car out of petrol by a smartly dressed young lady. Spent about 5 mins discussing how she could get it going, I said to just take the petrol and tell them you'd forgot the money and go back later which would have been fair enough.
She didnt actually ask but ignored what I said so I guess the idea was I was supposed to hand over ten quid, I guess Im mean like that but she was so attractive I doubt she was lacking help somehow.

Another scam I read of is people knocking on the door of 'neighbours' to borrow money for a keysmith or some emergency. Apparently it works best in london where people havent a clue who they live next to


Had a guy tell me he was starving to death, I was eating a burger so offered it to him to which he looked disgusted :laugh: not so hungry I guess, I been hungry plenty of times and have had 5 pounds for weekly food (weekly everything actually ) budget for a couple of months which is possible on 25p pint milk and 12p bread, thanks tesco


Buskers and Big Issue sellers are ok . Average life span of homeless is 44 apparently

stonethrower

About 10 years ago I was with my mate going through Victoria station when a beggar asked my mate for 10p for a cup of tea, my mate gave him 20p asked the beggar to buy him one. My mate got a mouthful of abuse but it put a smile on my face.

treliac

phil_b wrote: »

I'd still rather work for a living instead of sit in the pi$$ing rain and cold, groveling to random folk on the street.

There are many who spend their 8-10 daily working hours out "in the pi$$ing rain and cold" anyway and they're working at the same time.

I always feel very warm and cosy in my car and very sorry for the men I pass who are working on our motorways in the freezing rain in middle of the night.

neverdespairgirl

Generali wrote: »

I used to know a bloke who if he was asked for 10 pence for a cup of tea would ask them what they were really going to buy and give them the money for it along with a gentle chastisement for lying to him.

There used to be a bloke standing round a garage in Old Street who, oddly, needed £5 of petrol to get home. Except he needed it for years, day after day.....