Guilt tripping Big Issue seller - Small vent!

Pollycat

daytona0 wrote: »

I appreciate your post and you are 100% right.

The woman stated that she was cold and wanted to go home - you can either interpret that as begging or you can take it at face value! It could go either way in fairness!

OP is very lucky, just like all of us. We don't have to haul big issues on a cold street. BUT I'm just a bit concerned that OP would rather rant on here than buy a "cold" woman a hot coffee - that's what being human is all about, helping those less fortunate. Sod the big issue, just respond to what people are saying!

Thank you for quoting my post.

For some bizarre reason, someone has had it deleted.

Why shouldn't the OP have a vent on here?

After all, it IS the 'Praise, Vent & Warnings' board.

Why would the woman feel the necessity to tell a total stranger that she is cold?
According to the OP, it was when she said 'no' to buying the Big Issue that the woman said she was cold & wanted to go home:

Laura_Scotland wrote: »

But, this afternoon when I went to our local Scotmid Co-op the woman at the entrance asked me and when I said no, she then said "please, I want to go home, please it's cold..." in a begging way!

Taken in context, I would definitely say that was bordering on begging - or at the very least an attempt to make the OP feel guilty enough to buy a copy of the Big Issue.

If my local Big Issue seller said to me 'Hello missus, it's cold isn't it, would you like to buy a copy of the Big issue', I would see that as totally different.

hollydays

BB1958 wrote: »

Oh dear! It was meant to be a light hearted, jokey post, didn't mean to cause any offence!

However, probably digging myself even further into a hole here, but why would they work outside if that was the case?

No choice?

Laura_Scotland

Pollycat wrote: »

Thank you for quoting my post.

For some bizarre reason, someone has had it deleted.

Why shouldn't the OP have a vent on here?

After all, it IS the 'Praise, Vent & Warnings' board.

Why would the woman feel the necessity to tell a total stranger that she is cold?
According to the OP, it was when she said 'no' to buying the Big Issue that the woman said she was cold & wanted to go home:

Taken in context, I would definitely say that was bordering on begging - or at the very least an attempt to make the OP feel guilty enough to buy a copy of the Big Issue.

If my local Big Issue seller said to me 'Hello missus, it's cold isn't it, would you like to buy a copy of the Big issue', I would see that as totally different.

That's what I thought too when I decided to start the thread! Of course not everyone sees it that way, but I guess that's to be expected.

Yes, she did say it after I said "no thanks", I'm not sure if it was just her accent, but the 'please' was said more like "pleeeease" if that makes sense...! That's exactly how I saw it, like it was being said to try to make me change my mind about buying one.

Oh definitely different, that's more like they're just making conversation!

Exile_geordie

torbrex wrote: »

When they are begging for money in the street but can afford to smoke then they don't deserve to get any money.

This is a bit unfair torbrex. I often give homeless people tabs so that any money they do get can go on food for them. And are you sure the roll ups they may be smoking are not from the dog ends they find on the floor?


See its not all about them spending their money on tabs. Don't assume


Also you should read these books http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/18/bob-street-cat-books-sell-1m-copies-in-uk-james-bowen which are heart warming and show a different slant on how 'you see things' which will hopefully change your mind.

Laura_Scotland

Piggywiggy wrote: »

My local Morrisons is awful for sticking charity collectors by the door in the way in and out. At least when you do the shopping online you don't have to deal with it.

My mum often mentions that about her local Morrisons, she finds it annoying being asked again on the way out! It can be so cheap to shop online too, I always pick the £1 delivery slots from Tesco

Laura_Scotland

Exile_geordie wrote: »

This is a bit unfair torbrex. I often give homeless people tabs so that any money they do get can go on food for them. And are you sure the roll ups they may be smoking are not from the dog ends they find on the floor?


See its not all about them spending their money on tabs. Don't assume


Also you should read these books http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/18/bob-street-cat-books-sell-1m-copies-in-uk-james-bowen which are heart warming and show a different slant on how 'you see things' which will hopefully change your mind.

That's an interesting article, I was given A Street Cat Named Bob for Christmas (crazy cat lady!) it's such a lovely story

Pollycat

Piggywiggy wrote: »

My local Morrisons is awful for sticking charity collectors by the door in the way in and out.

I find this incredibly annoying if they rattle their tin and say 'will you give to x charity?'.

Someone did this to me in my local Co-op the other day as I walked in a bit preoccupied with what I needed to buy.

She made me jump and I tripped on a carpet, luckily I managed not to fall.

She did get a very dark look from me - and no money.

hollydays

Exile_geordie wrote: »

This is a bit unfair torbrex. I often give homeless people tabs so that any money they do get can go on food for them. And are you sure the roll ups they may be smoking are not from the dog ends they find on the floor?


See its not all about them spending their money on tabs. Don't assume


Also you should read these books http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/18/bob-street-cat-books-sell-1m-copies-in-uk-james-bowen which are heart warming and show a different slant on how 'you see things' which will hopefully change your mind.

This article is in this weeks or last weeks big issue.There's a photo of a cat smiling.

Exile_geordie

Both books are excellent and well worth a read imo. Lovely story too.

belisha-beacon

Laura_Scotland wrote: »

Hmm, I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble - it would have to be a lot worse before I would consider reporting them! It was more of a go home and have a little rant on MSE situation!

Laura, there is a Code of Conduct for Big Issue sellers, which includes "not being allowed to sell in any way associated with begging" (And JReacher, it also includes a requirement that they MUST always hand over the correct change and provide the magazine). The code is there for the protection of all Big Issue sellers- being homeless gets stigmatized very quickly and one seller behaving badly could make people think badly of all Big Issue sellers. As a result, the organisation works very hard to deal with problems. They try to be sensitive, and wouldn't immediately stop dealing with someone, but repeated problems would result in a refusal to sell the magazine to them.

I often find a calm discussion with a rule-breaking seller works wonders. They know perfectly well what the rules are, they just hope no-one notices so if you let on that you realise they're breaking the rules, they will normally deal with the issue without you needing to report them. So, for example, when for about the 10th time in a row a guy gave me change only when I asked for it and said, "Oh! I didn't realise you'd want any change!", I said that it was a shame he was risking the reputation of other Big Issue sellers by breaching the code. It never happened again, and I didn't spot him short-changing anyone else either.

And yes, I know it sounds mean. But I really believe in the Big Issue ethos of people getting dignity through work rather than begging, and I feel that it would be patronising of me to expect less from a Big Issue seller than I would from anyone else in employment.