Family cant afford Christmas

Bogof_Babe

There's absolutely no guarantee that the unfortunate children will benefit at all from the largesse that their parents are begging for. In fact I would put money on it being a cover story so that they can spend their own Christmas comatose .

Pollycat

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

There's absolutely no guarantee that the unfortunate children will benefit at all from the largesse that their parents are begging for. In fact I would put money on it being a cover story so that they can spend their own Christmas comatose .

My thoughts exactly.
That's why I wouldn't give any money but would offer to buy the makings of Christmas dinner.

Maybe that offer would be met with the same response I had when after being asked for some change by someone who was supposedly sleeping on the streets & I offered to buy a sandwich and coffee:
It began with 'f' and ended with 'f'.

fierystormcloud

Pollycat wrote: »

My thoughts exactly.
That's why I wouldn't give any money but would offer to buy the makings of Christmas dinner.

Maybe that offer would be met with the same response I had when after being asked for some change by someone who was supposedly sleeping on the streets & I offered to buy a sandwich and coffee:
It began with 'f' and ended with 'f'.

Dunno whether that deserves a :eek: or a :rotfl:

Doesn't totally surprise me though, as I have heard people say stuff similar to this before. One person I know bought some food for a person claiming to be homeless under a subway, and they half smiled and said 'ummm ta...' Then when she looked back a minute later, the man was putting it in the bin.

Person_one

missbiggles1 wrote: »

And most of them don't live in the UK.

Some of them do, what's your point?

tesuhoha

fierystormcloud wrote: »

Dunno whether that deserves a :eek: or a :rotfl:

Doesn't totally surprise me though, as I have heard people say stuff similar to this before. One person I know bought some food for a person claiming to be homeless under a subway, and they half smiled and said 'ummm ta...' Then when she looked back a minute later, the man was putting it in the bin.

One time I went to the hairdresser in town I was stopped by a girl asking me for the money for a cup of tea and some breakfast as she hadn't eaten that day. I remember her because she was dressed quite distinctly in flamboyant clothes. Last week when I went I was stopped in the very same place by the same girl asking for tea and breakfast.

I didn't give her any money this time because I don't mind helping someone in need but it made me think it was her patch and that she must be saying the same thing to everyone.

mumps

missbiggles1 wrote: »

And most of them don't live in the UK.

But the children in the UK are no less deserving, no child should be going without although some of the children with nothing for Christmas probably aren't in a country that celebrates Christmas but they deserve to celebrate Eid, Diwali or whatever is appropriate.

fierystormcloud

tesuhoha wrote: »

One time I went to the hairdresser in town I was stopped by a girl asking me for the money for a cup of tea and some breakfast as she hadn't eaten that day. I remember her because she was dressed quite distinctly in flamboyant clothes. Last week when I went I was stopped in the very same place by the same girl asking for tea and breakfast.

I didn't give her any money this time because I don't mind helping someone in need but it made me think it was her patch and that she must be saying the same thing to everyone.

I can believe this. I have (many times) seen people in public, begging and asking anyone and everyone for money. You say 'no' or ignore them, and they move on to someone else. You just know the majority of them are popping off into a warm house at the end of the day, and probably have more surplus income than you.

Just like this woman from the original post probably has more surplus income than the OP.

I'm not saying that there aren't genuine cases, genuine homeless people, and people in genuine need; just that the ones who beg are not usually the ones in genuine need. They are usually the ones with an entitled-to attitude who think because someone has more than they have; they have a right to have it.

I know in the case of the OP, children are involved, but you can't let your heart rule your head. Many people like the begging woman the OP speaks of, will use their children as leverage, and for sympathy.

barbarawright

fierystormcloud wrote: »

I can believe this. I have (many times) seen people in public, begging and asking anyone and everyone for money. You say 'no' or ignore them, and they move on to someone else. You just know the majority of them are popping off into a warm house at the end of the day, and probably have more surplus income than you.

How do you 'just know' this?

missbiggles1

mumps wrote: »

But the children in the UK are no less deserving, no child should be going without although some of the children with nothing for Christmas probably aren't in a country that celebrates Christmas but they deserve to celebrate Eid, Diwali or whatever is appropriate.

No child in the UK has as little as those in war torn countries. Regardless of culture or religion, Christmas or any occasion is irrelevant if you've been bombed out of your home and have nothing.

mumps

missbiggles1 wrote: »

No child in the UK has as little as those in war torn countries. Regardless of culture or religion, Christmas or any occasion is irrelevant if you've been bombed out of your home and have nothing.

No child in the UK is being bombed, I absolutely agree. Unfortunately there will be children in the UK who will go hungry and cold and some will be physically or sexually abused on Christmas Day. I don't think it helps to play top trumps, no child in the UK needs to have as little as children in some other countries or suffering abuse on Christmas, or any other day, but unfortunately some children will. It is sometimes hard to believe what a parent can inflict on a child.

It is hard for us to imagine why someone would get pleasure from beating their child, or raping their child or letting someone else rape their child. I think our minds protect us from the reality.