Do you help beggars ?

Nemici

When you pass a beggar do you give them money or spit in their general direction.

Do you favour a type of beggar
eg Boy/romanian/druggie/girl/old-man etc etc

Views please ?

TomTom

I can't help but through them a couple of quid.
Even if i'm broke I toss what ever I have.

If its a young guy or girl (about 20 ish) I don't.
They should get off their arses and get a job.

Generally older or sick looking people I give to.

Sposs

I usual ignore them all, just too dangerous nowadays,

Aldo i always give money to female children,i just think they look awful.

[disclaimer]i would have said young girls but you know what folk are like [/disclamier]

Typedef

I try not to encourage beggars by giving them money.

There are any number of ways you can give to charity, where the likelyhood of the cash you give being spent on alochol or heroin to feed such habits is low.

BuffyBot

For me it just depends on the beggar - hard to quantify, but having previously worked with the homeless think I'm reasonably able to judge the needy from the true chancers (and there are many out there).

As for the cash, I really don't care what they do with it - if it beings some comfort into an otherwise miserable existance, let it be.

Washout

I dont give money to homeless people for the simple reason. i dont want to be aiding a drug habit

so instead i give some money to SHARE every month

Benbaz

Originally posted by Typedef
I try not to encourage beggars by giving them money.

There are any number of ways you can give to charity, where the likelyhood of the cash you give being spent on alochol or heroin to feed such habits is low.

Well they're hardly gonna spend the money to invest in shares or up their SSIA accounts!!! There are many reasons why people are homeless and to just say that they're gonna spend the money on drink & drugs is just ignorant. And besides, so waht if they do, they're homeless FFS!!

B.

Typedef

Originally posted by Benbaz
Well they're hardly gonna spend the money to invest in shares or up their SSIA accounts!!! There are many reasons why people are homeless and to just say that they're gonna spend the money on drink & drugs is just ignorant.

Likelyhood != will.

Besides giving money to beggars, only encourages them to beg, where what they should be doing is looking towards State agencies for support.

Deep breaths.

Stark

Nope, most of them just get way too cilngy after you give them money the first time. Prefer to give money to a charity and let them worry about it. If you're going to give people aid you need to follow up to make sure they're also getting help for alchohol addiction, finding work etc.

Sposs

Originally posted by k.oriordan
to follow up to make sure they're also getting help for alchohol addiction, finding work etc.

I Dont think the €1 you give them is going to help them with their addiction's and help find them work!!

GoneShootin

i dont give em money cos im a mean aul bastard

the ones i do give money to are the ones that enterain me. you find some excellent tap dancers - singers - guitar | fiddle player now and again. they always deserve a few quid.

GuanYin

I hate this topic in general but.

I have never been more aware of the homeless plight in Dublin since I started living in the city.

Not all are drug users or alcoholics, some are as young as 16 and tend to avoid shelters because its where you find alot of drug pushers and users and they want to avoid that.

As a case in point: There is young woman who can be seen on the quays and she was forced to move from her family home in her mid-teens. Initially she had a place to live and managed a temping job, but through sheer bad fortune she (and her co-tenants) were evicted when the landlord decided to sell the house. She finished her temping contract while staying in a hostel, but was unable to find another job and eventually ran out of money. No home, meant it was impossible to get somewhere. She has been living on the streets and shelters for the past year, trying desperately to avoid drugs and other vices that homeless people easily fall into.

At first I was skeptical about cases like this, I saw alot of homeless people come into casualty wards while drunk or high and cause trouble. In the end, I realised, its easy for me to say "well you could have done this that or the other" but I've never been in the situation so I have no clue what I am talking about and any snide comment I or anyone else not having lived the experience, makes, would be borne of ignorance.

Essay aside, I would tend to buy tea/coffee/juice and a sandwich/roll for homeless people in the morning or late evenings. I'm loathe to give money just in case. I'd tend to be more sympathetic towards adolecents, probably females. I would have seen alot of drug users in my time, so I usually have a good idea who to avoid or not.

WhiteWashMan

i dont give money to any of them. i do however give money to homeless charities every now and then.

but i dont like to talk about it....

vibe666

Depends on my first impressions of the person in question.

I hate to make generalisations, but I won't give money to the Romanian(?) women you see around town (the ones with the shawls, always with a newborn baby) because they are out to fleece one and all. The've come to Ireland because they know we're all a soft touch, and in all likelyhood they make more money beggng than most of us do with a hard days work.

As for the usual drunk irish guys and girls, I usually give them a bit, but not always. depends on how flush I am. I once gave a guy at a bus stop 20 quid, and I've probably given out a fiver to more than 10 people in my time.

Lost count of the 1's and 2's over the years, but I definately do my bit.

Most of the time if if it's someone with a bit of personality they'll get some cash from me, but someone who can't even be bothered to smile or stand up when they ask you, or even strike up a brief conversation won't get anything from me most of the time.

Tusky

I dont give them money - I probly should, If you want to help but dont want to feed adictions...buy them a sambo or a cup of tea or somthing ?

Nemici

Essay aside, I would tend to buy tea/coffee/juice and a sandwich/roll for homeless people in the morning or late evenings. I'm loathe to give money just in case. I'd tend to be more sympathetic towards adolecents, probably females. I would have seen alot of drug users in my time, so I usually have a good idea who to avoid or not. [/B]

I tried to give a homeless girl a sandwich the other day and she told me to f*ck off. Whats the deal with that ??

maybe she had just eaten eh ?

Tyrrial

i'm really quite confused on the matter, i remember a few weeks ago, i gave a guy a few cent and he looked at it and almost gave out to me for giving so little!

i also make a point to try to avoid giving people at ATM's money, it pisses me off to see them there and i don't like people watching me when i'm getting money out!

Benbaz

Most of the time if if it's someone with a bit of personality they'll get some cash from me, but someone who can't even be bothered to smile or stand up when they ask you, or even strike up a brief conversation won't get anything from me most of the time.

the ones i do give money to are the ones that enterain me. you find some excellent tap dancers - singers - guitar | fiddle player now and again. they always deserve a few quid.

Yeah, because after all, homeless people are just performing monkeys!!! I never ceases to shock me, the opinions of some people!!! :rolleyes:

DaithiSurfer

I rarely give them money.
2 good stories tho.
1. I walked out of a chippers in rathmines and there was a guy begging. I felt bad and gave him my bag of chips. He threw them at me and told me he didn't want them he wanted money.

2. Again in Rathmines there was a homeless guy i gave money to a few time because he said thanks (simple as that). One day i saw him sitting outside spar and took out some money to give to him. He said' no thanks i have enough'.
ever since then i offer him money.

Big Chief

cant stand those gypsie beggars, hate them with a passion.

I dont really give money to beggars, i give to charity when i can.

Although when it was really cold one night in winter (think it was december sometime) and i had alot of clothes on and even i was shivering, i took a guy that was lying on baggot street begging into burger king for a double bacon cheese burger.

Rather that than spent on booze etc..

Stark

Gave £20 to a begger before, biggest mistake ever (got caught by an atm machine, one of those bitches with the newborn babies). After I gave her the twenty, she started looking for £60 off me (I'd just taken out about £100) and kept showing me a picture of this baby (don't even think it was hers) and started speaking in romanian whilst pointing to it and making puppy dog noises. Then she followed me around town while I tried to get away from her and would corner me any time I had to stand stationary somewhere. Luckily some knackers saw what was happening and got pissed off and started picking a fight with her, the one time in my life I was ever happy to run into knackers.

vibe666

Originally posted by Benbaz
Yeah, because after all, homeless people are just performing monkeys!!! I never ceases to shock me, the opinions of some people!!! :rolleyes:

that's not what I meant.

If someone wants something from me then the least they can do is make some f*cking effort.

If somoene walks up to me to talk to me and asks then great, but if they can't even bother to do that then why should I give them my hard earned cash?

And those cvnts that sit by cash machines should have the gardai on them, it's the lowest of the low. They are one type of person who would never get a single cent of my cash, and there really should be a law against them sitting anywhere near them.

GoneShootin

Benbaz

what i do with my money is up to me. just beacuse i see drunk unconcious beggars sitting on their arses on the street im not about to come over all mother theresa and give them anything

if i however see someone at least trying something (ie, WORKING) for money, or any kind of reward, then im gona help that person out.

.............

one reason i could think of beggars not wanting money is what i have seen now and again. individual beggers sometimes meet up with other beggers and pool their resources. its a great idea, but you cant gake back a cold bag of chips to the CO-OP BEGGAR SOCIETY, they want money and not much else.

.............

those mothers with the children annoy me the most. they dont seem to realise that the last thing i need is my personal space being invaded by a normally fat woman with a crying child(ren). our natural instinct is to back off quickly. personal space is very important in city streets i find, if mine gets intruded i get extremely defensive when the person is a stranger and im in a situation that i dont feel comfotable with

Mac daddy

Originally posted by k.oriordan
Gave £20 to a begger before, biggest mistake ever (got caught by an atm machine, one of those bitches with the newborn babies). After I gave her the twenty, she started looking for £60 off me (I'd just taken out about £100) and kept showing me a picture of this baby (don't even think it was hers) and started speaking in romanian.

I give them absolutly nothing they are worse for bringing their baby's out with them while they are begging.

I was walking up o'connel street one day and i seen a 03 mercedes pull up in the alley and 4 of those bitches with there kids got out of it, and what did they do? started begging on o'connel street after getting out of a brand new merc.

Or you can catch them out by saying open your mouth and show me your gold teeth!!!
I no time for them what so ever!!!!
:mad:

Beëlzebooze

I refuse to give money to people who are obviously drunk on a matter of principle. I also do not give money to knacker children that hang around outside the shops.

I would give money to what I would call "genuine" beggars, people who are really down and out on their luck. I hope that if I (god forbid) ever get into such a situation, someone might give me some of their charity.

so basically I am doing it for selfish reasons :-)

Typedef

Originally posted by vibe666
Depends on my first impressions of the person in question.

I hate to make generalisations, but I won't give money to the Romanian(?) women you see around town (the ones with the shawls, always with a newborn baby) because they are out to fleece one and all. The've come to Ireland because they know we're all a soft touch, and in all likelyhood they make more money beggng than most of us do with a hard days work.

As for the usual drunk irish guys and girls, I usually give them a bit, but not always. depends on how flush I am. I once gave a guy at a bus stop 20 quid, and I've probably given out a fiver to more than 10 people in my time.

Notice of course, when you give an Irish drunk €20 you "aren't" being fleeced.

Bravo.

Iz it 'cause I iz black ?

BuffyBot

Originally posted by k.oriordan
Gave £20 to a begger before, biggest mistake ever.

More fool you! I will say is that a) I would never give to those who bring babies out as a "weapon" to guilt people into giving and b) £20!

vibe666

A lot of the time you can tell whether they're just chancing their arm anyway, so you just have to use personal judgement when deciding if you're gonna give them cash or not.

Food is always a good thing, I don't think any genuine homeless person is going to turn down some nice hot grub, whether they've just eaten or not.

smiles

People with babies, If they catch me on a soft moment I'll go into a shop and buy nappies / baby food and give it to them, that way I know that they can't use it for drugs / drink.

Still I think it's wrong, they're getting social welfare anyway.

<< Fio >>

SoundWave

i dont give money to any beggars, junkies, homeless, carnival folk... the odd time ill ask them if they want anything to eat... which usually ends up with gettin told to fuk off

i esp never give any money to those romanian (i think) women with the babies, i have seen them pinch their kids on the legs in order to make them cry.. its quite disturbing to see someone purposely hurting their own kids for a few cents.

there is also a woman (romanian aswell) on stephens green with a kid that can cry on demand, i was walking past them and i noticed the kid as happy as can be, once she spotted me she signaled the child and it started balling crying and staring at me with its hands reached out.

some ppl should not be allowed have kids at all.

dendenz

I let them **** off with themselves, especially that guy up on Aston Quay who looks fr spare change

Mossy Monk

you know those ones that come up with the piece of cardboard telling you that the children are starving. no ****ing way would i give them a cent. i saw one go into a shop and buy 40 fags with the money she earned on the street. give the money to charities instead

EL_Diablo

I'm not normally racist in any way but like a lot of people I wouldn't give money to the Romanian Gypsies who go out with their kids to try to guilt people into giving them money. And the price of giving has gone up. Usually you get some scruffy guy walking up to you asking for whatever change you have but there's one guy I'm sure most people who've ever been on Dame street knows who he is. Small guy with glasses acting deaf has a card he shows people asking for €5!! Spare change is bad enough but when they go around asking for minimum donations it's getting fvcking ridiculous. He didn't seem deaf when I told him to fvck off.

Silent Grape

they cant get a job if they dont have an address , and they cant get a home unless they have a job unfortunatly. - vicious cycle - i dont think we are allowed be judgemental, everybody has a diffferent story and its unfair 2 generalise them just because we have houses and bank accounts.

but yeah id throw a few pence their way every nowand then, but lately ive been buying htem chocolate and sandwiches and the like, jsut cos i am feeling responsible about where my money's going, even if it does make them happy for a bit,

Repli

I don't help them because i'm a student and therefore can't afford to.. :P
I don't see why I should though, it's not my fault they're homeless - there's loads of jobs available. I'd have more respect for someone who scrubbed toilets for a living than a homeless person.

DriftingRain

When I see a begger. I just try not to look. I feel so horrid to pass them by when I know I am more fortunate than they are. But I always think they are going to do me harm if I get to close sometimes. I know it is wrong to sterotype all beggers as some of them aren't druggies/alcoholics but it still makes me feel terribly uncomfortable to give. I hate it when they hold the signs "Will work for food" makes me want to cry really. I'm too soft hearted I think.:rolleyes:

GoneShootin

Originally posted by Repli
I'd have more respect for someone who scrubbed toilets for a living than a homeless person.

i think they call them Professional Cleaners repli, and I doubt they would appreciate you liking them to the homeless :rolleyes:

Yavvy

I personally have decided not to help the homeless
however I do like to give as much money to buskerrs and street performers as possible and my charity of choice is Vincent De Paul
Which helps the poor in Ireland very well.

Having said that, I saw an old man give 20 yoyos to a homeless guy at the ulster bank in college green. The homless guy was reallt touched by this his eyes wartered up and he kept looking at the money to see it was really there. after about 2 mins of this he stood up and shook the old mans hand who was still waiting on the bus.

That was kinda heard warming and i might consider helping cases like that. But not those feckin romaninas I see them every evening on the way home they get the same bus as me (56A) and they have big bags of shopping with them..damm they better than me, I dont consider them to be beggers they are con artists.