Begging at traffic lights

Spades

Lately while driving through town I have been hounded by people either just begging for money or trying to clean your windscreen and then looking for money at traffic lights. Two questions,

Does it bother you as much as it bothers me?

Why do the authorities tolerate it?

It is a serious health and safety issue. One of them is going to get knocked over sooner or later and I know nothing is been done about it, as it’s the same people all the time. I know they may be finding it hard to survive but there must be a better way of getting a few euros.

gcgirl

Spades wrote: »

Lately while driving through town I have been hounded by people either just begging for money or trying to clean your windscreen and then looking for money at traffic lights. Two questions,

Does it bother you as much as it bothers me?

Why do the authorities tolerate it?

It is a serious health and safety issue. One of them is going to get knocked over sooner or later and I know nothing is been done about it, as it’s the same people all the time. I know they may be finding it hard to survive but there must be a better way of getting a few euros.

All i do is make sure the doors are locked when i see beggers since most of the time the kids are in the car ! though i only get this when i am driving through dublin which luckaly has not been that often like i am just about surviving on what i have !

fozzle

Where did this happen you? It happened me once in Dublin - I hate it. I really really hope it doesn't become a regular thing here. With any luck the rain'll stop it!

guinnessdrinker

This hasn't happened to me at any of the traffic lights in town yet. But the thing is my driver window is temporarily broke and it doesn't go down so I'd have to get them to go around to the passanger window to pay them.

Edit: I just realised I could just open my driver door to pay them, duh!

Spades

fozzle wrote: »

Where did this happen you? It happened me once in Dublin - I hate it. I really really hope it doesn't become a regular thing here. With any luck the rain'll stop it!

There is a guy begging most days at the set of traffic lights on the new bridge or Hughs Bridge I think is the real name coming from finisklin direction and a guy washing the windscreen at the lights coming from the rosses point road, seen both today and earlier in the week.

SprostonGreen

Spades wrote: »

I know they may be finding it hard to survive but there must be a better way of getting a few euros.

If they've come to this country and they claim social welfare, I dont see why they should beg too. If they cant afford to live here then they should go some place else.

guinnessdrinker

In fairness the guy washing the windows isn't begging imo. I'd call it a form of entrepreneurship, fair play! (as long as he doesn't get hurt).

starbelgrade

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

In fairness the guy washing the windows isn't begging imo. I'd call it a form of entrepreneurship, fair play! (as long as he doesn't get hurt).

I've seen this happen at the lights at the Cathedral - if it isn't a form of begging, it's certainly a form of harrasement. They clean your windscreen regardless of whether you want/ ask them to, or not. Then they stick out their hands & expect to be paid.

This used to happen to me a lot in Dublin - you'd be sitting at the lights & some foreign national (we all know which nationality, but I'll be PC about it!) would come over with a bottle of water with some diluted washing up liquid in it & a manky cleaning thingey, make a balls of your windscreen & then get annoyed when you refused to pay him, despite having rolled down the window & said "no thanks", despite having water & cleaning fluid in the engine & despite the fact that washing up liquid is probably the worst thing you can clean your windows with.

Last time someone tried it was in Sligo. I slapped on the wipers before he got to the car. Problem solved.:D

Xiney

They're called squeegie kids in Canada - they can be a big problem there. They are often gangs of a dozen or so young people, dressed as "punks", descending upon the stopped cars at an intersection. They can get quite beligerant if you refuse to pay, which is rich since they don't really let you say no. Half the time your windshield is worse off after they get through with it with their mucky water.

GG66

Turn on your windscreen washer and wipers.....

starbelgrade

GG66 wrote: »

Turn on your windscreen washer and wipers.....

Or read the previous posts.