Aggressive begging

Smondie

I'm just watching the tv3 programme on aggressive begging in Dublin.

One Roma lady who begs outside of a gang gets 420 Euro per week social welfare and still is out begging.

Aggressive begging seems to be organised and the gangs have been filmed handing over thier money to a crime boss at the end of the day.

Another group aggressively beg and were filmed trying to rob the journalists wallet when he refused them cash and went to walk away.

These people are a nuisance. What can be done to tackle the problem?


It has created a fear factor in the city as reported here http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fear-factor-in-dublin-due-to-aggressive-begging-1.2024357

For Forks Sake

Any spare change there boss?

Smondie

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Any spare change there boss?

Get out you scrounger :pac:

OldMrBrennan83

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learn_more

Is this about the people who work for Bernardos on Grafton Street? You know, the one's you want to wallop ...

Arcade_Tryer

Smondie wrote: »

One Roma lady who begs outside of a gang gets 420 Euro per week social welfare and still is out begging.

Well done to her.

That is the kind of drive and entrepreneurial spirit required to drag this country forward after a tough recession. She is showing that she isn't just content to sit back on her payment like a lot of others, but rather is motivated to increase and capitalise on her wealth. Great mentality. More of this please.

wakka12

Patww79 wrote: »

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Is it really that bad? I just say no sorry and break eye contact . Then get on with my day, yes it happens a lot , usually 3-4 times every time I go to dublin city centre but it doesn't exactly ruin my day. And Ive never met an aggressive beggar, in my 21 years living in Dublin

Smondie

learn_more wrote: »

Is this about the people who work for Bernardos on Grafton Street? You know, the one's you want to wallop ...

I don't know but I don't think so. The programme is focused on Roma beggers

Atlantic Dawn

Commerical begging is a big business, almost as big as the charity "industry".

Smondie

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Smondie wrote: »

One Roma lady who begs outside of a gang gets 420 Euro per week social welfare and still is out begging.

Well done to her.

That is the kind of drive and entrepreneurial spirit required to drag this country forward after a tough recession. She is showing that she isn't just content to sit back on her payment like a lot of others, but rather is motivated to increase and capitalise on her wealth. Great mentality. More of this please.

I hope she's declaring her income to both the social welfare and the tax man

andekwarhola

Not really a big deal, even in Dublin. Sometimes I give money to beggars (not to Romas) on a fairly random basis (if I have money, not in a complete rush, some factor compels me etc) but if I don't, I just briefly apologise say I'm in rush or have no change etc. If they really try and badly panhandle me, I just tell them to fuck off and there never seems to be any comeback. Just part of living in a city.

Letree

I never give anybody anything on the streets. Its just an absolute principal i have. I play in some sport charity events for causes i think are worthy and charities that have a good name.

tracey turnblad

I just very loudly say no go away and continue walking. In fairness the reporter wanted them to surround him ( so he could show an example of it) and he told them he would come back and give them all something. I once seen an elderly lady roar **** off at the top of her voice as they tried to get money from her. They used to always be around the Luas stop at the Jervis but seem to have moved on....

Fluffy Cat 88

Keep on walking.

I ain't no Chugger Hugger

Smondie

andekwarhola wrote: »

.... Just part of living in a city.

I lived in Copenhagen for years. Never was approached by or seen a begger. I think it's illegal. So not all cities put up with this type of thing.

MilesMorales1

I'm in Dublin city centre every day, rarely do I see beggars on every street corner or at every ATM. If you see them, walk past and ignore them.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

There's an Irish lady that's always begging on Stephens green and she's the most aggressive out of any other beggar I encounter. She starts shouting at you while you're practically 1/2 way down the street.

Yes, there's lots of Roma beggars, and yes id to be extra careful of my belongings if they approached me, but they've never been aggressive.

Irish Guitarist

I once made the mistake of feeling sorry for a Romanian*gypsy who was holding a card saying he needed €10 for him and his child. I handed him all the change I had in my pocket, which was about €3. He complained "that's not enough". I still regret not grabbing the money back out of his hand.
*Awaits someone to quote me and tell me "they're Roma gypsies and they're not from Romania"

S. Goodspeed

In the grand scheme of things the Romas are the least of my concern. The lads high on heroin pose a greater danger purely because they can be completely unpredictable when under the influence. Worst of the lot though are the gangs of feral teenage scangers roaming the streets looking for trouble, they literally get away with murder.

Wigglepuppy

Patww79 wrote: »

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Maybe you look really rich! I encounter the odd person begging in Dublin city centre but certainly not harassment at every shop door/ATM. Serious bang of pov off me I'd say. :pac:

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

S. Goodspeed wrote: »

In the grand scheme of things the Romas are the least of my concern. The lads high on heroin pose a greater danger purely because they can be completely unpredictable when under the influence. Worst of the lot though are the gangs of feral teenage scangers roaming the streets looking for trouble, they literally get away with murder.

Heroin junkies aren't scary. They're like zombies.

tupenny

LexieOnRale wrote: »

There's an Irish lady that's always begging on Stephens green and she's the most aggressive out of any other beggar I encounter. She starts shouting at you while you're practically 1/2 way down the street.
ve.

Pretty sure I know her. Big woman roaring and whailing? Dark hair and trackies?
If it's the same 1 she annoys me so much, absolute bully, you see it when elderly walk by

Strong Life in Dublin

The begging in Dublin city is terrible, I must get asked for money a minimum of 10 times every time i'm the the city

Heckler

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Heroin junkies aren't scary. They're like zombies.

Agree with this. Anytime I've been in Dublin and seen these walking dead shuffle up "annnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyy ccccccccchaaaange bbbbbbbbud" I've never felt intimidated. Like you could push them over with a finger.

I suppose its the ones hanging for a score and needing the money badly are the ones to be cagey about.

Spent a year or so traveling up to and going out in Dublin at the weekend while my ex-wife was in college. Never had any hassle, never felt intimidated.

I'm from Cork and its the sheer number of people in Dublin that freaked me out. People sitting/standing next to me on public transport having full blown personal phone conversations for everyone to hear everytime I got the bus/luas was weird. Kids playing music without headphones ditto. Would be told to shut the **** up on a Cork bus.

Different vibe but I always liked it. My sister lives there but I think a visit is enough for me.

Grandeeod

Smondie wrote: »

I lived in Copenhagen for years. Never was approached by or seen a begger. I think it's illegal. So not all cities put up with this type of thing.

You're right. It's not tolerated in a lot of cities. But hey this is Dublin where we tolerate everything, including getting your fooking head blown off, getting beaten senseless outside a takeway or inside. In fact you can sit inside a nice restaurant and watch the carnage through the window if you want.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

tupenny wrote: »

Pretty sure I know her. Big woman roaring and whailing? Dark hair and trackies?
If it's the same 1 she annoys me so much, absolute bully, you see it when elderly walk by

That's her!!! The very first time I ever encountered her I told her I had no change, sorry and she suggested I use the atm, and like an absolute ****ing idiot, I was so flabbergasted I did. Now every single time I see her I feel like kicking her

YellowLead

LexieOnRale wrote: »

That's her!!! The very first time I ever encountered her I told her I had no change, sorry and she suggested I use the atm, and like an absolute ****ing idiot, I was so flabbergasted I did. Now every single time I see her I feel like kicking her

Yep I know the same woman, I've seen her around different parts of the city centre over the last number of years but Stephens Green is her latest haunt. She used to annoy me but now I just feel sorry for her (never give her money though). I am pretty certain she has mental health issues and begging is just part of her daily routine. As for beggers in general, I never give to Romas as I have seen too often ones sitting with crutches who then hop up and walk around unaided or who live in houses. Usually if you see somebody begging and they have their sleeping bag and a backpack with them they are genuinely homeless. If they don't have their worldly possessions with them then that means they do have somewhere to sleep at night and are probably just begging for drug money. I know there could be loads of exceptions to this, but somebody working for a homeless charity told me that once.

Zxclnic

Letree wrote: »

I never give anybody anything on the streets. Its just an absolute principal i have. I play in some sport charity events for causes i think are worthy and charities that have a good name.

I'm sure you mean well, but do you know (or care) what percentage of the money you raise for 'charities with good names' goes to the actual causes you support, and how much goes into the bank accounts of the professional career charity workers burping on their fine wines and sending their sons and daughters through college with your hard-earned.
When I give - which is not too often as I can't afford it and I'm stingy - I almost always give on the street, cutting out the middle man/woman so to speak, and I don't distinguish between natives, Roma or even Corkonians.
They're all equally deserving of my largesse.

Btw, someone mentioned giving money to a 'Romanian gypsie', she might well have been Romanian, but she also could have been 'Roma', and if so than possibly from a country other than Romania.
A long-winded way of saying Roma/Romanian sometimes the same but not always.

FTA69

Zxclnic wrote: »

I'm sure you mean well, but do you know (or care) what percentage of the money you raise for 'charities with good names' goes to the actual causes you support, and how much goes into the bank accounts of the professional career charity workers burping on their fine wines and sending their sons and daughters through college with your hard-earned.
When I give - which is not too often as I can't afford it and I'm stingy - I almost always give on the street, cutting out the middle man/woman so to speak, and I don't distinguish between natives, Roma or even Corkonians.
They're all equally deserving of my largesse.

Btw, someone mentioned giving money to a 'Romanian gypsie', she might well have been Romanian, but she also could have been 'Roma', and if so than possibly from a country other than Romania.
A long-winded way of saying Roma/Romanian sometimes the same but not always.

If you're giving money to Roma beggars in Cork all you're doing is funding an organised scam. It beggars belief how many people are tacitly ok with that like.

I'm not saying you fit this description, but it's about people making themselves feel better as opposed to genuinely trying to help others and Roma scams prey on that.

Zxclnic

FTA69 wrote: »

If you're giving money to Roma beggars in Cork all you're doing is funding an organised scam. It beggars belief how many people are tacitly ok with that like.

I'm not saying you fit this description, but it's about people making themselves feel better as opposed to genuinely trying to help others and Roma scams prey on that.

Sometimes there's a Roma 'beggar' outside my local Tesco, betimes as I jauntily stroll by whistling 'Oh what a beautiful morning' I might go completely mad and drop a €2 coin in her hat, she'll then offer me a 'Big Issue' in return which I invariably refuse (feeling good about myself whilst so doing). She always mumbles 'Thank you and God bless' or some such platitude as I go on my merry way..........SCAM complete.....and, of course, she's probably a billionaire with a 10-bedroomed house in Dalkey.

Btw, I was actually talking about a Cork beggar on a Dublin street, yes there is at least one. I gave him €5 last Christmas when I was 'tired and emotional'.
It's a world gone mad I tell you.

RobertKK

I gave money to a Roma man after initially ignoring him as I don't give money to people who I believe are fake, as I don't think he needs to beg.
I was at a pay station for the car park, I paid and got my ticket, my mind was elsewhere at the time, next thing I heard him calling me back saying I had left money behind me. I went back got the money I had left behind and I gave him some money too for his honesty and for being a nice person at that moment.

Vic_08

Zxclnic wrote: »

Sometimes there's a Roma 'beggar' outside my local Tesco, betimes as I jauntily stroll by whistling 'Oh what a beautiful morning' I might go completely mad and drop a €2 coin in her hat, she'll then offer me a 'Big Issue' in return which I invariably refuse (feeling good about myself whilst so doing). She always mumbles 'Thank you and God bless' or some such platitude as I go on my merry way..........SCAM complete.....and, of course, she's probably a billionaire with a 10-bedroomed house in Dalkey.

She won't but the heads of the Roma crime families that get most of your money will have the Romanian equivalent of a Dalkey mansion.

For the most part they aren't homeless, they are career beggars and it is all organised by the family/gang leaders. Odds are she will end the day being picked up in a gangster style car and taken home at the end of the begging shift.

No doubt it isn't exactly a great way to live but you are doing no good to them or anyone else by giving them money.

Zxclnic

Vic_08 wrote: »

She won't but the heads of the Roma crime families that get most of your money will have the Romanian equivalent of a Dalkey mansion.

For the most part they aren't homeless, they are career beggars and it is all organised by the family/gang leaders. Odds are she will end the day being picked up in a gangster style car and taken home at the end of the begging shift.

No doubt it isn't exactly a great way to live but you are doing no good to them or anyone else by giving them money.

You'll have to take my word for it, but I have actually seen her go into Tesco and buy 'Hot Chicken Thingies' from the deli, take them outside, resume her position and eat the damn things.
Next time she does that I'm ringing the police.

Vic_08

Zxclnic wrote: »

You'll have to take my word for it, but I have actually seen her go into Tesco and buy 'Hot Chicken Thingies' from the deli, take them outside, resume her position and eat the damn things.
Next time she does that I'm ringing the police.

I'm sure the local sergeant will be fascinated to know that a woman has eaten some chicken.

donegaLroad

it will all come to an end if we become a cashless society like Denmark are planning to do.

Zxclnic

Vic_08 wrote: »

I'm sure the local sergeant will be fascinated to know that a woman has eaten some chicken.

Well at least my €2 hasn't gone into the upkeep of her Dalkey mansion, it's gone into her belly!;)

Sam Kade

donegaLroad wrote: »

it will all come to an end if we become a cashless society like Denmark are planning to do.

What will the traveling men do then?

Zxclnic

donegaLroad wrote: »

it will all come to an end if we become a cashless society like Denmark are planning to do.

Goodness me, that'll mean an end to buskers on Grafton Street - Btw, I've seen them being picked-up at the end of the day by their busking crime lords in their Lamborghinis - how will we survive without them?

Wigglepuppy

Remember having lunch outdoors off Grafton Street and this well dressed, well fed-looking guy (not at all junkie looking) was going around looking for money off people and when they said no, he got stroppy, saying "Well youz seem to have plenty of money for foo-id!" Yes because buying lunch means being absolutely loaded and the leftover money should be given to him because he's entitled to it and everyone else owes him. :rolleyes:
What an arse. Although he probably wasn't the full bob.

donegaLroad

Zxclnic wrote: »

Goodness me, that'll mean an end to buskers on Grafton Street - Btw, I've seen them being picked-up at the end of the day by their busking crime lords in their Lamborghinis - how will we survive without them?

we will have to buy them sandwiches and phone credit, maybe some booze at Christmas.

Captain Chaos

donegaLroad wrote: »

it will all come to an end if we become a cashless society like Denmark are planning to do.

I've stopped using cash about 18 months ago. Just debit card (contact less) and leap card for everything.

But the begging in the city centre is unreal. Every single Red line Luas stop from Connolly to St James and Connolly station at the Irish Rail station is very bad for it. "I need money for a ticket" is the common line, I ask them where they are going and they can never tell me.

purplepanda

Smondie wrote: »

I lived in Copenhagen for years. Never was approached by or seen a begger. I think it's illegal. So not all cities put up with this type of thing.

On the ferry from Puttgarden to Rodby ferry last summer the Roma robbed all the tills as well as expensive goods in the ship restaurant & souvenir shops, by force of numbers including kids as decoys to divert staff.

It was easy enough for myself & my son to quickly work out what was happening but the Danish security guards were totally clueless until it was far too late. By then the loot had obviously passed through a few pairs of hands. :pac:

I can't see Copenhagen avoiding the same groups of Roma beggars & thieves that afflict every major European city that I have visited over the last 15 odd years. :rolleyes:

Richard Hillman

I was at a bus stop on D'Olier Street. Some scruff kept on repeating "Will you help me, will you help me, will you help me". I ignored him but he repeated it about 10 times until I gave in. I asked what's wrong and he said he is a diabetic and he needs €1 for a diet coke. I told him that diet coke has no sugar, he replied with "eh....I know". I then told him to "f**k off" and away he went.

RobertKK

I posted about this before, it happened last month in Dublin, two cases of me being approached by questionable people.
One roughish looking woman asked to use my phone on O'Connell St, I said no she couldn't use it, as if I would hand over my iPhone to a complete stranger.
A couple of hours later I was walking on the Quays near the Jeannie Johnson and this guy came over to me asking for money for his hotel room and saying he was from South Africa, told me the hotel messed up his booking, thinking back he said he had no money as it was stolen, that he went to the Gardai who got him and his invisible girlfriend a room in a hostel. Told me they couldn't stay in the hostel as they had a laptop and other valuables. So I lied and said I had no cash, but stupidly did say I had only my bank card. He wanted me to go to the bank and get money and out and he would repay me on Monday (this was on a Saturday), told him I wouldn't be getting money from the bank. But it was clearly a scam.

Zxclnic

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I was at a bus stop on D'Olier Street. Some scruff kept on repeating "Will you help me, will you help me, will you help me". I ignored him but he repeated it about 10 times until I gave in. I asked what's wrong and he said he is a diabetic and he needs €1 for a diet coke. I told him that diet coke has no sugar, he replied with "eh....I know". I then told him to "f**k off" and away he went.

I'm not a medical person but I would imagine that a Diet Coke would be far more suitable for a diabetic person than a sugary Coke.
I think you may have misinterpreted his pleas of 'will you help me' as a desperate call for help from someone suffering from a 'diabetic low' for a much-needed sugar hit, whereas he was probably just asking you very assertively if he could by any chance borrow some money for a drink (appropriate to his condition) to slake his considerable thirst.
So you telling him to fùck off was a bit rude really.

timthumbni

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I was at a bus stop on D'Olier Street. Some scruff kept on repeating "Will you help me, will you help me, will you help me". I ignored him but he repeated it about 10 times until I gave in. I asked what's wrong and he said he is a diabetic and he needs €1 for a diet coke. I told him that diet coke has no sugar, he replied with "eh....I know". I then told him to "f**k off" and away he went.

Have to not considered that he was just trying to moderate his blood sugar levels by drinking a sugar free beverage. You should have asked him what his blood sugar level was to se if he was faking. :-)

Richard Hillman

Zxclnic wrote: »

I'm not a medical person but I would imagine that a Diet Coke would be far more suitable for a diabetic person than a sugary Coke.
I think you may have misinterpreted his pleas of 'will you help me' as a desperate call for help from someone suffering from a 'diabetic low' for a much-needed sugar hit, whereas he was probably just asking you very assertively if he could by any chance borrow some money for a drink (appropriate to his condition) to slake his considerable thirst.
So you telling him to fùck off was a bit rude really.

So basically he was thristy, wanted me to pay for it and it had nothing to do with his made-up diabetes. He can f**k right off.

Zxclnic

Richard Hillman wrote: »

So basically he was thristy, wanted me to pay for it and it had nothing to do with his made-up diabetes. He can f**k right off.

No. He may well have been thirsty.... and had diabetes too, they're not mutually exclusive.
His was kind enough to go into some detail as to his reasons for preferring a 'Diet' Coke over a ghastly sugary one.

holy guacamole

I can abide them being outside shops, ATMs etc, but I've often seen Roma gypsies waiting outside Catholic churches for the elderly to come out.

It's a bad state of affairs when an old woman or man can't go to mass without being harassed by people. The lowest of the low imo.

Giacomo McGubbin

andekwarhola wrote: »

Just part of living in a city.

No, just part of living in a badly policed and managed one

Raging_Ninja

A couple of years ago, twice in the space of three days I had people coming up to me asking fr money.

The first guy was in a car with a woman and a young kid, showed me his drivers license and said he had tra bells down from Donegal for a job but the guy had let him down, and he didn't have any money for petrol to get home. Was asking for some cash and my address and he'd post it back to me. Told I only had a fiver to get my lunch (true).

Second guy did pretty mmuch the same thing, pulled out his drivers license and was about to give me his sob story when I said I had no money. This fella got offended and said he wasn't going to a ask for money, so I said "OK, so what do you want then?". He said "no, I don't want your help" and went off.

The thing that bothered me most was asking for my address - back of my head both times I was thinking they know there's nobody there now.