I met a homeless Mother on the street

Sweet.Science · 22-06-2019 11:27AM #1

On abbey st making my way home from work during the week . She had 2 young boys both under 4 and pushing a pram while drinking coffee.

She approached me and asked me can she use my phone . She wasn’t any threat to steal it so it wasn’t a problem . She called out the number for me to dial and said she left her phone in the hotel ( I twigged that’s where she was living at the moment ).

I passed her my phone it was her partner she was calling . I noticed something wasn’t right she was slurring her words . I looked at the coffee cup and it was red wine inside . I looked under the pram and there was 2 bottles of wine there with other groceries . She was extremely drunk walking around town with her kids and was making her way to focus Ireland . She gave me back the phone to explain to her partner who I was as he was paranoid . After threats to kill me I hung up blocked his number and went home

Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc

However has the current crisis meant there has been a slow down in kids been born into this environment? Is this the only good thing to come from it ?

I feel guilty for even saying that . However them 2 boys have all the odds stacked against them from the very start

Excuse me I’m rambling now

vriesmays · 22-06-2019 11:40AM

Did you ask her which bank repossessed her home.

seamus · 22-06-2019 11:50AM

"allowing people like this to have kids"

Have a little think about that.

suicide_circus · 22-06-2019 11:51AM

feel bad for the kids. the bottles of wine and daytime drunkeness and her homelessness are probably not unrelated. I have a friend who works for Focus, 95% of her clientele have substance abuse issues and/or mental health issues

maxsmum · 22-06-2019 11:53AM

Firstly I can't believe you gave her your phone!
Secondly I would have reported this to the Gardai. These children are neglected. If you have the number she dialled maybe you can still do that

smurgen · 22-06-2019 11:54AM

I find homeless people i encounter on the street to be very distressing. I know I'm going to be put in the bleeding heart liberal category but if you encounter a person in the flesh and see the desperation in their face it's extremely hard not to feel compassion for them. I don't care if they guilt trip i regularly give them money. There but for the grace of god go i.

suicide_circus · 22-06-2019 11:57AM

smurgen wrote: »

I find homeless people i encounter on the street to be very distressing. I know I'm going to be put in the bleeding heart liberal category but if you encounter a person in the flesh and see the desperation in their face it's extremely hard not to feel compassion for them. I don't care if they guilt trip i regularly give them money. There but for the grace of god go i.

youre good hearted but by giving them cash you condemn them to another hit and another night on the street. if they have no cash they might just seek help.

Sweet.Science · 22-06-2019 11:58AM

maxsmum wrote: »

Firstly I can't believe you gave her your phone!
Secondly I would have reported this to the Gardai. These children are neglected. If you have the number she dialled maybe you can still do that

Never thought Of that .

Sweet.Science · 22-06-2019 11:59AM

seamus wrote: »

"allowing people like this to have kids"

Have a little think about that.

Ok I should rephrase that . Leave it people’s own responsibility to look after their own kids

Stop moaning ffs · 22-06-2019 12:00PM

‘
Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc’

Seriously?

spurious · 22-06-2019 12:00PM

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Ok I should rephrase that . Leave it people’s own responsibility to look after their own kids

Where was homeless Daddy?

YFlyer · 22-06-2019 12:01PM

I had to tell a homeless person on O'Connell Street, Limerick that there was a dry patch to sit on just a few feet away.

Sweet.Science · 22-06-2019 12:03PM

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

‘
Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc’

Seriously?

What ?

Infernal Racket · 22-06-2019 12:03PM

smurgen wrote: »

I find homeless people i encounter on the street to be very distressing. I know I'm going to be put in the bleeding heart liberal category but if you encounter a person in the flesh and see the desperation in their face it's extremely hard not to feel compassion for them. I don't care if they guilt trip i regularly give them money. There but for the grace of god go i.

Your kind gesture, which I'm sure makes you feel better, gets spent on cheap alcohol and drugs which only exacerbates the problem. Stop giving them money. If you want to donate, pick a charity like Crumlin Hospital or something else worthwhile

Stop moaning ffs · 22-06-2019 12:09PM

Sweet.Science wrote: »

What ?

Judgemental sneering bull****.
That you’re unaware of it tells us all we need to know.

vriesmays · 22-06-2019 12:10PM

Pick your nose and flick it at her.

smurgen · 22-06-2019 12:13PM

Gerry G wrote: »

Your kind gesture, which I'm sure makes you feel better, gets spent on cheap alcohol and drugs which only exacerbates the problem. Stop giving them money. If you want to donate, pick a charity like Crumlin Hospital or something else worthwhile

I'm under no illusion. I used just buy them food in a shop and bring it out to them.but at the end of the day i thought if they were buying drink at least it would give them momentarily comfort.i sure as hell wouldn't want to be blood sobar out in the cold.
A few years back i spotted a lad i had been in school with on the streets.hadn't seen him since we finished secondary school. He was on the floor with a sleeping bag at his feet.he looked skeletal almost.all the signs of heroin use.we locked eyes and i bet he remembered who i was.i went to the atm to get cash out for him and when i came back he was gone.i reckon he was too ashamed and took off.
It upset me because he was extremely neglected in school. He had head lice and never had a lunch and was violently bullied. His mother died when he was young and I'd say his dad didn't care. I don't think the poor fella ever had a chance.

Sweet.Science · 22-06-2019 12:16PM

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Judgemental sneering bull****.
That you’re unaware of it tells us all we need to know.

Kids are a career choice for thousands . It’s the reality

smurgen · 22-06-2019 12:19PM

Gerry G wrote: »

Your kind gesture, which I'm sure makes you feel better, gets spent on cheap alcohol and drugs which only exacerbates the problem. Stop giving them money. If you want to donate, pick a charity like Crumlin Hospital or something else worthwhile

I do give to charities. Giving to a homeless person doesn't make me feel better. It's normally just a momentarily decision to help a person i think might appreciate my loose change more than I. In all honesty i just normally leave wishing they were steadier more well adjusted people and hope they can sort themselves out. Everything is treated so cynically these days.

Airyfairy12 · 22-06-2019 12:20PM

She's a homeless mother in an abusive relationship - her partner is probably the only support she has. If that was my life, id drink too tbf. You dont know what their lives are like or what theyve been through. Most people drink like that just to cope.

Stop moaning ffs · 22-06-2019 12:21PM

Sweet.Science wrote: »

I’d love your naivety. Those kids were born out of love alright .

Your cynicism and bitterness are something to behold. More to be pitied than laughed at.

Stheno · 22-06-2019 12:25PM

I rarely have cash/coins on me these days and often wonder does cashless cards etc mean less money given to people on the street

Yurt2 · 22-06-2019 12:27PM

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Kids are a career choice for thousands . It’s the reality

That's sub-Daily Mail nonsense. You've been propagandized my friend.

The Rapture · 22-06-2019 12:30PM

I've seen a lot worse on the Luas especially around St. James stop. Strung out parents in charge of babies in buggies who don't even react when the kid drops their bottle. All the while 40 odd passengers fix their gaze anywhere but there.

Hedgelayer · 22-06-2019 12:31PM

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

She's a homeless mother in an abusive relationship - her partner is probably the only support she has. If that was my life, id drink too tbf. You dont know what their lives are like or what theyve been through. Most people drink like that just to cope.

There's always a solution but drinking on top of it isn't the answer.
Food is far more important especially for the kid's.

Any parents who bottle up their problems instead of nourishing their kid's has a big problem.

I've seen women in similar situations get help and some have gone from park bench to park avenue, others are pushing up the daisies and the nearest bench is the one beside the Celtic headstone....

No drowning the problem with drink wouldn't be advisable.

Although I know what you mean, you probably mean it metaphorically

Nikki Sixx · 22-06-2019 12:34PM

It’s a hard call alright. 9 times out of ten I walk past these people looking for change etc. What I hate are their lies, the bullsh1t stories they hit you with, when you know they do this every day. If you give one of them €5, he’ll still be out the next day and the one after that. Would it be more honest if people bought them a few cans from the off license and handed the cans to them?

Stop moaning ffs · 22-06-2019 12:38PM

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

One eyed Jack · 22-06-2019 12:40PM

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Kids are a career choice for thousands . It’s the reality

Christ OP I thought other posters were being harsh in the way they interpreted your opening post. I thought they were missing the greater point you were trying to make that in Irish society today there are still people living in dire poverty and successive Governments have done far too little to address the issues, instead they choose to kiss the electorates arseholes because that’s who votes for them and that’s why those children you saw have very little chance of knowing any different than their current circumstances.

But no, it wasn’t about that at all, it was just another bullshìt lead-in to another bullshìt thread to have a pop at people who are homeless. You could have just lead with that and saved everyone the bother of yet another repetitive thread condemning people who are homeless.

Instead why don’t you ask yourself are you contributing to a society where those children will be regarded as having no chance because of people’s attitudes towards their parents?

One eyed Jack · 22-06-2019 12:43PM

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

I’ve met plenty of people with those attitudes, nothing weird about it. Are you living in a bubble or just not aware that other people who don’t think like you exist?

Stop moaning ffs · 22-06-2019 12:46PM

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I’ve met plenty of people with those attitudes, nothing weird about it. Are you living in a bubble or just not aware that other people who don’t think like you exist?

Not at all. I just don’t associate with bigots homophobes or whatever term you’d use to describe people who actively hate poor people and the homeless. I guess the main reason you see it here constantly is because they don’t have the courage to air these views in their social circles or workplace. If they have any. Which is doubtful.

BarryD2 · 22-06-2019 12:51PM

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

What are you on about? The OP stopped to help this woman, possibly put themselves in some jeopardy. What do you do? Attack them.

I met a homeless Mother on the street

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