More beggars than usual

Tha Gopher · 27-01-2007 06:09PM #1

Anyone notice the huge increase in the last few weeks compared to usual? In town today Ive seen about 10 on O`Connell Street alone (two romanian gobsh1tes with a clipboard soliciting "donations"- a photo of a baby on the clipboard, a short story about how the child had been orphaned and a list of pledges below. Im sorry now I didnt ask to see his charity reg number for a laugh

Along with them other primarily elderly nobs going up to people with their hand outstretched at ATM machines)

Was just wondering what the point is. Surely nobody would give them anything? I suppose the question really is, do/would you give to beggars?

Mossy Monk · 27-01-2007 06:20PM

i don't give to beggars

Ruu_Old · 27-01-2007 06:23PM

Don't normally but a chap came up to me looking for $5 for breakfast in Chicago Union Station in November. I bought him a heap of McDonalds and a some coffee, it was bloody freezing outside. At least I knew where the money went this time around.

InFront · 27-01-2007 06:35PM

Most of us probably wouldn't miss a few euro if we lost it on the street so I don't see why not.
I would avoid giving money to people who I'd suspect of being junkies, but there's an old lady who sits around Stephen's Green with a child that you tend to feel a bit guilty about passing. It's just a few euro to people like us who waste time on the internet posting in threads like this!:)

27-01-2007 06:36PM

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InFront · 27-01-2007 06:39PM

That's brilliant! I reckon that would get you more dosh than most other tactics.

27-01-2007 06:46PM

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Wertz · 27-01-2007 07:50PM

The Scientist wrote:

Ya I'm the same, I rarely fund vagrancy unless the particular tramp humours me in the process.
E.g A beggar in the states last year had a sign saying "Why Lie? I need a beer" so i felt he deserved some of my money.

Funny that....reading about him in an "...and finally" news piece in the Herald AM on wednesday.

As for giving to beggars? I'd sooner give them a few quid than a chugger...I don't really care if they're gonna blow it on drink or whatever, that's their business, although I'd prefer tyo think I was contributing to them habving a roof over their head that night.
A lot of hand wringing on the Joe Duffy show the last few days about some young fella begging in grafton st in a t-shirt and boxers, who was refusing food and clothes; just wanted money...apparently a smack head.

One thing I'll say; people don't choose to be homeless and in turn to have to beg...it's usually easy enough to spot genuine cases....oh and take this how you like, but I'll outright refuse to donate to non-nationals....if they had the money to get here and the skills to offer the economy then they should never have ended up in the position where they need a handout so they don't deserve one....go to your embassy and request a flight home.

OfflerCrocGod · 27-01-2007 09:12PM

You can never be sure that the person you are giving to isn't a conman like the kid that was being described on RTE radio who camps Henry St (?). So my way of dealing with that is to never give any of them anything, just ignore them.

admiralofthefleet · 28-01-2007 12:00AM

its all the celtic tiger cubs f*cked after spending money they dont have at xmas

Rhyme · 28-01-2007 12:08AM

I give money to charities and empty change into those tip cups café's put out but i don't drop change in beggar's mugs. I'd rather buy them a bit of food or a hot drink rather than let them feed a bad habit (and on one or two occasions i've bought something for a beggar and they've refused it for whatever reason). People who try and scam normal people as mentioned before and people who pull at your sleeves annoy me... they get nothing.

There's this guy who begs on Henry St. from time to time, old fella with a white beard, he just kneels down and just puts his hands out. I've found myself giving him some coins as the sight of him pulls at the old heartstrings.

Stark · 28-01-2007 12:12AM

Last gypsy I gave money to followed me round town for about an hour grabbing at me and making fake weeping sounds and pointing to a picture of a baby. Never again. It took a few skangers to finally get rid of her.

o1s1n · 28-01-2007 12:32AM

Stark wrote:

Last gypsy I gave money to followed me round town for about an hour grabbing at me and making fake weeping sounds and pointing to a picture of a baby. Never again. It took a few skangers to finally get rid of her.

I constantly have these harassing me while I wait for buses on O Connell street.The fake sad/pathetic look they put on really makes me sick. I don't mind giving genuine homeless people money. But there's something nasty about these beggers in particular.

InFront · 28-01-2007 12:36AM

Stark wrote:

Last gypsy I gave money to followed me round town for about an hour

An hour?

Were you dressed in platinum or something?

Stark · 28-01-2007 12:38AM

I had to take a good bit of money out of the ATM that day and she was there when I was taking it out. I lost her at a few points but I'd bump into her again a little while later.

Dave! · 28-01-2007 01:21AM

It's not politically correct to call them beggars/bums/etc.!

They're the residentially impaired!

28-01-2007 11:12AM

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humanji · 29-01-2007 10:48AM

Stark wrote:

Last gypsy I gave money to followed me round town for about an hour grabbing at me and making fake weeping sounds and pointing to a picture of a baby. Never again. It took a few skangers to finally get rid of her.

Maybe she was selling the photo! She was just trying to give it to you. Your loss, I guess

mikemac · 29-01-2007 11:01AM

I'd say I encounter more gypsies begging each day than Irish people.
I thought they all came over due to Romania now being in the EU but now that I think of it, they were here before Christmas. I've yet to meet one who has a word of English.

Umiq88 · 29-01-2007 11:07AM

The romanians make a fortune begging apparently they do it for 5 years live riff and then go back to romania and live like kings i was over there in the summer and they have gypsie palaces which are bloody hugh about 5 familys group together and built them.

Wasnt there a load in cork who was stopped with 10grand on him he got beggin

ixoy · 29-01-2007 11:57AM

The Scientist wrote:

Ya I'm the same, I rarely fund vagrancy unless the particular tramp humours me in the process.
E.g A beggar in the states last year had a sign saying "Why Lie? I need a beer" so i felt he deserved some of my money.

There was a guy a couple of years ago on O'Connell Bridge in Dublin that did something similiar - he had a sign "Need money for beer". Honesty - a good virtue.

biko · 29-01-2007 04:14PM

Tha Gopher wrote:

I suppose the question really is, do/would you give to beggars?

I might, there's one on Mainguard street I've given a euro or two on occasion.

Hail 2 Da Chimp · 29-01-2007 04:34PM

Yup I noticed one or two new ones in Sligo, last weekend...
Some new crack head wandering around town tryin to give me a sob story.

Also the last time I was using the ATM, for those of ye who dont know Sligo, there is a bum who begs inside the door. His mobile started ringing, when he answered i could hear him saying.
"Hello? Oh right im just in town i'll be home in a few hours."

Laughed my ass off at that.

Splinter · 30-01-2007 09:14AM

at times, but i gotta feel they are genuinely looking for help though, none of the skagged out faces asking "herrreee bud an ya spare us a few euros for me busfare/hostel"...that b0llix, i know exactly what they want the money for. also yeah the gypsies are a pain,ya often see the groups of em standing on grafton street chattnig before they head off on their ways...bah they just annoy me..

DarkJager · 30-01-2007 09:45AM

Best thing I've ever seen was in Cruises Street in Limerick. A romanian woman sitting in a doorway with her begging cup while her child attempted to play smoke on the water on a Euro shop keyboard...I couldn't move for about 5 minutes I was laughing so much

TequilaMockingBird · 30-01-2007 01:11PM

Whats with, apparently, registered charities camped out in front of post offices on Thursdays, which is when social welfare etc payments are paid out. I think its outragous.

P.S. Hail 2 the Chimp, the smackhead around Sligo, is it small guy, difficulties walking. Always after my handbag. Just want to know is there another one I've to look out for! Never met that bloke in EJs thankfully.

iremex · 30-01-2007 01:16PM

Tha Gopher wrote:

Along with them other primarily elderly nobs going up to people with their hand outstretched at ATM machines)

ask them if they have change for a €50!!! :eek:

HelterSkelter · 30-01-2007 01:28PM

InFront wrote:

I would avoid giving money to people who I'd suspect of being junkies,

Why not? If nobody gives to the junkie then he will rob to get the money. You could be saving the old lady from having her handbag snatched or house robbed by giving to him.

Stark · 30-01-2007 01:38PM

Yeah like tossing them a few coppers is going to stop that.

irlirishkev · 30-01-2007 02:09PM

I sometimes give to the homeless on the streets. It's only a couple of euro, so why not?

But then recently I've been thinking.. What if I'm walking over say, Ha'penny Bridge, where there are often two homeless begging. You give to one, and the other one sees this. You've no money left so you don't give to the other. How the hell does the second homeless person feel now?

Also, where do you draw the line. Why give to one and not the other..

HelterSkelter · 30-01-2007 02:53PM

Stark wrote:

Yeah like tossing them a few coppers is going to stop that.

Not if you're to believe some of the other posters on boards who claim to have relations working in banks who say that beggers come in every monday morning with thousands of euro in coins from their begging.

More beggars than usual

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