Have you got spare change?

SheroN · 23-09-2008 10:44AM

I always tell them that change comes from within.

MIN2511 · 23-09-2008 10:46AM

thelordofcheese wrote: »

I refuse to give them money, then i log into one of my alt accounts and complain about romanian beggars on AH.

It's a hobby of mine....

I said beggars... it could be anyone! Not categorising.

Am not complaining, i just want to know what the general consensus is in AH.

Zangetsu · 23-09-2008 10:50AM

* Do you give change if you have? Yes (irish homeless only... Go beg in your own country ****er...)

* Are you disgusted? Depends, but generally no...

* Do you feel pity? Lots, breaks me heart to see people living off ****in scraps...

* If somebody got on the bus and were short of change would you give them the difference? Obviously, your an asshole if you don't...

* Sometimes when people walk up to you on the street and ask for change, do you fob them off or do you hand them spare change. I give the Irish ones change if I have it which most of the time I do.

Nothing against foreign people just don't like them coming over to beg, shenanigans I tells ya!

ScumLord · 23-09-2008 10:54AM

I just give them the Heroin.

Doc · 23-09-2008 10:55AM

I was given some good advice regarding this. If you have some money that you can give, and do, your conscience is clear and you have done a good dead.
You have trusted that the person will use the money for the purpose they have said it is for.
If the person then doses not use it in the way they have said then they will have there own conscience to answer too.
But you should not let it affect the fact that you did something good for someone.

I try to think like this if I give to beggars though sometimes I will admit it is difficult.

MysticalSoul · 23-09-2008 10:59AM

I refuse to give money, as don't know where it's going, but have on occassion bought a sandwich, yoghurt, milk etc and given to them, as at least then it is going where it is needed.

Turd Ferguson · 23-09-2008 11:10AM

Anytime they ask me if I have any spare change I usually say "Yes, I do. Its great to have a job and money" and walk off whistling

Boom_Bap · 23-09-2008 11:13AM

I never give them anything.

There was an incident at the ATM on Chatham Street (jut off Grafton St), there was a young lad sitting there begging, i did feel sympathy then noticed his runners, they where worth about €160. His phone rang, he pulls out a Nokia one that I had priced earlier that day at approx €565. Chuckled to myself and walked off.

Also, I park regularly in the Fleet St car park and I always get harassed there, it looks like there are 3 different people that work that patch:

1.A guy mid twenties always asks if you need help and always wishes you a safe journey. Always asks for a smoke too.
2. A young girl/teenager always looking for bus fare.
3. An older chap who gets annoyed when you dont give him anything.

I also seen 2 and 3 having an argument before over who got thier first and deserves to be there.

I work hard for my money, I have a mortgage, bills to pay, child to look after, car to tax get insured on and fill with petrol etc etc etc. Anything left over, i treat myself or family to something. Not to someone who thinks thier way to earn a living is to beg for others (hard) earned cash.

Drummo · 23-09-2008 11:20AM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

All depends on my mood and their attitude.

I'm glad I don't have to get the Luas too often as they guys begging at the ticket machines seem like right aggressive pricks.

They are! I got off the Luas once and asked one of them for change before he had the chance. He completely flew off the handle and one of his mates came running over demanding to know "what that cheeky f*cker just said". Myself and my mate just laughed and walked off with the two of them shouting abuse after us.

Who's the cheeky f*cker in fairness?

buckieburd · 23-09-2008 12:55PM

I only ever give to the Irish ones, I hate the non-irish ones that are in your face and being aggresive. My heart breaks to see the Irish ones, i dont believe they are just 'lazy' or cant be arsed getting a job (a small % maybe), there is many factors that make them end up on the street...

I know when you give them money it prob goes to drink or drugs but if that is the only joy they get in life let them go for it..

Sleepy · 23-09-2008 01:05PM

Almost never give money to beggars. The odd time if it's 3/4 in the morning and I'm on my way home and I see someone sleeping rough who's awake I might give em 5/10 euros 'for a hot meal' though tbh, if I was sleeping rough like that, half the cash would go on cheap vodka/whisky too... If an obviously homeless person asks me can they have a cigarette I'll usually hand over a couple but if it's your typical junkie / scumbag asking it's magically my last one in my hand...

The Roma completely disgust me. How any parent could force their children to live like that is completely outside of my comprehension.

Do I feel guilty about rarely giving to beggars? Hell no. I pay fairly high taxes and have my own family to take care of on what I've left after that, paying rent, keeping an 11 year old car on the road and the usual bills etc. In purely economic terms, many of them are actually better off than me if you subtract my net assets from my debts.

JackKelly · 23-09-2008 01:10PM

buckieburd wrote: »

I only ever give to the Irish ones, I hate the non-irish ones that are in your face and being aggresive. My heart breaks to see the Irish ones, i dont believe they are just 'lazy' or cant be arsed getting a job (a small % maybe), there is many factors that make them end up on the street...

I know when you give them money it prob goes to drink or drugs but if that is the only joy they get in life let them go for it..

wtf? Are you serious? That's the stupidest post I've ever read.

Try getting the Luas regularly and tell me that Irish beggers aren't aggressive, not to mention gear heads.

I can't believe people will stoop to differentiate Irish beggers and foreign beggers, with one being "better" then the other.

buckieburd · 23-09-2008 01:19PM

TimAy wrote: »

wtf? Are you serious? That's the stupidest post I've ever read.

Try getting the Luas regularly and tell me that Irish beggers aren't aggressive, not to mention gear heads.

I can't believe people will stoop to differentiate Irish beggers and foreign beggers, with one being "better" then the other.

I have never encountered an aggressive Irish begger, maybe you have, but I haven't. I dont give to non Irish as I believe a lot of them are making a profit out it, whereas most of the Irish ones are genuinly homeless.

Chillax!!

Dinter · 23-09-2008 01:22PM

Can anyone explain why begging was legalised?

If it was under some sort of constitutional challenge about freedom of speech/expression then how do we restrict that everyday with the public order act for example?

If it was some sort of "right to make a living" surely begging doesn't constitute a living and if it does why aren't beggars forced to make tax returns same as every other self employed person? (For anyone who thinks that could never happen, apparently revenue inspectors will now usually only deal with the one sort of tradesman so they'll have a rough idea of what a person in his position would earn.)

Surely if social welfare isn't a good enough crutch that people are forced out to beg on the streets then perhaps it should be scrapped and another system introduced, perhaps some sort of vouchers?

If people cannot be trusted to eke out a living with what the State provides them with then they should be forced to. Social Welfare is not supposed to be and should not be seen as an alternative to work. Rather it should be a helping hand.

Gyalist · 23-09-2008 01:38PM

buckieburd wrote: »

I have never encountered an aggressive Irish begger, maybe you have, but I haven't. I dont give to non Irish as I believe a lot of them are making a profit out it, whereas most of the Irish ones are genuinly homeless.

Chillax!!

There's a woman (Irish) who's been begging in Johnson's Court at the side entrance to Bewleys and Clarendon St. church for as long as I can remember. I know that she owns a very nice house just off Patrick St. and has other property in the Francis St. area that she rents out.

OrangeDaisy · 23-09-2008 01:44PM

I'd be afraid to get my purse out in front of them tbh. If I have some change in my pocket i'd probably give it to someone alright but I'd be nervous to root through my bag and open my purse in front of a beggar.

Vain · 23-09-2008 01:48PM

Been from kerry i never get asked for change. But when i go to citys and on hols i do. Always feel bad for them. But never give anything guess im too mean:eek: Im only a poor apprentise anyway.

Speaking of change just remembered this from south park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dwus2bM-kg

Howard the Duck · 23-09-2008 01:59PM

I sometimes do when i'm out at the weekend. If i don;t i'll always say "sorry don;t have any change" and i'll look at them. The genuine ones always say thanks. I've heard homeless people before saying the worst thing about being homeless is being ignored.
I often see lads in bright white nike air max runners they don;t get a penny neither do the Roma's they are just scammers.

biko · 23-09-2008 02:08PM

Dinter wrote: »

Can anyone explain why begging was legalised?

The law preventing begging has been struck down by the High Court.

A young Dublin man charged with begging on Parliament Street in the city more than three years ago challenged Section 3 of the nineteenth century Vagrancy Act.

Niall Dillon claimed Section 3 of the act breached his constitutional right to freedom of expression and his right to communicate. ** & **

Thanks Niall

Dinter · 23-09-2008 02:56PM

biko wrote: »

Thanks Niall

Yes but Article 40.2 guarantees to defend the "life, person, good name and property rights of every citizen".

As the amount of posts on this thread show there is a large amount of intimidation tactics being used by some beggars that would obviously infringe on people's property rights. I.e. it's easier to hand over money, that to be quite honest you'd rather keep, just to get this scratching, twitching junkie away from you.

Also freedom of speech (40.6.1) is only allowable where it does not infringe on "public order or morality or the authority of the State"

Sorry but a clatter of Romas crowding me when I'm waiting on a bus or some strung out junkie pushing into my personal space definitely impacts on public order.

30txsbzmcu2k9w · 23-09-2008 03:56PM

theres a guy going around asking 'have any odds on ya?' in dublin city centre at the moment. saw him hurling abuse at a foreigner working in a coffee shop yesterday in temple bar. he's a complete bollox give him nothing

23-09-2008 05:05PM

dotsman wrote: »

The thing is, I'm not exactly an expert, but I'd imagine that giving money to the vast majority of them is a bad thing, as I'd imagine the reason for most of them to be on the streets is due to drink/drugs in the first place, so that is the first thing they're going to spend your money on.

This is a common misconception, my dad worked for Simon community for years, yes, it is definitely true that there are some homeless people on the streets because of drink and drugs, but, what people don't realise is that alot of people end up homeless for various other reasons (my friend was kicked out of her house for accusing her rapist step father of abuse for example) and then turn to drugs and drink because it's an escape for them.....

I am amazed at some of the cold heartedness in here!!

Zangetsu · 23-09-2008 05:13PM

Its AH lol... I'd be surprised if the total population of this board had a heart between em!

Dinter · 23-09-2008 05:14PM

Grainne C wrote: »

what people don't realise is that alot of people end up homeless for various other reasons (my friend was kicked out of her house for accusing her rapist step father of abuse for example) and then turn to drugs and drink because it's an escape for them.....

I am amazed at some of the cold heartedness in here!!

That is absolutely horrific about your friend but what I'm saying is that people shouldn't have to beg and if they do there is something wrong with a social welfare system that necessitates it.

Incidentally;

Did your friend get a place in a hostel, shelter?
Did your friend get housed by the local authority?
Is your friend in receipt of social welfare?
Was she provided with treatment for drug, alchohol dependency?

These things are provided for by tax payers so I don't see how anyone who works and contributes could be considered cold hearted.

Maybe they don't feel the need to pay more than that but then, why should they? Perhaps some people who go around distributing handfuls of change to the needy are just more warm hearted than others?

23-09-2008 05:23PM

hey dinter,

I agree, people shouldn't have to beg, but they do, our social welfare system lets the wrong people down and keeps the wrong people out of work scrounging off us tax payers for years.

regarding my friend, it was a long time ago, she was one of the lucky ones, was just giving you an example of how it can happen. With reagrds to all these things being provided by the tax payer, that is not entirely true, it is payed for alot by the lieks of Focus Ireland and Simon Community

Did your friend get a place in a hostel, shelter?
Yes, eventually she was placed in a filthy b&b which had no locks on the doors so drunk people would often fall into the wrong room, and she had to be out of between 10am and 6pm regardless of the weather - that is the norm to this day, which is why you see women with their kids out in the snow, they've no choice.
Did your friend get housed by the local authority?
No - she eventually go put into a hostel full time
Is your friend in receipt of social welfare?
She has since gotten a job
Was she provided with treatment for drug, alchohol dependency?
Thankfully she never fell into this trap

I honestly don't think that by not giving spare change to people you are cold! that's not what I'm saying at all, the cold heartedness I'm talking about is coming from those referring to all homeless people and beggars as scum and wasters! there's just no need for it......

Dinter · 23-09-2008 05:45PM

Yeah but Focus gets roughly two thirds of its funding from the exchequer and Simon gets "significant statutory funding".

Neither could really survive on voluntary fundraising alone.

23-09-2008 05:59PM

no, but the more money they raise the more goverment funding they get. and the government alone would never provide the sort of resources that these type of agencies provide.

Anyway, I think you're missing my point! You jumped on me for calling people cold hearted and I have since explained that that is not because they choose not to donate but because of the way they are referring to these people and generalising all beggers and homeless people.....

Blush_01 · 23-09-2008 07:12PM

Trojan911 wrote: »

TBH, the majority say that to scam a person. They will normally show you the change they have to, make it look as if they are genuine, then they sometimes ask for your address saying they will post what they owe on to you.

Never give out your address as they know when you are not at home, and if you do then low & behold you get home one day & find your entire collection of Westlife CD's nicked & the rest.....

I'm a bit of a softie, but I'm not thick - I'd never buy a Westlife CD.

Acacia · 23-09-2008 07:19PM

I will give to ones that look 'genuine' though that is sometimes hard to ascertain. I dislike when they are rough and aggressive, though. For example, at a Luas stop, some kid got all up in-my-face, saying ''oh, you look lovely today, blah, blah, blah...give me change''. Hate chancers like that, especially since it seems he should have been in school, but his mam probably sent him out begging. I can only guess, he didn't look particularly badly off. Similarly, me and bf were walking down O'Connell Street and another guy was either trying to get money off us, or make us buy something , I can't remember exactly. We said 'no', then he got right up in our personal space, so my bf had to tell him where to go with himself in no uncertain terms.

I did see one chap who broke my heart though. He must have only been about twelve or thriteen, and he was sitting outside Arnotts crying, he looked totally confused and bewildered, and I guess he had only become homeless recently. Me and my friends bought him tea and a sambo and he seemed really grateful. He wasn't even asking people for money, though, just looked throughly depressed.

I try to trust my judgment and only give to people don't seem like they're running a scam, though it's hard to tell. I really don't understand people who make smart-arse remarks like ''Yeah, I've lots of spare change.'' It's just seems like a real scumbaggy thing to say to somebody down on their luck or whatver. You can just politely decline to give them anything, no need to be an a-hole about it.

robby^5 · 23-09-2008 07:40PM

Usually I'll be asked by the lads that hang around the Ha'Penny bridge and Temple Bar, and they're all clearly drunks so I'd rather not have my change fuel someone's alcoholism.

Have you got spare change?

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