Beggars / homeless people

mikemac · 22-02-2010 12:27AM

Never mind what political party in power, the Department of Social Welfare and Family Affairs had a budget estimate of 19.6 billion euro for 2009. Source from their own website

Of course the homeless and others can fall through the cracks.
But most towns in Ireland have an office for the Citizens Information service who are very helpful. They have a helpdesk phone number too.
Hell, call to your local TD and they will help get your entitlements.

I have compassion. But realy the DSFA is supposed to be efficient so I do hope they will get the applicants their entitlements.
I don't give to beggars directly . I give to the government and they will do this for me. It's the State's duty to look after citizens. There should be no need for charities

Bonito · 22-02-2010 12:32AM

There was once I bought a 14 year old chap a sandwich. I'd never give them money though. Buying the sandwich let me know he was being fed and not spending the money elsewhere stupidly.

ascanbe · 22-02-2010 12:49AM

captainscarlet wrote: »

Il give money to buskers no problem, but to some guy just sitting there? Not a chance.

A Roma woman came up to me one day and asked for change of a euro, which she had in her hand, i put two 50c coins in her other, she closed both hands and walked off. The bitch!!!

I heard somewhere that the best thing to do is just give the money to the Simon Community and they'll see that its dstributed properly.

I give money to homeless people because i feel they provide a service; they stake out a spot on the street which otherwise could be inhabited by someone loudly wailing a U2 or David Gray song.

snow ghost · 22-02-2010 12:49AM

I rarely give to beggars or the homeless, other than through charities, simply because I don't believe most of them to be in genuine need of it.

I did give an elderly Irishman some money in London the once, because he wasn't begging - he was actually trying to sell something he had found in a bin; as desperate as that sounds he just wouldn't beg, he still had something about him even in the poor state he was in, and I admired that. On talking to him he had obviously dropped through the net over the years. He was genuine. I also noticed that giving him my time, by talking to him, was of a lot more value to him than the couple of pounds.

And buskers I'd give money to, as unlike the reprehensible scavengers feigning need, they have learned that you need to put logs on the fire before you get some heat.

kerno · 22-02-2010 12:53AM

Holsten wrote: »

Nothing, because I don't want to.

I really could not give a **** about them.

Here here..!!

Xluna · 22-02-2010 12:57AM

The odd time I'd give them a fag or fifty cents but I'm way too broke atm. Sure we'll all be dead in 2012 so it's all the one.:p

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 22-02-2010 12:58AM

Depends on the beggar, it's all subjective

There was a fella (maybe still is) with red dreadlocks and a dog who always used to sit on shop st in galway in the mornings. He never actually begged, just sat there

But people always seemed to give him money, I have often seen people give him soup and a sambo. Probably cos he never wrecked anyones head, just threw the odd genuine smile in a non-creepy way, he was a happy beggar!

Xluna · 22-02-2010 12:59AM

dearg lady wrote: »

Just when I was beginning to lose faith in everyone, I saw your post! This bit especially, some people don't realise how bloody lucky they themselves are, and just have no compassion.

Yep,we've definitely turned into a nation of judgemental,capatilistic me feiners.

argosy2006 · 22-02-2010 01:02AM

best to wear a mask when u do give them money or they will chase you everyday coz they know u gave before and might again,so every time they see you they will run to you asking,after a while u will wish u gave them nothing, so wear a halloween mask lol

snow ghost · 22-02-2010 01:03AM

Xluna wrote: »

Yep,we've definitely turned into a nation of judgemental,capatilistic me feiners.

Judging by many of the beggars - yes we have.

OutlawPete · 22-02-2010 01:04AM

I give homeless people money and food the odd time.

One guy in particular I feel really bad for.

He is always on Moore St and Parnell St and usually has a beard and stands on one spot staring at the ground and laughing. I regularly buy him food.

A few weeks back I was down in Liffey St and what I seen made me so angry I felt like killing someone. I seen him and his face and head was cut to pieces, his nose was clearly broken and he had a black eye and he was crying and talking to himself.

Some bastards had obviously given him a hiding for whatever fcuking reason I don't know. Whoever they were I hope they rot in hell as he is as harmless as a child that guy.

Another person I give money to is Mary of Johnson's lane just off Grafton St (the lane where all the Jewllers are that leads to George's St arcade direction).

I have been given her money when I can for around twenty years, not much now, but just a little every now and then when I'm about the Grafton St. She's like a landmark at this stage.

There's a line in the Hothouse Flowers song Give It Up about her:

It's late in the morning, close to the time
Mary's in the alley she never stops smiling
Always love to see her -- means a lot to me
But I know she has a hard time trying to
Make ends meet

Chorus: Give it up...

Down George Street arcade where the poor children play
Gathering up charity just to help them make their day
Me I was once their age, me I was once young
But I knew I had my family to fall back on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiUUtbALp_0

Bonito · 22-02-2010 01:06AM

:eek:

I've given Mary money a few times aswel!

*high 5's pete*

Small world, eh?

Ronan Keating · 22-02-2010 01:08AM

Bonito wrote: »

:eek:

I've given Mary money a few times aswel!

*high 5's pete*

Small world, eh?

She must be loaded then.

Mr Benevolent · 22-02-2010 01:11AM

Ronan Keating wrote: »

She must be loaded then.

And you can't sing for sh!t.

snow ghost · 22-02-2010 01:11AM

Outlawpete,

Sorry, to hear your story about the homeles guy beaten upon. scumbags.

What would Mary's situation be if you have been giving her money for 20 years - does she receive benefits? Is she homeless?

OutlawPete · 22-02-2010 01:13AM

Bonito wrote: »

:eek:

I've given Mary money a few times aswel!

*high 5's pete*

Small world, eh?

Strange thing happened me last month. I seen her really struggling on Grafton St and she was banging her head on the window of Brown Thomas. Guards didn't know what to do and the about of people that came to her aid was incredible.

The guy who sells Hot Press, people from Jewllers that are there years, loads of business people telling the Guards that she just needs to be left alone and so they did and she was fine again.

See young Guards wouldn't know her and even try to move her on and her there before they were even born :rolleyes:

Then the other night I went to see the Last Station in the IFI and as we walked out she was standing just across the from it and smiled at me and I was never as glad to see her as seeing her at Christmas the way she was I thought she was on her last legs.

OutlawPete · 22-02-2010 01:15AM

snow ghost wrote: »

What would Mary's situation be if you have been giving her money for 20 years - does she receive benefits? Is she homeless?

She has cerebral palsy, like Christy Brown.

Who knows what she receives but she doesn't have much anyway.

OutlawPete · 22-02-2010 01:19AM

I never give money to anyone at an ATM though and if I feel sorry for a junkie then I'll buy them food, usually ask them what they would like.

I have had many homeless people tell me to go fcuk myself when I have asked them if they wanted me to buy them something to eat :rolleyes:

rgt320q · 22-02-2010 01:22AM

- What was it he used to say about the needy? He had a term for them.
- A shower of bastards.
- That was it, yes.

gsxr1 · 22-02-2010 01:25AM

I lived on the first house on Lamb Alley . Just off Thomas street. There is track suit clad scum that deal heroin there every hour, every day. I seen them.. Beat the **** out of a garda one day, and every other day , rob or smash a car.
I seen it . it happens. Every day. really.
When you give most of these folk money. They take it straight to this place(or others like it) and give to the scum dealers. There was a girl. skinny,Irish,black around the eyes who begged out side the cash machine on Dame st. She took her profits out side my door. Twice a day. She is no longer there anymore.

god knows if she is still alive. she looked like a 16 year old.

think before you give your money away.

If you are that concerned. Give them some of your lunch.

dcmu · 22-02-2010 01:34AM

Never give them money - who knows what they might spend it on. I just give them beer and heroin instead.

bnt · 22-02-2010 01:36AM

On the one hand, you want to help people ... on the other hand, you know that you can't help them all or make a significant difference to their lives. To make a real difference takes commitment, and is a job for professionals with resources to back them up i.e. a government or NGO. Even if the money you give goes towards food, it's like sticking a plaster on a broken leg.

tricky D · 22-02-2010 01:58AM

Mary was a reg in the Blue Lion back in the day when I was round those parts, so reckon local to Gardiner St/Parnell St area. Dunno for sure.

Some people don't know how lucky they are.

Try a stint with the VDP or Simon and then comment.

Stephentlig · 22-02-2010 02:01AM

whoever said burgerking and Mc Donalds? my goodness, if you want to kill a begger thats one way you wont get jailed for lol

vicecreamsundae · 22-02-2010 02:14AM

I rarely give money. occassionally i'll buy someone a sandwich or something, or a coffee if it's cold. but sometimes -and i know this sounds lame -i'm too shy to, in case they get offended or whatever.
i know people who have offered food to homeless people and had it thrown back at them. maybe it's not all that common, but it still puts me off a bit!

sdanseo · 22-02-2010 02:15AM

I've no problem with the characters, there one guy on O'Connell St who play the tin whistle but look like he really needs a few quid and I'll give him a few quid - who I will not give money to is the (mainly) foreigners who sit on the street in perfectly decent clothes and just stare into middle distance with a cup. My rationale is that if I gave to all the beggars I'd be potless, so I'll give to the Irish guys first and if I happen to havbe loose change passing a foreigner then I'll maybe give them something. Not because I'm racist, but I'd give my money to an aul fella hard up on his luck a million times faster than I would to someone who appears to have come to the country just to clutter up the streets.

Sorry if that comes accross racist, but it's not. Guards should be looking for the chancers (Irish or otherwise) and moving them on, and if they reoffend arrest and jail them. Junkies included, they got themselves into that mess, get rehab which is free, or **** off my street.

I've no problem with GENUINE people begging, if it was reserved for them at least the poor folks would have a hope of making something.

Stephentlig · 22-02-2010 02:18AM

vicecreamsundae wrote: »

I rarely give money. occassionally i'll buy someone a sandwich or something, or a coffee if it's cold. but sometimes -and i know this sounds lame -i'm too shy to, in case they get offended or whatever.
i know people who have offered food to homeless people and had it thrown back at them. maybe it's not all that common, but it still puts me off a bit!

the reason they get the food thrown back at them is because the beggers they give it too arent really homeless.

m@cc@ · 22-02-2010 02:20AM

Begging is just the lowest of the low. I throw the odd coin into a buskers hat but don't expect me to give money just because you don't have any. I'm not going to give money to someone who isn't even trying to get themselves out of the gutter.

Ronan Keating · 22-02-2010 02:22AM

sdonn wrote: »

I've no problem with the characters, there one guy on O'Connell St who play the tin whistle but look like he really needs a few quid and I'll give him a few quid - who I will not give money to is the (mainly) foreigners who sit on the street in perfectly decent clothes and just stare into middle distance with a cup. My rationale is that if I gave to all the beggars I'd be potless, so I'll give to the Irish guys first and if I happen to havbe loose change passing a foreigner then I'll maybe give them something. Not because I'm racist, but I'd give my money to an aul fella hard up on his luck a million times faster than I would to someone who appears to have come to the country just to clutter up the streets.

Sorry if that comes accross racist, but it's not. Guards should be looking for the chancers (Irish or otherwise) and moving them on, and if they reoffend arrest and jail them. Junkies included, they got themselves into that mess, get rehab which is free, or **** off my street.

I've no problem with GENUINE people begging, if it was reserved for them at least the poor folks would have a hope of making something.

That is my view. Them Romanians can feck away off. Sitting in wheelchairs pretending they have one leg next thing you see them get up and walk off wheeling the chair in front of them. It is a disgrace.

I'd give to my own people quicker. It's not racist. Them people should stay in their own countryies instead of rushing over here trying to get money off of us. They're scammers - the whole lot of them.

Stephentlig · 22-02-2010 02:33AM

m@cc@ wrote: »

Begging is just the lowest of the low. I throw the odd coin into a buskers hat but don't expect me to give money just because you don't have any. I'm not going to give money to someone who isn't even trying to get themselves out of the gutter.

there also can be psychological factors involved too with beggers, so they need someone to aid them in getting out of the gutter IMO.

Beggars / homeless people

Comments