Begging for food and charity.

Annasopra · 10-02-2013 10:30AM

kneemos wrote: »

Jesus.

What's she got to do with it

ButtersSuki · 10-02-2013 10:30AM

juan.kerr wrote: »

Manuel.

Am I doing it right? Random Spanish name dropping?

This scam was featured on Joe Duffy and in the papers pre-Christmas. Sorry OP.

Annasopra · 10-02-2013 10:31AM

ButtersSuki wrote: »

This scam was featured on Joe Duffy and in the papers pre-Christmas. Sorry OP.

links or gtfo

mikemac1 · 10-02-2013 10:44AM

mango salsa wrote: »

links or gtfo

Liveline podcast November 7th and 9th

Beggar in Dublin getting groceries bought for her in Dublin on Liveline November 7th

Similar story from a Limerick shop owner where a beggar had 10 people buying her groceries in a Spar on one day. Liveline November 9th.

I have these in itunes, I don't have an internet link but you'd get these from the RTE website

sunflower27 · 10-02-2013 10:44AM

Yeah, I volunteer with Samaritans. We are only asked to do one duty a week of around 3 hours. We also have to do 4 overnight shifts a year.

I get immense satisfaction from it. I am not financially in the best place and am putting myself through college, but it is a real eye-opener to hear what some people go tthrough.

The whole experience has made me appreciate what I have and to hear someone thank me and say I have helped at the end of a call is a real high that can't be measured.

hfallada · 10-02-2013 11:29AM

All these charities are great. However they don't help everyone. The Irish times interviewed a homeless man and begging was his only source of income. He didn't look/sound like a drug user/alcoholic.

He said never once has focus Ireland or the Samaritans helped him. Even through he was 10 years on the streets of Dublin. I find it so weird that people care so that there is fur farming in Ireland or that animals are abused. When there is thousands of people living on the streets of Dublin. With little or no support.

Man City 10 · 10-02-2013 11:40AM

Salvatore Hissing Hanger wrote: »

It was just before Christmas when I went into the city center to get some gifts for the family. It was pretty damn busy in Dublin at the time, people everywhere. I was walking up Grafton street on my way to HMV to buy the new Mumford and Sons album when I passed this lady with a buggy. At a glance I thought she was just another beggar looking for money. She had a buggy which was filled with blankets and pillows, I wasn't sure what to make of her. She was asking people for food. Now, I am used to people asking for a spare euro every now and again and I don't oblige, but I would sometimes offer a coffee or something only to be turned down and given looks of contempt.

There was something about this lady that made me slow down and take notice. She didn't look homeless, but she seemed quite desperate. She asked this old man for food, he looked at her and kept walking. My guess is that he wasn't that well off himself and wasn't able to offer her anything. This lady was very polite and courteous as to not hinder anybody. She didn't block peoples paths or act obnoxious to those who ignored her, which was a lot of people.

It's understandable, in town, to ignore people begging for food or money, but there was something about this lady that made me stop. Mumford and Sons could wait a while longer, I decided to see if I could offer something to this lady. As she was asking for food I offered to buy her a sandwich. She kindly thanked me and asked me if I would give her the price of a sandwich in the form of a coupon/voucher for Dunes Stores (Stephens green). This made me more curious and I asked her what did she need, it's was groceries she was after, a bag of carrots, spuds, some fish fingers and some tins of peas.

I said fcuk it, lets go to Dunnes and i'll get you a few bits. So we walked up Grafton street to Dunnes stores, all the way the lady thanked me. She was anxious too, in case I changed my mind or she lost me or something. We got to Dunnes anyway and I picked up a basket, I told her to get what she wanted (I wasn't going to pay for fillet steak or anything). She got some bread, ham, carrots, spuds, the usual basic groceries. She wasn't greedy at all, she asked me each time was it ok if she got X or Y. We ended up with a basket full of goods which she said would last her the week. It wasn't that expensive, about 30 euro.

I did tell the lady that I wouldn't give her money, she said she didn't want money at all, only some food to feed her kids. The poor divil. She was down from Sligo as her child was very ill and needed special care. I didn't intrude and ask what was wrong or anything. She was staying in a hostel and didn't have any money for food. Imagine, she went out onto the streets to beg for spuds and carrots to feed her kids.

It was only 30 euro, but in the shop I was asking her if she would like this or that and she declined on several occasions.

I'm not quite sure why I am telling ye this but I would hope that it will inspire some to give when you can. No matter how bad you think you have it, there are a lot of people who would dream of being in your position.

Have you ever done any charity work?

You should publish this into a story,As I was reading it,It was like I am reading a book(lol)
Could be a good bookseller

HondaSami · 10-02-2013 11:41AM

Well done OP, she might be genuine or not, does not matter, you did something kind and wanted to help, makes you a nice person.

Piriz · 10-02-2013 12:12PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Liveline podcast November 7th and 9th

Beggar in Dublin getting groceries bought for her in Dublin on Liveline November 7th

Similar story from a Limerick shop owner where a beggar had 10 people buying her groceries in a Spar on one day. Liveline November 9th.

I have these in itunes, I don't have an internet link but you'd get these from the RTE website

you have old liveline discussions on your itunes? whats your favourite one? do you ever play them really loud when no one is home? do you dance to it?

tunedout · 10-02-2013 12:19PM

Salvatore Hissing Hanger wrote: »

It was just before Christmas when I went into the city center to get some gifts for the family. It was pretty damn busy in Dublin at the time, people everywhere. I was walking up Grafton street on my way to HMV to buy the new Mumford and Sons album when I passed this lady with a buggy. At a glance I thought she was just another beggar looking for money. She had a buggy which was filled with blankets and pillows, I wasn't sure what to make of her. She was asking people for food. Now, I am used to people asking for a spare euro every now and again and I don't oblige, but I would sometimes offer a coffee or something only to be turned down and given looks of contempt.

There was something about this lady that made me slow down and take notice. She didn't look homeless, but she seemed quite desperate. She asked this old man for food, he looked at her and kept walking. My guess is that he wasn't that well off himself and wasn't able to offer her anything. This lady was very polite and courteous as to not hinder anybody. She didn't block peoples paths or act obnoxious to those who ignored her, which was a lot of people.

It's understandable, in town, to ignore people begging for food or money, but there was something about this lady that made me stop. Mumford and Sons could wait a while longer, I decided to see if I could offer something to this lady. As she was asking for food I offered to buy her a sandwich. She kindly thanked me and asked me if I would give her the price of a sandwich in the form of a coupon/voucher for Dunes Stores (Stephens green). This made me more curious and I asked her what did she need, it's was groceries she was after, a bag of carrots, spuds, some fish fingers and some tins of peas.

I said fcuk it, lets go to Dunnes and i'll get you a few bits. So we walked up Grafton street to Dunnes stores, all the way the lady thanked me. She was anxious too, in case I changed my mind or she lost me or something. We got to Dunnes anyway and I picked up a basket, I told her to get what she wanted (I wasn't going to pay for fillet steak or anything). She got some bread, ham, carrots, spuds, the usual basic groceries. She wasn't greedy at all, she asked me each time was it ok if she got X or Y. We ended up with a basket full of goods which she said would last her the week. It wasn't that expensive, about 30 euro.

I did tell the lady that I wouldn't give her money, she said she didn't want money at all, only some food to feed her kids. The poor divil. She was down from Sligo as her child was very ill and needed special care. I didn't intrude and ask what was wrong or anything. She was staying in a hostel and didn't have any money for food. Imagine, she went out onto the streets to beg for spuds and carrots to feed her kids.

It was only 30 euro, but in the shop I was asking her if she would like this or that and she declined on several occasions.

I'm not quite sure why I am telling ye this but I would hope that it will inspire some to give when you can. No matter how bad you think you have it, there are a lot of people who would dream of being in your position.

Have you ever done any charity work?

Hope you weren't using a voucher to try buy that Mumford and Sons album.

10-02-2013 12:24PM

Piriz wrote: »

you have old liveline discussions on your itunes? whats your favourite one? do you ever play them really loud when no one is home? do you dance to it?

I would've thought it was something to pleasure oneself too rather than dance to.

Piriz · 10-02-2013 12:25PM

tunedout wrote: »

Hope you weren't using a voucher to try buy that Mumford and Sons album.

Why? this situation occurred before hmv went into liquidation...

c_man · 10-02-2013 12:28PM

Friend got the exact same scam done on them before Christmas except they did the shopping "baby food is awful expensive." Saw her the next day pitching the exact same sob story.

I never give money like that. A fella with a cup out, sure I've got some change. But anyone with a story, forget about it. I think it goes back to when i was a kid, mam bought some food for a begger with a kid. The woman went mental throwing the items around, demanding money.

cruais · 10-02-2013 12:34PM

That's a lovely thing you did op. like this, before Christmas I was working n a place where there was a lot of children who weren't well off etc...

This played on my mind,so I took a trip to the supermarket and filled a trolley full of things from canned foods, to toiletries, and fire lighters etc. I made up two hampers and left the into the svdp.

This way I thought that genuine less well off people would get some thing for Christmas. It's shocking, that in this day and age, people are struggling. Sad.

sunflower27 · 10-02-2013 12:51PM

cruais wrote: »

That's a lovely thing you did op. like this, before Christmas I was working n a place where there was a lot of children who weren't well off etc...

This played on my mind,so I took a trip to the supermarket and filled a trolley full of things from canned foods, to toiletries, and fire lighters etc. I made up two hampers and left the into the svdp.

This way I thought that genuine less well off people would get some thing for Christmas. It's shocking, that in this day and age, people are struggling. Sad.

Really lovely thing to do. Some people would have been very grateful for your generosity. That made me smile.

Lando Griffin · 10-02-2013 01:02PM

I would have followed her to where she stayed then callled the folk at TV3 in the the investigative journalists dept who would have dispatched a team of exprerts to follow and film all of this womans movements and after a few months come to no conclusions at all.

xLexie · 10-02-2013 01:13PM

I'd be fairly gullible tbh. Used to work just off harcourt street and the first few weeks I was down about a tenner from the red luas to work, feeling sorry for people begging. Hardened up somewhat after that, but would still give to some people.

Remember outside heuston station this fella racing around asking everyone by the luas for money, story was he was out the night before and spent every cent he had and had no money to get his car out of the train station car park. I felt awful sorry for him and gave him a fiver, he asked other people and they gave him money too so I know he collected the 14 euro to get the car, he went into heuston station and came back out with a bottle of coke, asking people again for money. He approached me the second time and asked me again... Now he made sure to tell people he was from Carlow and that he wasn't on drugs. "Do I look like a junkie". Maybe he was genuine cause I didnt see him there again, but he got a lot more than the car park fare that morning.

I met another guy sitting outside the Indian place on harcourt street after coming out of diceys one night. Felt sorry for him and had got chips and stuff from a mobile chip place and gave them to him instead. He was actually lovely, chatted to him for ages and he was telling me how he wasn't always homeless and how his sister worked in some part of the dail and was ashamed of him, and how he spent the previous Christmas Day just staring at the screen on Stephens green. I felt horrid for him, and I didn't have anything but the food to give him.

jockeyboard · 10-02-2013 01:21PM

Piriz wrote: »

you have old liveline discussions on your itunes? whats your favourite one? do you ever play them really loud when no one is home? do you dance to it?

this was the funniest post i have ever seen on boards. Ever.

baalthor · 10-02-2013 01:37PM

NIMAN wrote: »

OP was probably scammed but it gave them a warm glow inside, plus they could afford the €30, so did anyone really get hurt?

HMV

SHOVELLER · 10-02-2013 01:42PM

Do not ever give any money to beggars. If you want to contribute bring unwanted clothes/presents etc to a charity shop.

Dublin is overrun by these parasites.

mattjack · 10-02-2013 05:32PM

hfallada wrote: »

All these charities are great. However they don't help everyone. The Irish times interviewed a homeless man and begging was his only source of income. He didn't look/sound like a drug user/alcoholic.

He said never once has focus Ireland or the Samaritans helped him. Even through he was 10 years on the streets of Dublin. I find it so weird that people care so that there is fur farming in Ireland or that animals are abused. When there is thousands of people living on the streets of Dublin. With little or no support.

There isn't thousands living rough and there is support available . Simon and Focus both have outreach teams, tens years on the street means an agency called Housing First might be of use to him.

To say there is little or no support is not true either , lots of agencies provide support from food right up to primary health care to advocacy for homeless.

10-02-2013 05:55PM

I was walking home one evening when a heavily pregnant lady approached me and politely asked if she could have a word. Her contractions had started and her husband was driving home to collect her and take her to the hospital but he had phoned and was stuck in traffic. Could i lend her €50 for a taxi, which she would return.
She was well spoken and polished. I asked her if she had a bag ready and she pointed into the house behind her where she said she lived. I offered to call her an ambulance but she declined that as it wasnt that urgent. I told her if she waited I would collect her in my own car (however i was quite suspicious) but she didnt want to bother me, it was simpler to get the taxi and pay me back if i gave her my contact details.
Anyway, I left her and walked on, 99% sure it was a scam but 1% wondering that maybe it wasn't.

Bad Santa · 10-02-2013 06:13PM

jockeyboard wrote: »

this was the funniest post i have ever seen on boards. Ever.

Yet you didn't even thank it.

I can just imagine you are some comedy gig.

Crowd on their feet applauding and screaming for an encore.

You just sitting there poker faced thinking: "That's the best gig I have ever seen."

mattjack · 10-02-2013 06:14PM

SHOVELLER wrote: »

Do not ever give any money to beggars. If you want to contribute bring unwanted clothes/presents etc to a charity shop.

Dublin is overrun by these parasites.

Never look down on someone unless your're helping them up .

Jesse James

Bad Santa · 10-02-2013 06:16PM

mattjack wrote: »

Never look down on someone unless your're helping them up .

Jesse James

Poor advice that ultimately killed him, as had he looked down from the stool he was standing on, he'd have seen Bob Ford about to shoot him.

mattjack · 10-02-2013 06:18PM

Bad Santa wrote: »

Advice that killed him, as had he looked down from the stool he was standing on, he'd have seen Bob Ford about to shoot him.

Yes,yes it was bad advice.What was he doing standing on his stool anyway ?

SHOVELLER · 10-02-2013 06:31PM

mattjack wrote: »

Never look down on someone unless your're helping them up .

Jesse James

How are you meant to look at them any other way?!

They are always on the ground. Scam artists as we already give them money throught their dole, free accommodation and free travel.

mattjack · 10-02-2013 06:44PM

SHOVELLER wrote: »

How are you meant to look at them any other way?!

They are always on the ground. Scam artists as we already give them money throught their dole, free accommodation and free travel.

Where is this free accommodation ?

Truncheon Rouge · 10-02-2013 07:04PM

Red pepper test.
Ask if shes desperate....listen to story.
Ask if she wants groceries.
Return with large red pepper.
Tell her she'll get some groceries if she eats the pepper.
If she's desperate for her kids she'll get at least half way through.

Keep some milk handy*

If everyone did this, or similar (perhaps bottle of soy sauce, tub of margerine) there'd be no scammers.

*(it counteracts the chemical in the pepper, also if you think she's lying you can throw it in her face)

frfintanstack · 10-02-2013 07:31PM

Scammed for 30quid, ouch.

Giving people begging on the streets money only achieves 2 things.

1. It makes people who dont think about the consequences of their actions feel good about themselves.

2. Keeps junkies/alcos addicted to their drug of choice and on the street.

Its probably one of the more harmful and selfish things people can do.

makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Begging for food and charity.

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