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Child Item

begging

rob316

The begging in the city is getting worse and worse. Walk down town in the evening and you are likely to be asked for change 5 or 6 times.

I'm not talking about lads sitting on the pavement, people who actually walk up to you asking for money. Some heavily intoxicated which I imagine would intimidate some people.

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minidazzler

Been noticing it more and more outside shops and ATMs. And for some reason the beggars seem quite young in a lot of cases, early 20s.

Jimmy Bottles

Remember walking over Patrick's Bridge in the late 80s. No joke you would have had up 10 beggers on each side of the bridge.

whisky_galore

Either the services aren't working or people are being soft touches which encourages more of it.
Or all of the above?

Red Nissan

whisky_galore wrote: »

Either the services aren't working or people are being soft touches which encourages more of it.
Or all of the above?

But this message cannot get through to people. Beggars can earn €50 to €200 and hour at peak times and peak locations. Every time a UCC or CIT student does an undercover report they caome back supporting this amount of earnings.

mcko

don't give and they will disappear, I was in town last week and there were some pretty scary people hanging around, it is beginning to look a bit like Dublin with junkies hanging around.

whisky_galore

There was a wan standing over a guy who appeared to be in a bad way in a doorway on Oliver P street a few months ago. Tries to call me, I walk past and then shes spouts a tirade of abuse for ignoring her.

Thought it was a 'double act' so don't want to get involved in that.

The ones that ask to 'borrow' €2 are some laugh, as if they're going to give it back to you at some point!

northgirl

There's definitely an element of soft touch around this. Many of these individuals are "professionals" in their activity. I've noticed in the last number of months more and more of them have dogs with them which seems to garner them more attention and donations.

Balmed Out

Red Nissan wrote: »

But this message cannot get through to people. Beggars can earn €50 to €200 and hour at peak times and peak locations. Every time a UCC or CIT student does an undercover report they caome back supporting this amount of earnings.

Ill never forget being in college and waiting for a bus. I went to head into the shop to get cigarettes something to eat and a drink. Feeling sorry for a beggar I gave him some money so I couldn't afford the cigarettes. There were two tills and even though the same beggar came in after me he got served before me. He pulls out a massive roll of notes.
Takes one 100 pound note out and buys several boxes of major. The roll seemed to have a fair few more 100 pound notes and this at a time that they were few and far between. He was out begging while having thousands in his pocket. Ill give soup and sandwiches but slow to give money since.

whisky_galore

northgirl wrote: »

There's definitely an element of soft touch around this. Many of these individuals are "professionals" in their activity. I've noticed in the last number of months more and more of them have dogs with them which seems to garner them more attention and donations.

People should cop on to this as a heartstring-pulling stunt, but there will always be the 'ah shure God luv dem' attitude which makes it such a cash cow for them.

Manach

In some cases there does appear to a measure of genuine need or other issues that propel people to ask for alms. Unfortunately these are now seem to be eclipsed by a those who would seek to aid in supplementing their income. The areas around the railway seem to have much more than usual people looking for fare to travel back to their destination than recent years.

gimmick

I am obviously one of those "soft touches" who "encourages" these people then. While some are masters of their own downfall others are genuine tough luck stories. Though I will make an assumption before giving anything.

rob316

Red Nissan wrote: »

But this message cannot get through to people. Beggars can earn €50 to €200 and hour at peak times and peak locations. Every time a UCC or CIT student does an undercover report they caome back supporting this amount of earnings.

People are been soft touches or has I mentioned above feel intimidated.
The people that walk up to ya in street should be given academy awards for some of the acting, I have had a junkie cry in front of me before. My girlfriend wanted to empty her purse but I just walked on.

Regarding your point on the money been made, just yesterday I was in Centra on Washington St, there is a begger in every doorway along there. I spotted a young girl on the way in, as I was in the queue she was ahead of me and asked the fella behind the counter to change her coin to a note, no world of a lie she must of produced 30/40 €2 coins.

I never give these people money, what I will do when I'm going into a shop and the lad camped outside looks genuine I'll ask would you like something to eat? A genuine case will say please if they aren't you'll be told to **** off give me money. I wouldn't see someone go hungry.

.red.

I remember reading a report in a paper a few years back on "homeless" people living on a beach somewhere across europe. Cant remember where but it was one of swanky resorts. They lived on a beach in tents during the summer and rented security boxes for personal belongings. They begged for the summer and moved into hostels for the winter. It was estimated they earned anything between 50k and 80k per year. It was a lifestyle choice and it was thought that they earned more in a year than most of the people who were giving them money.
Not every "homeless" person or beggar is the same and some genuinely need the money but i dont give anything to any of them. A friend years ago wouldnt give money to a lad with a dog on the grand parade. Instead he bought a bottle of coke and a sandwich and gave it to him. He was very gratefull and thanked him for his kindness. We looked back a minute later to see the dog eating the sandwich. When he asked why the dog got it the beggar said he didnt like mayo. LOL.

Daisy03

I have noticed this more and more too.

One saturday night, myself and two friends were walking by the back of the courthouse. It was relatively early (maybe 10.30) when a woman walked over to us. We kept our heads down and kept walking but she wouldn't let us go until we stopped. She had some spiel ready about some man giving her his cardigan which she was wearing and my friend offered her a large umbrella as it was pelting down and she was only wearing the cardigan and shorts.

She ignored the offer even though she said it her at least twice. Obviously only after one thing. We were afraid that she had people with her and it was pitch dark so we gave her some money. It was very intimidating, the way she called us first made us think she needed help.

darkdubh

The Roma professional beggars are easy to spot.Always the same ones in the same places.There are a lot of people out there who have fallen on hard times but I agree there seems to be a lot of heroin addicts around lately who are very forthright in their begging and they can be quite intimidating.

Henry94

The city is looking terrible these days with so many empty shops, beggars and low-life types. Very sad to see and I'm not sure how it can be turned around.

whisky_galore

Can't tell the chancers and Oscar nominees from the genuine cases so none of them are getting anything from me. If they get intimidating they'll be running the risk of a smack. I'll support real local charities and not the dawfake collectors with 'charities' that I've never heard of before.

biko

I only give to local homeless people I've seen around town (Galway) for some time and I know they have problems.
There's also a cafe here that does coffee "on hold" (you pay for extra coffee and they give it to a homeless person).

Cybercommando

There are two young girls going around town asking for money for a bus to Midleton.

They asked me for 50 cent about a month ago, saying they just need it to pay for a bus ticket. They were only about 17 or 18 and didn't really seem like junkies, just maybe emo types who hang around outside Tesco Paul street. I gave them the 50cent anyway as they seemed genuine.

Two weeks later, I came across them again. "Excuse me, we're trying to get to Midleton and we just need 50cent to get the ticket". They didn't recognize me. I asked them "Are you still stuck in Cork? I gave you money for the bus ticket a few weeks ago!" They looked shocked and started to make up an excuse "Yeah but, but.. but.. yes... but.." I just told them to feck off.

So watch out for two young girls looking for bus money. Maybe they're junkies in the early stages. First met them on Cornmarket street, second encounter was around the dodgy carpark on Grattan street.

whisky_galore

Asking for bus ticket money is the oldest trick in the book, used to be 20p to 'phone home' before, they can't pull that one anymore now that nearly all the phone boxes are gone.

northgirl

Henry94 wrote: »

The city is looking terrible these days with so many empty shops, beggars and low-life types. Very sad to see and I'm not sure how it can be turned around.

I was around town yesterday evening between 5 and 6 and nearly every time I go in these days I think it's getting rougher and rougher. Some manic / menacing looking groups of people around.

Cybercommando

whisky_galore wrote: »

Asking for bus ticket money is the oldest trick in the book, used to be 20p to 'phone home' before, they can't pull that one anymore now that nearly all the phone boxes are gone.

I don't entertain those requests, but the thing is, they were just two teenagers who didn't look scummy. Just Emo-ish. I didn't know we had Emo beggers. Now I do.

The_Banker

Jaysus, Im lost....
Whats an "emo" ?

whisky_galore

The_Banker wrote: »

Jaysus, Im lost....
Whats an "emo" ?

A bit like a Goth or a Curehead.
It's the new thing now, like.

the beer revolu

Emo. New?
Emos have been hanging around Paul Street for about a decade. Mostly middle class and wouldn't be seen dead begging but I guess when a movement/trend has been around as long as Emo has, it starts to attract people from all backgrounds.

evilivor

The_Banker wrote: »

Jaysus, Im lost....
Whats an "emo" ?

It's okay - nobody understands them…

SusieBlue

I agree that Cork city has become really rough, lots of dodgy characters hanging around.

I'm quite good at discerning the difference between actual homeless people and junkies, but I can still sometimes be fooled.

I've also noticed a lot of very young well dressed beggars lately - about two weeks ago there was a girl no older than 20 sitting by Uncle Pete's by Paul St. sitting with a cup in front of her, while texting off an iPhone! Also another girl outside Vera Moda immaculately dressed (well, she had decent clothes, clean shoes and a face full of make up on) asking for spare change. What's up with this?

Some of them do seem to make a career out of it and can always be seen in the same places, there's an elderly Roma lady consistently on the footbridge leading from Sullivan's Quay to Grand Parade, and I get really upset seeing other elderly people handing her notes, feeling sorry for her, none the wiser to the fact that she most certainly isn't homeless.

Just makes me sad that these fraudsters are getting money from good hearted people when those who genuinely need it are looked over.

54kroc

Anyone got a loan of a fiver? I need to pay for the broadband, I'll take paypal or bitcoin :pac:

Walking out of town I got asked for a smoke one night not so long ago by several chaps in their late teens, I refused and a few minutes later I was greeted with the bunch looking for a fight, twas pretty funny.

Straight Talker

Henry94 wrote: »

The city is looking terrible these days with so many empty shops, beggars and low-life types. Very sad to see and I'm not sure how it can be turned around.

I was back home for two weeks recently and i thought the city was in good shape tbh.I walked around town and i didn't have any problems.The tourists i saw seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.I did notice a lot of drug addicted young people begging alright but i walked around the city without feeling the slightest bit put out.I know Cork is not perfect and it has it's issues but i would argue that they are smaller towns around the country that are rougher than Cork.Times are hard with the economy the way it is but i don't agree with the notion that the city is falling apart with undesirables lurking about at every street corner.I think Limerick is worse for aggressive on street begging.

GoTheDistance

gimmick wrote: »

I am obviously one of those "soft touches" who "encourages" these people then. While some are masters of their own downfall others are genuine tough luck stories. Though I will make an assumption before giving anything.

That's the problem - it's very difficult for most of us to figure out who are the genuine cases and who are the 'professionals'. I've been noticing Patrick's Street is attracting more beggars of late particularly of the walk up kind rather than those sitting down at the side of the street. Many of us then just take the stance that we won't give just in case.