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Beggars

diusmr8a504cvk

What's your attitude towards beggars/homeless people on the streets? Has there ever been an instance where you've been upset by seeing them on the streets?

I went on a school trip to London last September, we were walking down the street to get to the tube late at night if I recall and on the other side of the street there was a man and a woman by the roller door of a shop and were both on their knees, hugging each other for warmth while one blanket was wrapped around them. It upset really upset me at the time but I put it out of mind as I didn't want it to affect my trip. It wasn't until I got home a few days later when I dwelled on it and realised how sad it was and that these two, who I assumed were a couple, were sticking with each other through thick and thin.

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rubadub

frostyjacks wrote: »

I'd like to see the Gardaí arrest them instead of just shooing them on to beg somewhere else.

I wish they were able to arrest the beggars who take advantage of both people's ignorance and the lax laws which alllow them to openly harass and beg from people. i.e. the street beggars known as chuggers & chunts

KungPao

There seems to be 3 distinct types of beggar in Ireland

1. Genuine person, who are down on their luck for some reason...pehaps their marriage broke down and then lost their jobs, and they have to beg and shift between temp accommodation. Good sorts, deserve some help.

2. Chancers who live nearby in flats and just go walking around looking for money for cigs, drink, or drugs.

3. Professional beggars who are part of a large pan-european scam. Never give these people a cent or even a "sorry, no change".

NachoBusiness

rubadub wrote: »

I wish they were able to arrest the beggars who take advantage of both people's ignorance and the lax laws which alllow them to openly harass and beg from people. i.e. the street beggars known as chuggers & chunts

They could for a while but then the law was quashed.

ComfortKid

MightyMandarin wrote:

Afaik in order to receive the dole, you need a permanent address, which a lot of people around Dublin can't afford due to the sky-high rents around the city. It's a toxic cycle people get put into and it can affect a lot of people very quickly without warning.

Live somewhere outside of Dublin then? If they are living on the streets they obviously no ties to the city apart from maybe there dealer! I honestly can not understand how anyone can become homeless in this country.

[Deleted User]

Lau2976 wrote: »

Genuine concern isn't going to feed them or keep them warm.

MightyMandarin wrote: »

If you're the homeless couple which is better, being offered food or money by a stranger or unknowingly being the subject of 'genuine concern', yet not being helped in any way whatsoever?

I guess this depends on how that "genuine concern" manifests itself later, no?

zcorpian88

ComfortKid wrote: »

Live somewhere outside of Dublin then? If they are living on the streets they obviously no ties to the city apart from maybe there dealer! I honestly can not understand how anyone can become homeless in this country.

Housing crisis is everywhere though and less and less landlords take rent allowance so it's usually between hostels and budget hotels for a lot of people. Surprised there aren't many homeless people where I live.

Can't understand why rents have skyrocketed, I'm nowhere near the big smoke and rents have gone up to 600-700 for a half decent apartment. A year ago you'd have got a great one for 450-500 a month

rubadub

NachoBusiness wrote: »

They could for a while but then the law was quashed.

I was talking about chuggers, the beggars who exploit what I consider a loophole so they cannot be arrested if they give just a tiny % to charity

former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that close to €4 million worth of Rehab lottery scratch cards sales earned just €9,452 profit in 2010.

that works out as 0.24%

Cheers for the link, it spoke of the barefoot beggar I mentioned before.

During one raid in July, the bus was stopped in Dublin Port and a “barefoot beggar” who operates on Grafton Street in Dublin city centre and who is known to gardaí was found to be carrying €1,800 in €50 notes.
“While he may look pretty sad on Grafton Street, I can assure you that he is manipulating people who are giving him the money.”
People who were genuinely moved by the man’s plight had been known to buy footwear for him in sports shops on Grafton Street, Insp McMenamin said.
“It’s known to ourselves that people will go in and buy him runners.
“He has more runners I think than the Foot Locker at this stage.”

SMJSF

One night around January I had gotten off the bus and there was a elderly man in dirty clothes, shivering sitting on the wall, soaked from the rain.
I felt sick seeing him like that, and the local shop was closed, so ran back home, made him a sandwich, grabbed an umbrella for him, and a blanket that was in a bag waiting to be brought to the charity shop, and ran back out to give to him, and he was gone

I felt horrible. And I haven't seen him since.

But about 40 metres from there outside a Spar, there's a girl and a man who sit outside everyday, strung out of their minds begging! Now that pi$$es me off!

MightyMandarin

Deleted User wrote: »

I guess this depends on how that "genuine concern" manifests itself later, no?

Yes and in this case it turned out to mean f*ck all.

[Deleted User]

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Yes and in this case it turned out to mean f*ck all.

You have access to more of the back story than I do I guess

MightyMandarin

Deleted User wrote: »

You have access to more of the back story than I do I guess

Did you read the OP?

[Deleted User]

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Did you read the OP?

I did. Did you read my post?

I was talking about Knees post - not the op. I think we have just had a mutual context fail (otherwise known as talking past each other)

fancy pigeon

KungPao wrote: »

There seems to be 3 distinct types of beggar in Ireland

1. Genuine person, who are down on their luck for some reason...pehaps their marriage broke down and then lost their jobs, and they have to beg and shift between temp accommodation. Good sorts, deserve some help.

2. Chancers who live nearby in flats and just go walking around looking for money for cigs, drink, or drugs.

3. Professional beggars who are part of a large pan-european scam. Never give these people a cent or even a "sorry, no change".

Back in the day as a naive 17 year old, on my first day to college (yeah, country boy!) I encountered a Keith Duffy/George Michael lovechild lookalike whom was relatively smartly dressed. He approached me and started his speech "Sorry to bother you bud but I have just been put out of my house and I have no where to go. Can you spare me some spare change for a cup of tea?" to which I obliged and handed him some change. Walking off and thought no more, thinking I'd done a good deed.

2 weeks later.... Same chap approaches me. And spouts the exact same dialogue. It suddenly dawned on me I had been duped! I think the conversation that followed was mostly colourful from me. He went away

I saw him a few times after, but he never approached me again. Never seen him again since, that was about 8 years ago.

I think he falls into category 2....?

TheLastMohican

I may be wrong ........ but I was under the impression that there is a welfare net that stops people falling into dire straits like begging for food etc. Many years ago I worked a soup run in London and over there there was a pattern to homelessness ......... you were either young and naive, or were suddenly up against insurmountable problems or were feeble minded/suffering from some kind of mental disorder or just plain lazy. However, there was temporary housing for everyone ...... if you knew how to go about it. Most of the street people knew that but some would rather take their chance than cop on for a few months and get registered.

The Nuns in Ladbroke Grove did a 3 course lunch for £0.15 back in 1986. OK take inflation into account ........ it must be £1.50 now. A few soup & sandwich runs and you had three square meals a day. If you lived in a squat, you had no bills and few worries. If you lived in a B&B, the government paid your bill.
Most of the attendees at the midnight soup run knew the score but would fuck up one way or another ....... generally due to lack of self control. The raucous laughter heard around the fire in bomb sites would warm the heart of any cynic.

JupiterKid

I prefer to give money to a charity than directly to beggars as there's a 98% chance it'll go towards their next drug fix or drink.

That said, Dublin has a housing crisis and homelessness is a real problem many people face.

SHOVELLER

Ban them ideally but its unconstitutional apparently.

kneemos

MightyMandarin wrote: »

If you're the homeless couple which is better, being offered food or money by a stranger or unknowingly being the subject of 'genuine concern', yet not being helped in any way whatsoever?

I know 99% of people pass by without a thought for them, but this notion of feeling really upset and acting concerned for their welfare, yet doing f*ck all about it, is just laughable.

I'll admit I pass dozens of beggars and homeless people on the street every time I'm in town, but I'm not making some sob-story about feeling concerned for them.

If everybody cared as much as the OP they wouldn't be there.

[Deleted User]

When I lived on Baggot Street, a few years back, I used see chat to this elderly man (about 70, but difficult to say) who was always in a complete state, and he was often totally incomphrehensible if you spoke to him. He was obviously an alcoholic, and perhaps incontinent. I never saw him begging, and he didn't accept help or advice, but he was clearly homeless. Does anybody know what's happened to him?

There was another man who used to beg outside Spar on Upper Leeson Street. He had unfortunately lost one of his legs. Seemed to have a lot of problems. Is he still around?

When I moved away I never saw these two men again, just wondering if anyone knows whether they're still around or what?

edward2222

Whenever I see some beggars,
pending coffee is thing that will usually pooped in my mind.

Timberrrrrrrr

zcorpian88 wrote: »

Not a big fan of the Romanian ones, I hear all sorts about them and a lot have more money than you and I.

Did witness something mad a few years ago, was sitting outside a pub having a coffee and there was a Romanian beggar on the pedestrianized street in town, a guy I guessed by the look of him was the same nationality gets out of a Mercedes jeep, big enough petrol guzzling yoke and was new enough looking and wearing what looked to be snake skin boots that looked quite flashy. Anyway he approaches the beggar, takes the cup of change off her and walks back to his jeep gets in and drives off quickly.

Wonder how much change you need to buy a Merc jeep??

Amazing how many people have witnessed this phenomenon, you would think they would be careful after being spotted the first 20 or 30,000 times :rolleyes:

Menas

In about 1998 there was a beggar I passed every morning on o'connell bridge. He used to sit on a piece of cardboard, be barefoot and rock to and fro like he was mentally disabled.
I used to give him some change most mornings.

But one day I was in the mobile phone shop opposite stephens green centre and he was in there buying an accessory for a mobile phone. Mobiles were expensive back then and not so common as now.

So, since then I dont give cash to beggars but do still give some money every christmas to St V de P...mind you...I hear that they dont exactly spend their money wisely either....so hard to know.

[Deleted User]

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Amazing how many people have witnessed this phenomenon, you would think they would be careful after being spotted the first 20 or 30,000 times :rolleyes:

A well-educated adult with two university degrees once told me, with a completely sincere face, that the Roma women wear loose-fitting dresses so they can hide all their gold up their skirts.

I do believe that there is organised begging among the Roma, but the amount of exaggeration about their supposed empire of small change is what's really ridiculous.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

A well-educated adult with two university degrees once told me, with a completely sincere face, that the Roma women wear loose-fitting dresses so they can hide all their gold up their skirts.

I do believe that there is organised begging among the Roma, but the amount of exaggeration about their supposed empire of small change is what's really ridiculous.

A Roma woman mugged me when I was 17, and when my mom came to collect me from the Garda station, the guard told my mom the exact same thing about the floaty skirts

SMJSF

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote:

A well-educated adult with two university degrees once told me, with a completely sincere face, that the Roma women wear loose-fitting dresses so they can hide all their gold up their skirts.

I've always wondered why they never wear trousers!
Do the buggy compartments not hold it?:P

hatrickpatrick

TheLastMohican wrote: »

I may be wrong ........ but I was under the impression that there is a welfare net that stops people falling into dire straits like begging for food etc. Many years ago I worked a soup run in London and over there there was a pattern to homelessness ......... you were either young and naive, or were suddenly up against insurmountable problems or were feeble minded/suffering from some kind of mental disorder or just plain lazy. However, there was temporary housing for everyone ...... if you knew how to go about it. Most of the street people knew that but some would rather take their chance than cop on for a few months and get registered.

The Nuns in Ladbroke Grove did a 3 course lunch for £0.15 back in 1986. OK take inflation into account ........ it must be £1.50 now. A few soup & sandwich runs and you had three square meals a day. If you lived in a squat, you had no bills and few worries. If you lived in a B&B, the government paid your bill.
Most of the attendees at the midnight soup run knew the score but would fuck up one way or another ....... generally due to lack of self control. The raucous laughter heard around the fire in bomb sites would warm the heart of any cynic.

And yet in Ireland we're demolishing run-down but serviceable blocks of social housing apartments and replacing them with individual houses on the same site, often reducing the amount of units available by 30-50%. Madness.

[Deleted User]

edward2222 wrote: »

Whenever I see some beggars,
pending coffee is thing that will usually pooped in my mind.

Those pending coffees are a bit of a scam, cafés trying to appeal to the hipsters. I mean, they don't do anything except sell more coffee and appear right on.

Remember what seemed like a father and child huddled up in very cold weather at about 6 am outside a Paris metro station, a very distressing sight.

diusmr8a504cvk

Deleted User wrote: »

Those pending coffees are a bit of a scam, cafés trying to appeal to the hipsters. I mean, they don't do anything except sell more coffee and appear right on.

Remember what seemed like a father and child huddled up in very cold weather at about 6 am outside a Paris metro station, a very distressing sight.

Unless you gave them a thousand euro, a 5 course meal and your house I wouldn't tell any personal stories about seeing beggars on this thread. Look at the first page or two of this thread for example.

TireeTerror

For me the most annoying type of beggar are the people in Supermarkets offering to pack my bags. I literally HATE any type of charity fund raising. They are almost ALL a complete and utter scam, lining the pockets of fat cats. I know this from personal experience as I was offered to run a collections team and I was presented with all of the figures showing how the funds raised were being divided up. Less than 8% was actually going to the charity, the rest was marketing fees and costs.

Sure there are probably loads of small local groups requiring funds and find offering to pack my bags in the local supermarket a great way to earn money. However I do not want to give them money. I also do not want to have a guilt trip forced on me because I refuse. Tesco's in Sligo has them in all the time and whenever I see them I avoid any till with them at it. I would rather put my shopping down and go to Lidl or Aldi than face them. Fund raising by waving buckets about etc should be banned completely. You cant go down a city centre street these days without some annoying fcuker waving something in your face trying to get money. I wont even start on about the ones who jump about in a "Im your best friend!" hyper active manner. A swift kick straight in the crotch is the best way to deal with these vermin who seem determined to harass everyone passing.

TireeTerror

Caiden Beautiful Orangutan wrote: »

Unless you gave them a thousand euro, a 5 course meal and your house I wouldn't tell any personal stories about seeing beggars on this thread. Look at the first page or two of this thread for example.

Why are you linking to this same thread? doh.

diusmr8a504cvk

Linking to the first page.