[Closed] Do you give money to beggars?

Nope.

Do donate to Shelter every month though.

No, I ask them for change

I did once, many years ago. the guy hounded me for more every time he saw me after that, so I don't do it now.

I'll happily donate to buskers though, if they're any good

Give them a packet of crisps.

I walk past a homeless guy every day on the way to work. I usually buy him a breakfast or lunch at least once a week, and stick some money in too. I've watched him get progressively worse over the last couple of years. It's pretty heartbreaking. 🙁

No way, never, nope.

Does absolutely nothing to help.

It is a rare day when I'm in the same place as beggers - I can't stand town centres at the best of times.

The last time I saw a begger there were two; one was drinking a Costa coffee, and the other was on a newer iPhone than I own. As I have chosen not to spend money on either takeaway coffee or the latest phone, I felt that they didn't REALLY need my change.

On another note, it really grips me when the homeless spend money on alcohol / ciggarettes / drugs but don't own basic cooking, shelter or sleeping equipment.

No. And (I am putting my flamerpoof suit on...) surely sitting there with a cigarette and a can of Special Brew surely can't help your cause either...

Bought some pasties for 2 rough sleepers a few weeks ago, they both said thankyou, which is more than you get in some shops.

Yep, I'll give them whatever cash money I have on me at the time. Normally that's a few quid, sometimes more.

yes, being able to afford a phone and a cup of coffee is the same as a house.

On another note, it really grips me when the homeless spend money on alcohol / ciggarettes / drugs but don't own basic cooking, shelter or sleeping equipment

a can of Special Brew surely can't help your cause either...

I'm suprised you can see the homeless from up there on your high horses...

No. I'd rather donate to a registered charity that would help them. Working in a city centre in retail for over 10 years taught me that rather than watch them spend it on things they shouldn't - drink/drugs.

There's a guy I see regularly in town that I give to, depending on mood/time he either gets my spare change or I'll buy him some food and hot drink.

Life isn't always rosey and there is no guarantee I won't need the kindness of strangers in the future.

I was recently in Houston and you get a better class of beggar there. They are normally polite and tell you that they need x amount of dollars to get a bed for the night. If you engage with them they will often tell you a bit about their history (lots of ex-cons) and hopes for the future. As a visitor to their city I actually got some useful advice from a couple.

Any UK beggar heading over there would need to up their game.

To answer the original question I rarely give money in the UK but sometimes hand over some change in Winter or if the weather is particularly foul. I would guess most of it is blown on drink or drugs.

no, never.

I am in the 'get a bloody job' mindset. I work, why cant you?.

Yes & No.

Depending on my mood.

😯

It's all plastic these days, I'm afraid...

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/supertramp-mayfair-beggar-who-accepts-credit-cards-im-just-earning-a-living-9979657.html

On another note, it really grips me when the homeless spend money on alcohol / ciggarettes / drugs but don't own basic cooking, shelter or sleeping equipment.

1 - you think they don't have this? they wouldn't live very long if they didn't

2 - if i was homeless i'd probably get pissed to numb the pain.

I do

I used to work as a gardener in a inner city park, my first job every day, was to 'make safe' (as the park manager used to call it) the park.

Lets just say we had different approaches to the task 😉

I supply them with Class A drugs. They never used to take Class A drugs, but the ones I've spoken too said their confidence and self-esteem were destroyed not by childhood sexual abuse, or post traumatic stress disorder in the forces, but by siwhite 's stern disapproval of theit lifestyle choices, so they're now physically dependent on them

I understand why folk to give money or food, and on the face of it is a "kind" thing to do. There is a legitimate debate about whether it is actually helping in the best way possible.

Usually give food/drink rather than money.

it really grips me when the homeless spend money on alcohol / ciggarettes / drugs but don't own basic cooking, shelter or sleeping equipment.

You've got a fiver to your name. Do you buy a) a half bottle of vodka or b) one percent of a four-season RAB sleeping bag? What do you think he's going to do, pop it in his savings account, maybe set up an ISA? Or hey, maybe he had some nice bedding and cooking facilities, until last week when someone kicked his head in for them?

I do take your point, but it's very easy to be judgemental from our positions of relative privilege. I expect that, as ever, the reality isn't that simple.

No, I was once informed by local cops about the street corner beggar near my work, and how she had a council house in Falkirk and 3kids in school, just didn't want to work. Got the train into Edinburgh everyday. Yet had the usual homeless cardboard sign.

I am in the 'get a bloody job' mindset. I work, why cant you?.

Would you employ them?

No I give them coffee and a hot pasties.

A guy once said to me 'do you have 50p for a sandwich?' I asked him if I could see the sandwich first.

surroundedbyhills - I'm sure she's representative of the many thousands of homeless throughout the country.

Have you told the Daily Mail?

no.. I'm too selfish

Would you employ them?

yes, someone employed me when I came out of a remand center when I was 18.

depends we get a fair cross section and I sort of know the hard core homeless who get bye by crime so I used not to give to them . I now do after one of my criminal cases where the alleged crime occurred on business premises the management refused to help the victim who was made to leave, the victim approached a load of City workers who walked around her, then the "Sherry boys" approached her put a coat round her and walked her to the city centre nick and kicked up a fuss till the police helped the victim.

I also will give to the obvious known homeless with mental health issues . I don't buy the big issue as my local seller is always on her mobile and gets picked up and dropped off by her partner in a nicer car than I could afford.

On another note, it really grips me when the homeless spend money on alcohol / ciggarettes / drugs but don't own basic cooking, shelter or sleeping equipment

a can of Special Brew surely can't help your cause either...

I'd say one of the common factors linking pretty much every homeless person is an impaired decision making ability either through addiction, mental illness or learning difficulty. Do you really think if they were capable of rational thought they'd have found themselves on the street?

I've never given money directly but to charities. One of my resolutions is to go to the bother of buying a homeless person and meal and trying to engage with them like a human rather than making every effort not to make eye contact which depressingly has been my usual approach. It must be rubbish being treated as so invisible and 'worthless' by so many folk.

My mums local fish and chip shop decided to open on xmas day and give free fish and chips to the local homeless the relevant charities refused to assist or publicise the meal to their "clients."

I understand some of the issues behind why but it did seem a bit po faced to not even spread the word.

Would you employ them?

Funny how the word 'homeless' brings out prejudices in people, correction, its not funny!

No, I was once informed by local cops about the street corner beggar near my work, and how she had a council house in Falkirk and 3kids in school, just didn't want to work. Got the train into Edinburgh everyday. Yet had the usual homeless cardboard sign

It's on the daily mail so I won't post the link but there was a story last week about a guy doing the same in London. Begging every day and then pics on his instagram of his holidays in Ibiza.

I pass a few obviously professional beggars regularly and they get nothing but I've witnessed my regular guy going from being quite alert and mobile to sitting on the ground crying over the space of a couple of years. 😥

Never give cash but will buy food
A colleague was asked once in the train station when they were a student on the way home from uni for the summer and told the person begging 'if I have more than you in my pocket you can have the lot, the beggar had about £10 more and took my work mate for a coffee 🙂 .

I don't give them money. I give them my stern disapproval, pity, and some advice on their poor life choices. The last time I did all this, with the best of intentions, I'm sure I heard him mutter "I bet that **** posts on STW."

if i was homeless i'd probably get pissed to numb the pain.

+1, I don't reckon it's a lifestyle choice or a great laugh TBH.

[i]There is a legitimate debate about whether it is actually helping in the best way possible.[/i]

aye probably, but TBH I'm not really interested. Money is a tool, I can earn it, and spend/give it to whom I choose. If that's a fiver to someone down on their luck, then it probably means more to them than me, might get scammed occasionally, but I'll take a chance, and the world hasn't stopped, nor am I really troubled if that's happened.

I don't buy food I give money, and once I've given money to someone, my belief is what they do with that money is their business and their business only, and I don't get a say.

once in a blue moon, aye.

Most people are only a few unfortunate turn of events from ending up on the street.

Terry Wrist - Member
if i was homeless i'd probably get pissed to numb the pain.
+1, I don't reckon it's a lifestyle choice or a great laugh TBH.

A tea/coffee and fish&chips is our standard offering. Usually my better half and I ask what they want.

You can always pick those in real need out. I couldn't believe some of the unfortunate guys in Edinburgh at Christmas. Lots with very little clothing in -1 rain. Filthy and lots of cuts. Feel really sorry for them. There's just so much you can do 😥

cokie - Member
A tea/coffee and fish&chips is our standard offering

I occasionally give change. If I'm out with MrsSalmon she will often buy them some food instead.

The guy who asked for spare change as he came of the bookies the other day didn't get anything though.

that video is a pile of contrived **** btw. I'm surprised there's not actors credits at the end! 😆

You've got a fiver to your name. Do you buy a) a half bottle of vodka or b) one percent of a four-season RAB sleeping bag? What do you think he's going to do, pop it in his savings account, maybe set up an ISA? Or hey, maybe he had some nice bedding and cooking facilities, until last week when someone kicked his head in for them?

Or, a quarter of an army surplus sleeping bag from eBay? A postal address might be an issue, I grant you...

that video is a pile of contrived **** btw

Could well be, but the message is right

I've always been told;
- giving money gets spent on booze/drugs
- giving food/drink just leaves them with more begging money to spend on booze/drugs as they don't need to spend any of it on grub.

It seems that donating to Shelter or your local homeless support organisation is the best route for genuinely helping people.

[i]that video is a pile of contrived **** btw.[/i]

so what?

I have low self esteem which sank lower last week when the big issue seller blanked me.

I think perhaps one of the kindest things you could offer is a nice hot bath, some good home cooked food, a few glasses of wine, clean clothes, a warm bed for the night and perhaps a bit of rumpy pumpy..

No problem with giving out the odd quid once a month on my monthly pilgrimage to Manchester centre, I dont really G A S what they spend it on, I wouldnt want to be in their shoes.

I do - not much usually, a quid or so

I don't really care if 9 out of 10 of them are just on the take as long as I get a legitimate one sometimes, I'm OK with it.

yunki - Member

I think perhaps one of the kindest things you could offer is a nice hot bath, some good home cooked food, a few glasses of wine, clean clothes, a warm bed for the night and perhaps a bit of rumpy pumpy..

There's a 'How Not To Live Your Life' episode which deals with this very subject.

As I say to any beggar

"that sounds like a great idea, I'll earn it, you spend it...."

I work in town at the weekend, I can guarantee that all of the ones I see are herion addicts or alcoholics, I see the same collection of them week after week, month after month, year after year. 'Preying' on people who are too drunk to have the sense to say **** off.

I also donate to Shelter.

Did you hear me STW? I said, "I DONATE TO SHELTER!!"

I think perhaps one of the kindest things you could offer is a nice hot bath, some good home cooked food, a few glasses of wine, clean clothes, a warm bed for the night and perhaps a bit of rumpy pumpy..

Pretty sure that Silent Witness covered why this wasn't a fantastic idea a couple of weeks back.

I do. They can do what they like with it, there are no conditions with a gift.
Even this chappie would get some;
[img] [/img]

It's on the daily mail so I won't post the link but there was a story last week about a guy doing the same in London. Begging every day and then pics on his instagram of his holidays in Ibiza.

bin'dun 120yrs before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_with_the_Twisted_Lip

Big Issue buyer, not many reviews of bikes in it though.

Lifer - on a similar note

Pretty sure that Silent Witness covered why this wasn't a fantastic idea a couple of weeks back

[quote="siwhite"]...it really grips me when the homeless spend money on alcohol / ciggarettes / drugs but don't own basic cooking, shelter or sleeping equipment.
You've clearly never been a drug addict. Drugs are pretty bloody important to a drug addict.

nickc - Member
that video is a pile of contrived **** btw.

so what?

I'm not homeless and I get pissed!

that's 🙄 perfectly acceptable.

I have done.

Most people are only a few unfortunate turn of events from ending up on the street.

^^^ Glad someone posted that and worth repeating - never a truer a word spoken on this forum. To think otherwise would be utter folly. The line between some of our cosey STW lifestyles and homeless/impoverished despair is paper thin. No-one's above life and what it can throw at you at any stage ... or deal to you from the start.

thomthumb - Member
I'm not homeless and I get pissed!
that's perfectly acceptable.

"They'll only spend it on during, fags, and drugs"

How many of us here have not, in the past or currently, spent money on precisely that?

I've seen the professional beggars, easy to spot. But there's only one in Farnborough that I see regularly, selling the Big Issue. I think she gets along fine.
We did see a very desperate looking lady come into a pub in London once, asking people for change. When she came to us, she said she only needed another £13 or so to get a bed for the night. It was snowing. She looked terrified, a bit of a mess. We dug into our pockets and came up with something over £20, pretty much all our change we had left. She didn't go round the rest of the pub (We were near the door) she just thanked us and left. I really hope she got a bed that night, I really do.

I can guarantee that all of the ones I see are herion addicts or alcoholics,

And that's why I give money, they don't have the ability to look after themselves without it.
I pay my "Gloucester Road tax" to the Big Issue sellers, every time I do my shopping. At least I know it won't end up in the Cayman Islands.

I'm an old bloke. Until the change of government in '79, I had never seen a beggar in the UK. I was shocked when I went to Miami in '77, the first time I'd seen street people in the West.

I give money to beggars when I can.
I wouldn't give money to shelter, they have a self serving agenda to make things look they way they want them to, so that they can perpetuate giving to their charity which pays the salaries of a good percentage of the workforce.
I can't think of a solution, but I don't think I am in a position to moralise to people on the street about how I want to give money to them but know better than them, so will give it to a charity.
I'm a confirmed atheist but I do believe in love they neighbour, and do unto others etc.

On any given weekend I'll see about 5 or 6 with legs missing in Liverpool city centre. From injecting, not IED's and the like. Many of them have dogs, necessary to illicit sympathy from drunken dog lovers. Some of them 'sleep' at the top of Matthew St or by Concert Sq, not somewhere you are likely to get much rest on a Friday and Saturday night I can assure you.

If I'm sitting on the rank and there aren't many people around, it's surprising how many of these beggars can suddenly seem more dishevelled as soon as people approach...

can guarantee that all of the ones I see are herion addicts or alcoholics

This is sort of why I give them money. I know but for an accident of birth, or a decision along the way that could be me or anyone of my friends sat in the door way in minus 5.

Some (not all) are addicts; many will never recover from their current situation. Would I prefer they use donations to check into a hostel? Of course. Does that mean I should judge them when they use the £5 to buy a bottle of something so they can temporarily escape from a hardship that I can barely comprehend?

"Would you employ them?"

yes, someone employed me when I came out of a remand center when I was 18.

You set me up for that, you toad. (-:

Funny how the word 'homeless' brings out prejudices in people, correction, its not funny!

Point was, if your average tramp wandered in to your average office block looking for work, I doubt many would do much other than move him on. Which is the problem, it's catch 22. Some people (as ably demonstrated by Ton) would give them a chance, but I'd hazard that the majority wouldn't give them the time of day. Probably the same ones who'd walk past them going "I'm not giving them food as they'll only have more money to buy drugs, why don't they get a job like everyone else?"

Fact is, it's hard enough to get a job these days when you've got a confident outlook, skills and nice suit, rather than looking like a Father Christmas who's just fallen into the drainage system.

Would I prefer they use donations to check into a hostel? Of course. Does that mean I should judge them when they use the £5 to buy a bottle of something so they can temporarily escape from a hardship that I can barely comprehend?

Bingo.

I don't give money but will buy them food, hot drinks and on occasion boots and socks. I am very wary of the professional beggar types.
One of the main charities I give to is St Georges Crypt in Leeds that helps the homeless as I've known a few people who have slipped through the net and without the help of others would now be dead.

I was once eating some lunch on a bench in town, a chap came over and asked if I could spare some food, I offered him what was left but he turned it down!

Guess the homeless don't have a taste for sushi...

I was on the receiving end ages and ages ago for 2 months 😯 , but i beg for fags (not money) outside shops and for some reason if I do wear a hoody 99% of the time they would give me a spare cigarette, was between job that time as my papers has some issues and Home office send it to the wrong old address of mine so my employer told me to sort it out and not to worry as my job is waiting for me..

I gave now when I have a spare in that particular moment (they always stay in my local carpark paying machine area)...tried not giving and try to justify my action about it in my head but still felt bad