spoken to him on a couple of occasions, out on the streets, stop pass the time of day, that sort of thing, he’s not asked me for cash

I was stopped in the street by some scruffy geezer recently. He told me that apparently he had ‘lost his home’ and could I help him. I think he must have been well pissed because he kept blaming ‘Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling’ for his predicament !

I tried to be sympathetic and said, “look here my man, try very hard to remember where you live. Which direction did you go after stepping through your front door – left or right ?”

He got the right hump, and stormed off effing and blinding……..ungrateful fecker.

I do. There’s a regular couple of semi-homeless junkies/ alkies who beg locally, sometimes selling the Big Issue. There’s no point in giving them food since they beg outside shops that feed them (eg the Bread Store on Glos Rd, Bristol), but I’ll give whatever I have spare. Yes, I know it’s spent on oblivion – but who am I to judge.

For you youngsters, may I also say that until 1980 I never saw a beggar on the streets of Britain. I went to Miami in 1977 and was really shocked to see them on the streets; I thought it was like the 3rd world. Then in the late 70’s, our society changed…..

until 1980 I never saw a beggar on the streets of Britain.

God, that woman has a lot to answer for.

Exactly as Nonsense says. I work in a large city which supposedly has one of THE best facilities for homeless people in the country, people flock to the city to gain access to the homeless facilities, as such deal with this massively in my job. There used to be a big issuer seller who sat with his dog, looked skanky and begged in between, he would catch a black cab to his plot every day!!!

Someone suggested that not giving them money but food instead is saying you don’t trust them and may offend. At the end of the day if someone is genuinely homeless and struggling they will NOT turn down the offer of food and they will be ever so grateful. The majority of homeless people are homeless because they are raging alchoholics and drug addicts and unfortunately they will save your money for drink/drugs.

PS Nonsense what force are you in?

he would catch a black cab to his plot every day

You know it’s heart-warming stuff like that, which reminds people that despite all the negative press they often get, many black cab drivers are really kind-hearted and do a great deal in the way of charitable work. Nice one.

I think he must have been well pissed because he kept blaming ‘Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling’ for his predicament !

So you did meet CFH in the end 😀

For you youngsters, may I also say that until 1980 I never saw a beggar on the streets of Britain. I went to Miami in 1977 and was really shocked to see them on the streets; I thought it was like the 3rd world. Then in the late 70’s, our society changed…..

you’re obviously not old enough to remember victorian times when there were loads of them – obviously there was a heady period in the early-mid 20th century where our streets were temporarily cleansed.

in fact, one of the things that sprang to mind when thinking about moses’ ridiculous comment was the fitting sherlock holmes short story, the man with the twisted lip. relevant to many of the comments on this thread.

relevant to many of the comments on this thread.

in more ways than one – i’ve just been reading it having mentioned it on here, and noticed that it’s set on friday, june 19th!

#
theflatboy – Member

you’re obviously not old enough to remember victorian times when there were loads of them………….

in fact, one of the things that sprang to mind when thinking about moses’ ridiculous comment was the fitting sherlock holmes short story, the man with the twisted lip.

A ‘ridiculous comment’ eh ? ……… and yet, factually correct.

Obviously I’m also ‘not old enough to remember Victorian times’.

I am however, old enough however to remember Thatcher saying that she wanted to return to ‘Victorian times’. Or Victorian values as she called it.

Now we all know of course that the Victorian era was characterised by the fact that on the one hand, Britain was a fabulously wealthy and powerful country, whilst on the other, the ordinary British working-classes were completely powerless and lived in staggering levels of grinding poverty and destitution. Which as you quite rightly point out, was often highlighted in the Sherlock Holmes novels. As indeed it was in the novels by Charles Dickens.

So hardly surprising then, that Thatcher should be inspired by ‘Victorian values’. After all, she had a damn good go at making the rich more powerful and wealthy at the expense of the working-classes, which she made more powerless and economically weaker.

I’m talking bullshit, I hear you say. OK, take it from the Margaret Thatcher Foundation then. This is from the interview which Thatcher gave to Brian Walden, live on London Weekend Television.

Brian Walden :

“All right, now you know, when you say you agree with those values, those values don’t so much have a future resonance, there’s nothing terribly new about them. They have a resonance of our past. Now obviously Britain is a very different country from the one it was in Victorian times when there was great poverty, great wealth, etc., but you’ve really outlined an approval of what I would call Victorian values. The sort of values, if you like, that helped to build the country throughout the 19th Century. Now is that right?”

Margaret Thatcher :

“Oh exactly. Very much so. Those were the values when our country became great, but not only did our country become great internationally, also so much advance was made in this country. Colossal advance, as people prospered themselves so they gave great voluntary things to the State. So many of the schools we replace now were voluntary schools, so many of the hospitals we replace were hospitals given by this great benefaction feeling that we have in Britain, even some of the prisons, the Town Halls.“

1983 Jan 16 Margaret Thatcher TV Interview for London Weekend Television Weekend World (“Victorian Values”)

Note how Thatcher completely fails to mention the appalling levels of poverty which were a reality for the overwhelming majority of British people. And of course the majority of people despite the fact that they produced the nation’s wealth, were powerless and were dependant (as she points out) on acts of kindness from the super-rich.

That is the vision of Britain which Thatcher had. Ordinary people would become dependant on benevolence from the super-rich ! Unbelievable ….. the super-rich moan and whinge endlessly about paying their fair share of taxes……for fux sake.

The Victorians had no ‘values’. And conditions only started to change when the working-classes realised that they had power.

Sorry shatter your rose-tinted view on Thatcher flatboy.

Or maybe you find the thought of a society riddled with poverty and inequality really rather appealing ?

The biggest one Munqe-Chick. You?

We visited Chester a few years ago.
Walking into the town centre we passed a homeless guy sitting under a bridge who had a massive injury to one of his eyes. I couldn’t help but turn and look at him. The sight of him really upset him. I made MrFC run back and give him £5.
The bloke said to MrFC..” really sorry if I upset your wife.”

It disturbed me the whole of the day.
The next day we returned to the spot and searched for about an hour looking for the guy in order to offer more help.
We were unable to find him.
It haunts my thoughts to this day what happened to him.

Just made the effort and read some of the posts on it.
What a bunch of patronising bastards most of you are! Yes, I hope I get banned for using that word.
Do you actually think that the real homeless actually benefit from “charities”?
What if the cash you give them just funds their alcohol/drug habit?
Do you they think they are happy in their life?

The majority of homeless people are homeless because they are raging alchoholics and drug addicts and unfortunately they will save your money for drink/drugs.

So they are homeless because they are druggies, or they are druggies beacause they are homeless?
I really would have expected more from you Munquechick, but sadly disappointed. But then you are a police officer… say no more!!

I am verging on the alcoholic…does that mean I’m homeless???

That post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Nonsense=TAPS

As a street-homeless/drug/alcohol support worker I am not at all surprised by the prejudice to be seen on this thread. I have to deal with it all on a daily basis.

Dual diagnosis anyone?

BB

FoxyChick – check your email.

That post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

If you’re referring to FC’s post, it made sense to me.

And I agree. Why shouldn’t you give a rough-sleeping alcoholic the money to buy some booze ?

Is because you think they will cease to be alcoholics if you don’t give them money ?

Is because you think they should steal instead ?

Is because you think they should spend the little money they have just on booze, and not other stuff like food ?

Well ?

Great thread.

A great impression was made on me in the mid 80’s.
In my first job I went to London with my boss.
Chap came up and asked for money.
My boss said he didn’t have any cash but had a credit card and would happily take the chap for breakfast with us in the cafe we were heading towards.
The chap then roundly abused us both for several minutes before stomping off.
It has never stopped me giving money but does make me wonder.
Could have been me if things had turned out differently.
May yet be me someday as my pension is now knackered.

I always buy the Big Issue and pay a couple of quid at least.
Make the boys go and buy it from the chap in Bakewell by the Co-op.
He always seems happy to see them and chats to them.
Seems a positive way to help.

I just try to keep in mind the words of the Dalai Lama when asked how we resolve the world’s ill: “We just need to be kind to one another”
Those and the ones of God (Morgan Freeman) in that intellectually classic film Evan Almighty: “one random act of kiness at a time”.

Only when I want them to dance for me!

Perhaps I should have been a little more explicit. Some of that post makes no sense to me whatsoever. Maybe because it was a little inflamatory and preachy.

What a bunch of patronising bastards most of you are! Yes, I hope I get banned for using that word.

[quote]But then you are a police officer… say no more!![/quote]

Good constructive feedback there. And not in anyway contradictory or prejudiced. I suppose the police perpetuate the capitalist society that has genereated inequality and they are to blame for all the worlds ills. Or something. Perhaps some of them might actually try really hard to help. Or something.

Do you actually think that the real homeless actually benefit from “charities”?

Yes I do because I have seen it happen on numerous occassions, with people I have worked with personally. I think alot of the formerly homeless staff at the same charities would tend to agree with me.

What if the cash you give them just funds their alcohol/drug habit?

I think that’s a matter of personal choice. Anything that helps you cope with a fairly miserable situation isn’t always a bad thing. But then I don’t think people are being prejudiced if they don’t want to use their money to fund drug or alcohol misuse. Equally if you want to give someone money to buy booze or brown then be my guest. I certainly don’t think drug or alcohol misuse will help an individual get back into housing. If that’s what they want.

Nonsense=TAPS

That really makes no sense.

Flatboy:
you’re obviously not old enough to remember victorian times when there were loads of them – obviously there was a heady period in the early-mid 20th century where our streets were temporarily cleansed.

Yes, you’re right. And that heady period coincided with a move towards a more equal, higher-tax society with a cohesive ethos, not a Sod-you from the rich. We’re moving away from that now, to my disgust.