Tired of the performative beggars and alcoholics this time of year

My DS and his gf encountered a begger on a train recently. Quite apart from the fact he’d obviously not bought a ticket, he wandered up and down the train asking for money and was ignored. He got off at the same stop as my DS, and as they got off, he said to DS’ GF, “I hope you are violated in the most awful ways.”

The thing is, it’s not a case that the minority of these people are this vile. It’s by far the majority, and we need to stop tolerating it.

Completely ignorant and nasty OP. If I were street homeless (and no, there are absolutely not sufficient shelters), I'm damn sure I'd be doing drugs and drink to cope, despite the fact that I barely drink and never take illegal drugs.

Because one persons homelessness experience speaks for all homeless people…
Thats what you call ignorance.
There are homeless people in every town in the UK. Some genuine, some not. Some hide away, some don’t. But where they choose to spend their time in the day, does not denote their genuineness.

Do you often judge a whole demographic based on one experience?

The fact is, you can’t judge who is genuine and who isn’t-you make a choice, you turn a blind eye, or you help who you can, without prejudice and without judgment.
The most well known homeless person in our town, who refused all attempts to help him, was also an alcoholic-and you can guarantee any out of towners that saw him would just think he was a drunk beggar, a nuisance to their day. This man sadly died in the winter of ‘21, he was found in plain view, not hidden away-in the door way where he’d made his home.

The Critic is a right wing rag. With an agenda. According to them England is the victim of colonialism 😅
If anyone has any genuine interest in the people living on the streets in the U.K. Shelter, Centrepoint, Crisis would be starting points rather than opinion pieces.

We’ve got faux homeless where we are.

i will never give to a homeless person again, I give to charities who support them when they’re ready to accept help.

Crikey most definitely private! Wouldn’t want to end up encountering “those addicts” would we!!

This is an older article but I think it’s still relevant https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/06/dont-give-money-beggars-help-them

For 10 years Thames Reach and others have been trying to persuade us that handing loose change to sad, dishevelled, beseeching suitors on high streets does more harm than good. Campaigns to stop it are needed, argues Swain, "because of the incontrovertible evidence that the vast majority of people begging on the streets are doing so in order to purchase hard drugs…..
I took this argument on board years back but I have stopped giving to beggars for another reason too. It is, I'm afraid, because I'm sick of them. One of the regulars round my way, a bit clever, fag in hand, became so persistent, so intrusive, that I got quite hostile, dismissing him with the same curt tone I find myself using with cold callers who plague my phone.
I don't like being pestered, even pawed, when approaching the corner shop with my small daughter. I feel quite insulted by the bolder ones' never-changing ploys: the proffered handshake and old pals greeting ("Hello, my friend! I need just a little favour …"); the tall tales about the meter running out, the urgent need for a bus fare, or of wives having babies a taxi ride away. I don't like being picked out as a sucker. I learned long, long ago that junkies lie.
These feelings don't fill me with pride. That is because I know that beggars, from the outrageously brash to the pathetically passive, are almost always in a truly desperate plight. It's just not the one they claim it is. Beneath my narkiness I want to help. What is the best way?”

And important to note this is written by a man.

They are not homeless though. It's an employment essentially with a heavy addition of trafficking in some cases.

Most beggars are not genuinely homeless. They have places to go, councils and charities are good at providing them with shelter, food and accommodation.

There are few that are genuinely homeless and these people tend to have either mental health difficulties or addictions which mean they don't wish to live in the accomodation provided to them (eg they reject the accommodation offered).

Council websites enable you to report homeless people if you spot them so their teams can offer accomodation and support to them or monitor them if they reject offers of support.

Like with benefits, the few “scammers” spoil it for the majority, genuine people in need.

Well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.

. Have you ever considered opening up your home to a homeless person or offering them a hit meal and bed for the night especially when it's really cold outside.

Wow…Are you serious?

I highly doubt any homeless charity or any professional working with the homeless advises members of the public to do this - especially not women.

Needless to say, do NOT do this Op.

I will donate to local charities by way of unwanted good clothing, bed linen, towels, feminine hygiene products, stuff for fundraising events, curtains etc but I flatly refuse to give cash to anyone begging in the streets.
Just this week I had a lovely (anonymous) letter from a family who I had helped by providing duvets, covers and curtains for their children's bedrooms. They didn't know my identity but the letter was forwarded by their key worker.

Haven't read the full thread but ....

Bloody hell, where's your heart????

My brother was homeless for a bit 20 or so years ago due to severe and undiagnosed schizophrenia. He is the most wonderful.man I know. So caring, thoughtful, kind, intelligent, warm. To think of him on the streets, likely being taken advantage of in many ways due to his vulnerability at the time, deeply saddens me and rips at my heart.

I have worked throughout my life with people with mental health probs, substance use probs, etc.. and it's hardly fun begging. Do you ave any understanding how humiliating it is? How desperate you have to be?

Being alcoholic isn't a life choice. People don't dream as children of growing up to be an alcoholic. People don't dream about growing up to live in a doorway and smell of wee.

We as a society are collectively responsible. Most of these adults slipped through various nets as children and have been failed by services as adults.

And we are all a stones throw away from this ourselves you know. I have a home worth well over a quarter of a million, a consultant level job, a fabulous marriage and two wonderful children. But I am not naive enough to think I'm superior in any way. I know that I am very lucky and that in a drop of a hat I could be in that homeless person's shoes. Life has a funny way of knocking you sideways.

In my (mostly rural) area there are three towns, all with completely different presentations of street homelessness.
The most affluent of them has Roma gang beggars, but their presence is quite subtle.
My more deprived seaside town has more alcoholic/addict street homeless people than ever before, but no Roma beggars. I have never known any of these to be aggressive although some get a bit too 'party party' in the summer and can be intimidating.
The cool/artsy small town further away has no visible street homelessness at all. - at least, that I've seen on my frequent trips there. It also has poor transport links and no railway station.

"You will be visited by three ghosts " .
But as a serious reply , although some will be " fake homeless" , looking for money , most will be in dreadful circumstances and need support . Noone chooses addition or homelessness as a planned choice and most will have a sad history which has brought them to this place . Hopefully OP , you donate to one of the established charities that help .

Some. Not all.

Perhaps just ponder on your own question a little…?
What might someone’s life need to look like for them to think moving to another country without a home is preferable??

You seem to pick on and despise substance abusers, any particular reason you hate them so much. Have you ever considered opening up your home to a homeless person or offering them a hit meal and bed for the night especially when it's really cold outside.

In London, The Met have advised to not give to homeless people as there is a HUGE problem with Romainian organised crime gang controlling genuine homeless - and faking beggars.

Romanian police are actually working in London to stop this but not proving very successful as it's been going on for years!

I've personally witnessed 2 'homeless people' jump into a Porsche and drive away.

You shouldn't be so quick to judge!!!

I think if I was homeless in the freezing cold, I'd probably take drugs or alcohol to deal with it.

Never judge till you've walked in their shoes.

Wow
Yeah you’re probably right, I’m sure most of them chose to sleep on wet bedding in a tent (or “den” as you call them) 🙄

Precisely!

Some are, some aren’t. Shopkeepers who open up early report seeing some people arriving in taxis to then sit and beg all day.

It’s better to donate to Shelter and the Salvation Army or local projects.

Anyone with experience working in this sector will tell you never, ever give money directly to people who are homeless or appear to be. Give to charities who know what they're doing.