Tired of the performative beggars and alcoholics this time of year

I am pretty certain substance use means you're not permitted to use the homeless hostels.

I am also fed up of seing people shoot up in train stations or lying outside in the cold drunk out of their mind. I just don't blame those people though nor do I think they choose to live this way. I blame unadequate health services, social services not having enough resources ( many homeless people have had awful childhoods) and politicians who rather agree with some populist rhetorics than do something ( because homeless people don't vote).
I have posted upthread about a Service for homeless people, but those opened a lot if people were NIMBY. Probably people like you.
Contrary to you OP I actually do know what I'm talking about. I have worked and lived with homeless/former homeless people, one of them is actually a close friend. I also know that there is a chance that a loved one or even yourself can become one of those people. Major mental health problems/traumas can hit anybody.
Maybe next time OP count your blessings, it's Christmas afterall

This post nails it.

OP the opinions you’ve posted here are disgusting.

Depends where you are but in my corner of London there are both “wet” hostels for drinkers and hostels that take dogs.

I work in a related field (a food bank) and support a fair number of formerly homeless people in hostels. I suspect from what I see myself that a number are in and out of hostels because hostels can be difficult places - there are fights and arguments and people can be asked to leave for breaching rules. And then back on the street until the next.

Hostels won't take dogs and you usually have to be fairly sober to access one

You don't sound like you have any goodwill or goodness in you, OP, to be fair.

You also don't seem to have the first clue about addiction or what leads people to becoming addicted.

Yes, it is absolute privilege to be able to turn your snooty, snotty nose up at homeless people who may or may not be struggling with addiction whilst you load yourself up with Christmas goodies to take home to a warm home.

@Verydemure that's a really good post and accurate- not all of this situation is about homelessness- it's in the mix for 'some' damaged troubled individuals- but not all anti social behaviour be it begging, aggressiveness or open drug taking or frequent excessive drunkenness out on the streets involves homelessness- it's more complex than that for large numbers of individuals

I think attitudes like yours are what stifles meaningful debate about difficult issues

Meaningful debate 🤣🤣

Jog on

And the timing of this thread is just 😮 Days before Christmas, when most people are counting their blessings and reflecting how dreadful it must be to be on the streets at this time of year. Christmas softens most hearts, not hardens them!!

We have a similar service in the UK city I live in, needle exchange, stuff for safer crack use, they do BBV testing and vaccinations, supply Naloxone, and also run a sexual health service and a project for people with multiple and complex needs. They do not have a drugs consumption room but do give harm reduction advice on safer ways of using drugs.

Yes because homelessness only began 14 years ago!! Let's just blame Boris lol

They have 2 of those im my city.
Peple can also get their needles exchanged, get food, shower and clean there clothes.
Some also offer sleeping arrangements or drug testing. Since they can't access hostels it is a huge help.
Homeless addicts are extremely physically and mentally vulnerable. They are also hard to reach and there is often a huge shame attached to asking for help.

I think attitudes like yours are what stifles meaningful debate about difficult issues.

The many examples on this thread show how complex this issue is. I’d say that homelessness/aggresive begging is an issue where both points of view are valid. ( I’d actually say hidden homelessness isn’t part of this discussion- rather this is about some of the most damaged, chaotic individuals who cause a nuisance on the streets because they refuse shelter, support or help)

yes, these people deserve our compassion. But that doesn’t stop many of them being very challenging individuals. They don’t limit the chaos to their own lives and there’s lots of stories of good Samaritans learning this the hard way.

some people on this thread have no tolerance for it, others think we should help them.

both views are valid.

Totally agree with everything@SquirrelSoShiny said.

Amen to that.

@SquirrelSoShiny You are missing the point. The OP and several others are not interested in having a nuanced discussion. They are using inflammatory and derogatory language in order to denigrate vulnerable groups; homeless people and those who are substance dependent. There is NO empathy from these posts. It absolutely is hate speech and it’s gross.

I have posted at length about the realities of mental health and addiction services, as well as the role trauma plays in homelessness. There has been no acknowledgment of these posts. It only incites more vitriol and Daily Fail statements about beggars and their BMWs. This thread has been thoroughly depressing and I’m out, I am heartened by a few brilliant and compassionate posters though.

Which guidelines do you think it breaks?

The good things about threads like this is that there is always pushback when people disagree. There's discussion and debate.

The alternative is people never discuss controversial issues, stick only to echo chambers and then are astonished when people vote for Brexit / Trump / Reform. Like they are genuinely astonished because they have basically 'protected' themselves from viewpoints they dislike and so rather than engaging in uncomfortable conversations they have hung out in a bubble of 'right-think'.

I'm going to repeat my post from earlier - it is simultaneously possible to have empathy for people on the streets while also recognising the impact they have on others.

The one thing EVERYONE probably agrees on is the need for better services for mental health and substance misuse.

Wow. Shocker of the year there.

’Why have have such grim alleged "lifestyle choices" become apparently more desirable than "fitting in" and being part of "normal society"?
Is it possibly the effects of current economic policy or do you think people just wake up one morning and think "Hmm, I fancy trying my hand at being perceived as a scourge on society" ?

You won’t like this, but….. the Roma gangs are here, just as they are in France and Italy ( in my personal experience) because that is their way of life. Probably not a matter of personal choice, certainly a matter of clan / family pressure. Their presence in UK was greatly increased when Romania joined the EU, and so gave Romania access to the ripe pickings in The Union.So yes, that was a result of ‘policy’.

My WI did a collection of clothes , toiletries, treats etc to take to the homeless distribution centre in our near City. Pretty useless, really, since about 90% of the people they served were non European, non English speaking men who were far too tall for any of the garments, and had different dietary preferences to the donors. So that again is a result of government policy, I suppose.

I reported it yesterday and they said it didn’t break any guidelines 🙄

This is an APPEAL to mums net to delete this thread as it is bordering on hate speech.