To report being approached by homeless people in supermarket car park

Come off it. It's not OK to approach a stranger, knock on their car window, ask to speak to them and when they say no, continue saying 'please'.

Of course that's intimidating.

Could you get your shopping delivered?

When I was a teenager ( in the States), a good friend was driving to school and she rolled down her window to give $5 to a man begging. She had the money in her to give to him, rolled down her window a crack and he slashed her hand with a knife. She needed stitches and was glad she only rolled down her window a tiny bit.

I would argue most of the men on the streets begging are mentally unwell and/ or on drink/ drugs.

Knocking on your window is aggressive and intimidating. I would have left too and you should complain to the shop.

I am sympathetic, I would also have driven off. It feels intimidating and they shouldn't be around supermarket carparks in my opinion.
I am very sympathetic with the folks in this situation but we shouldn't be made to feel unsafe when shopping. Report it definitely.

It's important to remember that a lot of aggressive beggars are part of organised crime syndicates or funding a class A drug habit.

Which makes them unpredictable and it's correct to fear or be wary of them.

I would report it to the supermarket and make it clear you will move your custom elsewhere if something isn't done.

Sadly, this country is becoming like Rome or Barcelona in terms of personal safety and ability to go about your day without being hassled or confronted.

It's not Doncaster Morrison's is it?

I think a man you don't know knocking on your car window to presumably request money when you're alone with your child is quite threatening behaviour actually and I would feel quite scared.

I'm so sorry that happened to you, but it's not particularly relevant to the question of whether someone who walked away when told that OP didn't want to talk to him should be reported as a nuisance.

Shelter are a campaigning organisation but they don’t actually house homeless people.

Crisis are another one worth considering.

None of this solves the problem of someone aggressively banging on car windows.

It is scary to be approached by men when you are on your own. It's unlikely the supermarket will do anything, as you use the carpark at your own risk. Homelessness increased by 14% last year. In addition: 326,000 people are in temporary accommodation (17% increase in one year) - most of whom are in families with children. Another thing you could do, all of us could do, is put a small amount into a homeless charity a month such as Shelter who do amazing work. Without its issues you describe will increase.

I spend majority of my time with men so not easily intimidated but I had the same thing happen to me. It was dark the car park is well lit and he banged on my window, I just ignored him and he banged again then tried to find the handle of my car. I sat and waited until another man got out of his car and followed him in. Security told me they couldn’t do anything they’d rung the police and the police weren’t interested as it’s the car park is technically privately owned and security aren’t allowed to move them with force. The guy shuffles in and out so not there long enough to get a court order to move him.

I know people that have now reported to head office to try to deal with. Reality is you shouldn’t have to deal with it and the more people that report it the more likely it will be dealt with. My friends come out of an abusive relationship and she’s is terrified so has stopped shopping there.

Flaming auto correct.

I agree with you op.
i would not want to be approached in that ( or any other situation).
I don’t want people asking me for money, knocking on loveyouu car or anything else like that.
I wonder how many young, fit looking males this man approached. I think we all know the answer to that that though.

This is a bloke and I claim my five pounds.

All the Lols.

I'm inclined to agree. As women we are always advised to listen to our instincts more rather than just being nice all the time. I have tremendous sympathy for the homeless but harassing a woman on her own with a child is not on. Would he have done it if it was a man? Unlikely. We've all walked past the homeless on the street , the vibe might be different if they started walking up to you on the street and asking you directly for money which could be seen as being intimidating. How the op feels is a legitimate concern.

While the supermarket is unlikely to put security on for this reason there is no harm telling them about it. They may have a relationship with the homeless ( possibly giving them out of date products or something) and be able to.say that they have to stop haranguing customers or they will be asked to move on.

I’m not a scaredy cat by anyone’s standards but I would definitely have been unnerved by that and more than likely would have driven away. I bet he doesn’t do that to men, interesting that he’s hanging about the mother and child space's.

Not true - I've mentioned my uncle upthread. He was homeless due to drug addiction and psychosis. One moment he was nice to me, the next he thought I was a spy out to kill him (or whatever). He was dangerous.

You're so naive. OP was right to leave especially with a toddler with her. Drugs, alcohol and mental health problems can be common in homeless people.

He might have been if OP suspected mental health issues and /or drugs. My uncle was homeless for over a year once caused by a drug addiction and terrible mental health caused by the drugs (psychosis). I was scared to death of him as he was unstable. There's lots of care in the community failures that lead to other people like my uncle not getting treatment and ending up living rough.

I’m not a normally particularly anxious or wary but I definitely felt intimidated in a similar situation. I was sitting in my car outside the supermarket eating a snack and checking emails and two blokes knocked on the window and wanted to talk to me. I shook my head and locked my door and they walked away. I think they were chuggers or maybe spreading the word of god or something as they were smartly dressed, but I don’t know for sure. They were approaching other people too. Potentially quite innocent but it felt like a violation of my space - probably because they were so close to me and towering over me. I didn’t like it at all but I guess they wouldn’t have realised how it might come across.

We have homeless people in the local supermarket car parks. People give them money/food/drink. Them accessing the car park wouldn't bother me but knocking on my car would. I would report it to the supermarket.

We have a right to feel safe; I’ve been chased down a blind alley at the local hospital - is that okay if it a homeless beggar? I think not.

Rightly or wrongly, I feel the exact same. I am very very nervous of people approaching me in the street.

Always trust your instincts. Tell the supermarket, what harm could it do?