Do you give money to homeless people?

[cwtchesandprosecco]

Hi everyone,

Interested in everyone’s opinion on this.

On the train on the way and a man started walking down the carriages asking for money for a shelter. He seemed like a genuine, friendly guy and wasn’t pushing but despite genuinely wanting to I stopped myself from giving any change.

I don’t know whether it was the feeling of being a bit trapped that stopped me, obviously can’t just walk away with, but something did.

So, would you/ do you give money to homeless people who ask for it?

I work in London and we get them on the train every time. I can even recite their speech almost word perfect.

In addition I am regularly approached by a young woman who has a desperate story about having her period, being covered in blood and needing money to get to a shelter at Cannon Street. Which is about 5 mins walk away and she does this every week. Clearly not true.

We have those professional beggars at the moment around where I live and it's really annoying there's one guy he's bent over shoes inwards looks really in a painful way he hobbles around on a child's crutch, asks for money etc. Used to give a couple pounds until I see him get on the 93 late at night with a wad of cash and walking normally in normal shoes I was really pissed off. I had fuck all myself when I gave him money!!!!

They get dropped of in a car by the bingo hall and disperse through little spots the police are good at moving them on, but that's exactly what they do just move on to another area.

I think you can tell the difference in a gang of beggars verus a homeless crack head or alcoholic with holes in their shoes.
I often see gangs of roma gypsy getting dropped off, they are usually over fed with gold teeth.
I don't give to them.

@EscapeTheOrdinary it's weird around here the crackheads don't beg but the Romania beggers will. Sometimes the crackheads might ask for a fag or lighter but that's about it

I think it's sad that organised begging has been allowed to go on.

Alot of those people are being exploted, maybe even slaves. The money given doesn't go to the people in need and it puts people off giving to genuine homeless.

We often have a begger outside our local Aldi. I don't give because I don't know if he is genuinely homeless or just begging, or part of a gang. I also don't want to encourage more as I don't exactly live in an area with a homeless problem.