BIg Issue seller outside Wilkinsons

[timetogrowup]

I live in a small town, standard sort of high street, had a Woolies, got Boots, Superdrug and Wilkinsons. We have a Big Issue seller out now and again - not every day. Yesterday after a night of -6 it was raining on to frozen ground, immediately icy underfoot, not many people out. Big Issue seller, young girl in cardigan out in the rain next to a big sheltered aread at the entrance to Wilkinson. I bought the magazine asked her why not stand out of the rain. She said Wilkinson's staff told her she couldn't stand in there. It's big and not busy - no way could she block the doors or be intimidating.

I went in and although I'm shy, the Christmas music and all the glitz and "good tidings to all men" atmosphere made me feel very bad that she was standing out in the rain. I found the manager and asked if it was true. He said he couldn't let her because if he let one they'd all expect it. There has never been more than one. I pointed out if he said OK today he wouldn't have to say OK tomorrow. We eventually agreed to disagree, and I said I wouldn't be buying anything after all on principle (yeah I'm so tough!) . It just seemed so sad.

It's possible she'd figured that standing there in a wet cardi gets her more sympathy sales but I was very tempted to go to the charity shop and buy her a coat. But I had an appointment to keep...

ps should I invite her for Christmas dinner?

< Sigh >

Oh Heroine why don't you try to make at least one of your comparisons actually comparable to a store manager allowing people to sell their wares outside the shop?

I think it's quite obvious that given large shops have such a high turnover of customers, allowing one person to sell out front will attract many many others.

OP YANBU

Unfortunately the £ is always worth more than compassion to some people.

Now I know why so many Romanians are selling the big issue in my area!!!thanks for the article.

English Scum come here with nothing and now have job

This isn't entirely relevant btw and before I say it, OP I think you sound lovely. However, is it just me who thinks that the Big Issue is very expensive and a bit crap. I have bought it a few times in the past and have always been disappointed. If it was more interesting, I would be more inclined to buy it.

Someone using loopholes, shared information and collaboration to earn money! What utter evil scum! Burn the evil co-operating romanians! Curse their enterprise! skin all those using loopholes and manoeuvrings to pay less or earn more than doing nothing!!.. i.e. burn all the moneybox listeners, most of the public sector, anyone with an isa and the 49% who get some form of benefit WHEN THEY COULD BE LESS SPINELESS, SCUMMY EVIL DEGENERATES, keep their mouths shut in order to remain HONERABLE and DIE knowing that the Daily Mail readers would like them.. if only their face wasn't milk white and they spoke RP.

I wonder if the Daily Mail will ever write a positive story about a non-white benefit claimant. I bet also that fat white middle class men whose families claimed family allowance for years somehow forget themselves in their red-faced blustering about 'getting of their arse' and 'being a self-made man'

Fuckers.

oooh if the BIG ISSUE was like CLOSER I would buy it, but its not, so I would rather homeless people starve UNLESS IT BENEFITS MEEE MEEE MEEE I WILL SCWEAM AND SCWEAM UNTIL I AM SICK!! GIVE ME MY MAGAZIIIIIIINNNNNEEE.

Sorry OP I was just enjoying myself too much, I think its awesome what you did, hardly anyone has the ability to stick up for one's fellow man these days. I have once given a bed to a homeless guy once (well he insisted on sleeping on the floor). I stayed awake all night, but he slept like a log and looked younger in the morning..

.

A sign up like 'Please note - sellers may stand here at the manager's discretion. Please ask first'. Then all bases are covered maybe?

I worked in a shop and the manageress got angsty because a seller was standing in our (large) porch area without permission. I told her to be reasonable and that she wasn't doing any harm and finally she went out and instead of telling her to move on as originally intended, she offered her a cup of tea! Which I thought was a lovely thing to do as it was raining and cold. And no, we didn't get inundated from that day forward with other sellers!

If the manager has the discretion to allow a seller to stand under shelter, then surely he also has the discretion to not allow others. It's a pretty disgusting attitude, tbh.

I mean, yes, there are lots of people littering the high street with requests for money, but The Big Issue is a bit different to some student twat in a onesie selling their shit rag mag. He could easily say no to the latter but yes to the former.

What if Wilkos has a policy about this and he's only following the higher ups rules? Should he risk his job for this? It might not be his choice.

If that's the case, then the policy is wrong.

It's annoying when you have to run the gauntlet of often dubious charities to get into a store.

If you are selling the Big Issue, it's a job, a business, just like selling the Evening Standard (not that they do that any more), and it should be treated as such, e.g., taxes paid, proper pitch, and so on.

Get onto head office then and tell them your opinion.

There's a big issue seller in a city near me, gorgeous guy with a lovely dog, always in the same place. Always grab him a sarnie and can of dog food also my dogs spare dog coat last time, lovely guy, he's probably late 20's

I'll do as I please thanks Amy, and that includes talking about something on a discussion board. I would say 'if that's alright with you' but I couldn't give a flying fuck if it's not, tbh.

God overreaction to advice much? Pathetic.

That was advice? Here's some for you then: don't ever volunteer for the Samaritans.

I don't think telling you to tell head office if you think their policies could do with a change is bad advice. If enough people do it, change could happen in the way you want. I think you need to chill out!

Its hardly the Little Matchstick Girl OP.

I don't think its really that a Big Issue.

I won't shop at Wilkinsons anyway. They use exploited prison labour to produce their goods at cheap rates and pocket the profits, as well as being involved in the workfare scheme.

I wasn't asking for advice though. And I certainly wasn't asking to be told what to do, which is what you did; sorry, but I don't respond well to being bossed around by someone just for airing an opinion on what is, as I have said, a discussion board.

Had a friend collecting for Marie Curie today outside M&S (supported and encouraged by M&S, done once every few months) which is also the normal spot for a Romanian Big Issue seller. The Big Issue told pal to move as it was their spot. Friend stood their ground not accosting people as they entered unlike the BI seller, just stood to the side freezing her ass off (brought her a coffee). BI's husband was down on the next corner selling the BI too though he was unlicensed, three other family members were begging on the same road, it was like running a gauntlet.

While I was gabbing to pal, people were giving money to the BI seller without taking a mag. Do people not realise that impacts the BI badly? The sellers buy the mags on a sale or return basis. If you don't take a mag BI do not get the money and will impact on production.

Amy the flag and Illeagle I really think your expectation to have your feelings of discomfort put before the needs of homeless people is spineless and breathtakingly selfish.
YABVVVU!

You know what Shelter (the charity for homeless people) says? EVERYONE is ONE CRISIS away from being homeless.

Perhaps you should just pause the week before Christmas and think what it is like not to have a home. To sleep on the streets. To feel so cold you can't sleep. To be treated like scum. Surely it's not too much to ask to shelter under a porch? If it were a homeless dog in the rain there would be an outcry.

And bah humbug to that Wilkinson's bastard excuse for a human being who refused so much as the shelter of the porch of the place he works in.

The difference though kaumana is that your friend is just there for a few hours then goes home to a nice cosy pair of slippers so to speak.

The BI sellers are trying to make enough to eat for them and their families.