To think this is incredibly cheeky?

[crunchymint]

Okay I don't believe them, but often get young blokes trying to beg money for the bus fare at bus stops in town. Every time I think bloody hell, if you really don't have the money, just walk. No big deal at all for them to walk 2 to 3 miles home.

Vladmire Women are natural targets for scammers and threads like these help us to realise it's ok to say no if we have doubts about whether someone is genuine.

I am a middle aged woman with a kindly face, so seem to be targeted by scammers.

@Berthatydfil you don't live in the midlands do you? We have a well known couple (junkies) who beg for money, usually the woman saying she needs to go to hospital or something. It escalated that they were approaching school children for their lunch money and trying to get phones off them.

But yes OP, any begging for money is shitty. Will happily buy things that isn't presented under false pretenses.

Our local scrotes do that too. Beg for bus fare until they have enough gathered together from tourists and the gullible to head for the arcades or the off license.

Begging kids for their lunch money is pretty low. I would probably have given them it once as a kid if they made their sob story convincing enough.

We have on around here who goes right up to folk, shakes their hand and get chatting before they even recognise what's going on.

He has asked me for money for lunch. Money to get through to see his sick child 50 miles away. Money to get to his Mums funeral 70 miles In the other direction from his sick child and money for electric as he has 4 children and lost his job and Nobody will help.

I usually just say I have nothing and move on, the last time I told him that was his 4th approach with his 4th story in 2 months and asked why can't he get a job. He didn't much like that suggestion.

If I see him around now I call 101 and they deal with him as he targets a lot of elderly and vulnerable people. They police always come pick him up, apparently he is a junkie and has been banned from our city centre anyway.

There used to be a guy in a suit that I'd see quite often, always claiming that he had lost his wallet and needed train fare home. Sadly I'm always suspicious now so I might one day overlook someone who is genuinely in need.

you do like starting random threads about your daily very mundane musings

In other words, "fuck off and don't come back until you've got something interesting to say"?

I had no idea MN had such exacting requirements for subject matter. Are you the content editor we're supposed to run our thread ideas by before posting? Have to say you're not doing a very good job if random daily very mundane musing threads are out. I can point out any number just from today about the weather, the school run, parking, the price of fish may have made that one up and I spotted at least two about MILs.

Panhandlers are a massive problem here too, OP, trouble is so many people are homeless and struggling around here it's hard to say which one's are genuinely down on their luck. No point in getting into a confrontation with them either way, just say 'no sorry' and walk on.

One man in Cambridge used to hang around the station area asking for money to pay for the Youth Hostel down the road. He did it for at least four years. Got very shirty once when I said I remembered him from a couple of months before.

er...hello, they’re beggars...... ffs

@VladmirsPoutine - you here again being an arse? Do Fuck off Dear and do something valuable with your time, clean the toilet or something, just stop attacking other posters for your own amusement

@eyycarumba - no South Wales Valleys

Two teenage girls once asked me for money when they were waiting at a bus stop, because they didn't have any money for their fare, apparently.

I did point out that I would have been more inclined to give them some if each of them hadn't been eating a litre box of ice-cream

I had one ask me for 'money to phone her mum' before mobile phones were ubiquitous. Her friend was holding a packet of fags, which she was not old enough to have bought legally. I wouldn't have given her money anyway, but I did point out that if they hadn't bought the cigarettes they'd have had money for the phone call.

That was late afternoon in a busy high street - they were actually in school uniform. Another time I was approached by a girl wanting 'money to phone her mum' it was evening (although still daylight) in a much quieter street. I said no, and as I walked away, a bloke popped out from behind a wall and went to join the girl. So I will never get my purse out when approached for money.

Hard luck stories don't get much out of me as I am usually slow to realise what they are asking for.

When I was heavily pregnant I was waiting in town for DH to pick me up. A scruffy but well spoken young man came over and started chatting to me about a motorbike that was parked nearby and how he had once gone on an adventure on one. I didn't feel threatened so spoke a bit to him. He moved on to telling me how he had to get the bus home and didn't have any food at home. I thought well why don't you go to the shop? DH came along and I said a cheery goodbye. Only after sitting in the car for several minutes did it dawn on me that he was begging!

Its always somemagical bus that only costs 50p or £1 too...id love to know of any bus that cheap!!