Lady begging on the tube

[UsedtobeFeckless]

Please all tell me in shouty capitals how it's a big wrong thing to give to beggers because l'm feeling bad about this.
Sitting on the tube and a lady comes along the carriage asking very quietly and politely for money. Everyone put their heads down and ignored her. I did too. If anyone else had put their hand in their pocket l would have done too but no-one did so l just sat there and l've been beating myself up for it ever since.
What would you have done?

@bluelady - eh you did say you were humble, check your post. Still have no idea why you think it’s a good idea to give your money to people in the street when you have no idea if they need it or what they will use it for. But your money your choice.

Nope. Checked all my posts on this thread, the word humble doesn't feature. You've mixed me up with someone else. And, yes, my money.

people who don't believe in giving money to beggars/think donating to charity is better are so intent on persuading the rest of us to be like them

We are letting you know that you are likely doing real harm with your actions.

Blue lady

I agree with you

people who don't believe in giving money to beggars/think donating to charity is better are so intent on persuading the rest of us to be like them

BECAUSE YOU ARE PERPETUATING HUMAN SLAVERY AND PEOPLE TRAFFICKING.

Why is that so fucking hard to understand. You are not helping these women, you are harming them.

The best thing you could do for them would be to give them details of places where they can receive help to escape and maybe a cheap mobile with PAYG credit so they can call them without their gang masters finding out.

You giving them that money means the cycle of abuse and exploitation never stops.

I always used to give money to beggars but then charities made it very clear that you shouldn't do it and to donate to them instead. I find it very hard to walk on past but am trusting that the people who work with the homeless are right in what they are saying.

I love helping homeless but dislike going to sit on a tube seat and finding an item that you look at and think what the ? And then person comes along and says it costs £5. What? They planted it there. It’s just rude. On the district line. It used to happen a lot.

I have it, so I give. The way I see it is, most of us are a few missed pay cheques away from homelessness.

Bejam - so that's all begging is it? Cos I could swear that the old man freezing his arse off outside Tescos has no links to human slavery and people trafficking

Absolutely straight jeans.

There are a whole lot of issues here. Some people "can't walk past without giving to someone in need". That works if you pass a couple of people per week. If you work in a big city you would be broke yourself if you gave to everyone you pass. Another pp said not to give food without asking the person what they would like. Again works if theres 1 person and you are near a suitable shop. I pass 2 or 3 people outside costa. It would probably cost me a tenner a day to get them all something from there which i sadly dont have spare. So when i have spare change i give them some, or sometimes there are people collecting for a homeless charity in the same place and i donate to them. I also donate to food banks and a small charity that works with women working the streets.

No need to shout or swear at any of us. The woman my age who was so pathetically grateful for the fiver I gave her is nothing to do with trafficking or gangs. There's heavy frost on the ground this morning and some poor bastards have slept - actually I bet they didn't get much sleep - outside in that. People are dying on the streets every day, what kind of genuine charity would say it's better to allow that to happen?