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AIBU?

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Original poster

To feel i have to purchase a Big Issue to make up for other peoples rudeness

23 replies

lucyellensmum · 13/09/2007 14:57

Outside my local supermarket there is a young girl, who i think comes from Romania, selling the big Issue. She is not pushy, she just stands there in all weathers repeating "big issue madame" all sodding day. Sometimes, i get a pang of guilt and buy one. Today i thought nah, dont want one today, the girl always has a smile for my dd as she knows i sometimes buy it, sometimes i dont. As i was walking past the shop, she was doing her normal routine, when a nasty, ignorant cow, scowled at her, saying - no i don't want one, if i wanted one, id buy one. I mean, FFS, was that really bloody necessary? How rude and downright pig ignorant can you be. So, i felt sorry for the girl and ended up buying the sodding magazine even though i didn't want one today. I wanted to tell the woman what i thought of her but i didn't want to embarras the seller, now i wish i had followed her down the road and tackled her, but no doubt i would have received a load of verbal.

Why do people think they have the right to treat others that way. I don't know anything about this young girl, but i can imagine her life is far from brilliant. Strange country, hostile people, few prospects, so why the hell do people think they have the god given right to look down their noses.

It makes me so .

OP posts:
kindersurprise · 13/09/2007 15:04

I often buy a Big Issue, FGS it is not a lot of money and these people stand all day, as you say in all weathers. The woman was probably glad to have someone less fortunate to take out her bad temper on. YANBU, I get mad at people like that too.

Original poster
lucyellensmum · 13/09/2007 15:42

looks like its just us then kinder

OP posts:
mytwopenceworth · 13/09/2007 15:49

Makes me mad too. She sounds grossly stupid and ignorant (that's 144 x more stupid and ignorant than other stupid and ignorant people )

You are right though, that this type of person would just have given you a gobful too. You did the right thing by buying the mag - you demonstrated your support and that you were 'on her side'

It's sad, but you just can't reason with these nasty folk, they don't have both oars in the water, iyswim.

Dropdeadfred · 13/09/2007 15:53

when i worked i used tobuy our local big issue man a coffee every day I went into town when it was cold and a can of fanta in the summer when he was baking in the heat....didn't always buy the mag though, but often did.

southeatsastras · 13/09/2007 15:54

it's quite a good read most of the time too isn't it? used to get it all the time when i lived in london.

Caroline1852 · 13/09/2007 16:07

I think they would sell more copies if the magazine was in a plastic sleeve and the vendor wore plastic gloves which he promised to change - hourly, if not half-hourly. Homelessness is contagious after all.

SueBaroo · 13/09/2007 17:08

It doesn't hurt anyone to say 'No thankyou' and smile, does it. Silly moo.

cluelessnchaos · 13/09/2007 17:13

Used to buy all the time when I was at Uni, and I always smile and say no thank you but I kind of think now I am not interested in reading it and is it patronising just to give them the money and not take the mag? Is it any good these days? Encourage me to buy one.

SueBaroo · 13/09/2007 17:15

Well that's just it, I hate the mag, and I wouldn't buy it to read it. I have bought it in the past, but it kind of feels counter-productive to just buy it to throw away.

SueBaroo · 13/09/2007 17:16

I've got a friend who buys it and then hands her copy on to the next BI seller she sees (which is in Birmingham, so quite a few).

lulumama · 13/09/2007 17:16

I always buy it and often buy the vendor a cup of tea / cold drink and bisuit

until the day i can no longer afford to give a couple of quid, i shall continue to do so, regardles of whether deemed patronising or whether the magazine is a good read or not

southeatsastras · 13/09/2007 17:18

exactly lulu it's only a couple of quid isn't it

cluelessnchaos · 13/09/2007 17:18

No offense intended

GreenGlassGoblin · 13/09/2007 17:19

I used to buy it, until the editor changed and it became little more than a TV guide. Has it changed back? It used to be good.

I do smile and say no thanks most of the time, but went through a period of totally ignoring BI sellers after one bloke got really aggressive towards me and shouted at me to f-off, then (I'd smiled and said 'no thanks' as usual - nothing different). I'm a bit pissed off with BI here at the moment as well, I've been approached twice recently by blokes wearing a big issue sellers vest and carrying a card with the line 'I'm a big issue seller and I'm trying to get the money together for my first magazine to sell - could I have £1?'.

tiredemma · 13/09/2007 17:20

I just give them the price of the BI but tell them to keep the copy. I also use to give the BI seller who I used to walk past each day into work, a piece of my toast.

some people are heartless, rude bastards.

lulumama · 13/09/2007 17:22

not offended !

i just think giving to charity, whether it is putting money in a tin, or into someones hand or for a magazine, should be done simply for the sake of giving, and not to get anything back.. IFYSWIM

re BI sellers asking for money to start selling...not heard of that? hope it is not a scam.....

lailasmum · 13/09/2007 17:23

I used to buy it on a fairly regular basis until about 3 years ago I had to spend a lot of time standing in a tube station one afternoon and realised the big issue seller next to me had a rather successful sideline selling drugs to school kids. Kind of put me off. Big issue sellers don't seem to have made it as far as the town I live in now, but I would rather give money to a homelessness charity after that experience.

SueBaroo · 13/09/2007 17:29

lulu, I do agree with you that you should give money without getting a return on it, but I thought the idea with the BI was that it wasn't charity, it was an opportunity for people to get out of a hole, if you like. I know when I've money but didn't want the mag, the bloke was offended.

Having said that, I did buy a hot drink for a girl where we used to live, so the mag just didn't come into the equation. Hmm, might do that next time, cut out the middle mag (puntastic!)

jangly · 13/09/2007 17:38

Our seller doesn't stand there all day. He brings a chair and sits down. I bought a copy when he was first there, but it was just listings of the pop festivals. Nothing of any interest to a (slightly!) older woman so why should I buy it? I think they need to work on the magazine itself. That "Big Issue", "Big Issue" can get on anyone's nerves tbh.

kindersurprise · 13/09/2007 18:15

jangly,
I don't think many people buy it because of the facinating journalism. I buy it because I want to help someone less fortunate than myself. I don't think I have ever actually read it (although I have never thought of giving one back to the next seller)

jangly · 13/09/2007 19:22

They might sell more if it was a better mag. Its not supposed to be a form of begging, is it.

southeatsastras · 13/09/2007 19:30

i always thought it was quite an interesting read. but haven't brought one for a year or so.

Caroline1852 · 13/09/2007 23:39

Sadly, I think the Big Issue has had its day. It was a very good magazine once upon a time and the sentiment behind it is laudable but it is tired and they need to think of something else. Plus it is not very green is it?

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