Page 12 | AIBU to give money to the ladies who literally lie flat on their faces in the street?

pa1oma · 2020-08-15T18:17:27+00:00

I was wondering if I could ask people’s opinions on something please? ... In recent weeks / months when I’m out and about shopping, I’m seeing noticeably more of the (mainly Iranian, I think) ladies who lie on their face in the street, wailing and begging for money. For instance, in Kensington there was another one today and several down Champs Elysees as well as Hammersmith last week and it’s very distressing, but DH says not to give them anything because neither them or their children will see any of it. He says they are being put out their by a gang leader who uses these women and sends them out to beg because they are more likely to get money than a man who is begging. What do people think and do you give money to these women? I’m never sure what to do.

yolio · 16/08/2020 20:39

The old timers I would help out, you know, those who fall outside of the internet and so on.

I have a favourite person, and I did provide him with information, but I think he is illiterate. Lovely polite man and he gobbles down the food I buy him too.

Some people fall through the cracks. The rest of them I totally ignore.

Hoggleludo · 16/08/2020 20:46

I’ve volunteered with the homeless now for over 10 years

I remember my first shelter the boss said to me. ‘Buy then good. Buy them drinks. But whatever you do. Don’t give them money. I promise you it will either go on drink or drugs’. I’ve worked with the homeless on the streets near me for so long. I know them all by names. I know their family’s life. Their backgrounds. I know their partners. How many kids they’ve got

And he was right. My boss was right. There is usually a pattern. Lost my husband (wife. Partner. Girlfriend etc). Lost my job. Lost my house and so on. But our street worker (he goes out and works on the streets to help emergency rooms for the most vulnerable) said that you’ve got to look backwards. Why did they lose their house. Why did they lose their jobs

The majority of people don’t go out and get drunk. Get out of their heads on a breakup. Yeah a few nights out. A few drowning of sorrows. But not to the point of losing a house.....

There’s also now an influx of gangs. Where they send out women. But they’ve gotten smarter. So now some send our children as young as 2-3...... most people can’t refuse a child begging for food. It’s part of our natural instinct.

So no. Please please don’t give money

But do however offer food. Drink. Offer the number of your local shelter. Or the name.

But I beg you. Don’t give money. Otherwise they see that sending out women. Sending out children works. The cycle gets worse.

yolio · 16/08/2020 20:52

@Hoggleludo

I’ve volunteered with the homeless now for over 10 years

I remember my first shelter the boss said to me. ‘Buy then good. Buy them drinks. But whatever you do. Don’t give them money. I promise you it will either go on drink or drugs’. I’ve worked with the homeless on the streets near me for so long. I know them all by names. I know their family’s life. Their backgrounds. I know their partners. How many kids they’ve got

And he was right. My boss was right. There is usually a pattern. Lost my husband (wife. Partner. Girlfriend etc). Lost my job. Lost my house and so on. But our street worker (he goes out and works on the streets to help emergency rooms for the most vulnerable) said that you’ve got to look backwards. Why did they lose their house. Why did they lose their jobs

The majority of people don’t go out and get drunk. Get out of their heads on a breakup. Yeah a few nights out. A few drowning of sorrows. But not to the point of losing a house.....

There’s also now an influx of gangs. Where they send out women. But they’ve gotten smarter. So now some send our children as young as 2-3...... most people can’t refuse a child begging for food. It’s part of our natural instinct.

So no. Please please don’t give money

But do however offer food. Drink. Offer the number of your local shelter. Or the name.

But I beg you. Don’t give money. Otherwise they see that sending out women. Sending out children works. The cycle gets worse.

Well said and thank you for that.

TBHno · 16/08/2020 21:00

Whatever the truth is, this thread is very sad

PhilSwagielka · 16/08/2020 21:04

@RyanBergarasTeeth

Theres two incidents that also spring to mind when being aware of begging. One is my friend who was in liverpool the main indoor shopping place when she saw two women asking people for money. She walked past with her young baby in the pushchair and one started fussing over her baby making her uncomfortable then suddenly the baby was screaming and as she ran around the pram to see what had happened the other woman grabbed her handbag off the handles and ran the baby had a red dot that looked like a pin mark so she believes the first woman jabbed the baby with a pin to make him scream so the other could grab the bag.

Another incodent wasnt a gang organised begger but it was funny. A man was begging and looking glum and a group of people stopped to give him change and suddenly this woman stormed over as said his name and asked wtf he was playing at. He pretended not to know he and she angrily told the people he was her next door neighbour from a town about an hour away. Fucking rumbled he was never saw him again funny enough.

That's horrific. I don't care how desperate you are, attacking a fucking BABY to trick people into giving you money is really cruel.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 16/08/2020 21:07

I thought it was illegal to beg with a child

RyanBergarasTeeth · 16/08/2020 21:11

That's horrific. I don't care how desperate you are, attacking a fucking BABY to trick people into giving you money is really cruel.

Yep this was about 8 or 9 years ago and she still gets upset thinking about it. At the time she was terrified her baby would get hepititis or something im not sure if the baby had to get a jab at the drs but it chills me to my core. I used to watch a show about the london underground and it said pins are common in pick pockets in fact apparently professional pick pockets have scars on their hands as they train to pick each others pockets with pins in them. It is a whole other world in these organised crimes it doesnt bare thinking about.

SillyUnMurphy · 16/08/2020 21:31

@Clytemnestra2

The one that’s shocked me the most is a very frail elderly woman -I think Roma - I always used to see on my daily commute on a street corner near Tavistock Sq in London. More than once she’d wet herself and there was an obvious trail of urine from where she was sitting. She was often wailing, but not loudly. I presume that she was deposited and picked up by whoever controlled her as she seemed to have regular hours she was there. I can’t imagine how awful her life must be, must at the same time I suspected that any money I gave to her wouldn’t be kept by her.

Interesting that someone above mentioned that near to universities is a prime spot as this is just a few minutes from UCL.

Hummm interesting. The High Holborn beggars me and @Manolin have referred to, work the area of Holborn between UAL and LSE.

cyclingmad · 16/08/2020 21:54

Be interesting to see what happens now that high streets are on their knees, not much footfall now...imagine if high streets disappear where will go beg next outside your house on your street

WhatifIfeellikeacat · 16/08/2020 21:54

They are romainians, read up on Romanian begging and don't give them a bloody penny

Roma people live all over Europe not only in Romania. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_diaspora

WhatifIfeellikeacat · 16/08/2020 21:58

About begging gangs www.theargus.co.uk/news/17847646.gangs-control-street-beggars/
Lots of vulnerable people controlled by the gangs.

daisypond · 16/08/2020 22:01

@cyclingmad

Be interesting to see what happens now that high streets are on their knees, not much footfall now...imagine if high streets disappear where will go beg next outside your house on your street

My high street is doing quite well and is perking up. My workplace street is declining. The doughnut effect I think they are calling it. The beggars started on my high street just before lockdown. They were sleeping here en masse and then would disappear in the day and return in the evening.

WhatifIfeellikeacat · 16/08/2020 22:04

This article is about China but similar things happen in Europe as well. As always, children suffer. www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/chinese-gang-mutilate-children-beggars-9111224

yolio · 16/08/2020 23:39

Romanians are not the organised crews out there.

Tinkers, Travellers and ROMA are, and they prey on those who think such beggars are vulnerable, they are slaves to to the men controlling them, rarely see a man with a drugged up baby. QED

nannykatherine · 16/08/2020 23:59

I doubt they are Iranian .. I live in Kensington and have never seen anyone begging like this. Ever . And lots of Iranians live here and are wealthy .

mummytraveller · 17/08/2020 02:19

no never give money.. only time i give anything is if i buy a multipack of say, water and have 1 spare

managedmis · 17/08/2020 02:41

I'm so glad I no longer live there

angelfacecuti75 · 17/08/2020 02:53

I've not read the thread but maybe reporting it to the police might help them more.

Chottie · 17/08/2020 05:00

I was stopped in the street by a young man saying he had been pickpocketed and had lost his wallet and phone. He asked me for money to buy a train ticket to get home.

I offered to go to the station with him to buy the ticket and he disappeared........

BlooperReel · 17/08/2020 07:06

I've been on a train with 4 Romanian men who were chatting, laughing, drinking etc, they split into two groups and got off at different stops, pulled pre made signs from backpacks, split a pair of crutches so two of the four suddenly appeared disabled and 'hobbled' off the train, twisted their arm etc so as to appear physically disabled and went off to, I assume, beg for the day.

starrain · 17/08/2020 08:11

They are Romanian and its a job for them

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 17/08/2020 08:11

The tissue beggars are back on the Tube. You'd think with social distancing TFL would do something about it, but they can't be arsed.

MangoFeverDream · 17/08/2020 08:16

I always work on the assumption that whether it’s a scam of some kind or not, it’s not costing me anything to chuck a bit of change their direction and that if they’re genuine I’m doing a good thing

You are doing a terrible thing by incentivising these gangs to use women and vulnerable children to beg on the streets.

The only way to stop it is to stop giving them money.

Jargo · 17/08/2020 08:29

In London.

Food or water, or something else caffeinated
A chat
Report to Street link
Find a jacket if it's winter
Report to our Homeless Outreach Worker through the Council
Very occasionally pay for three nights hostel (direct to hostel)

DdraigGoch · 17/08/2020 08:31

Does anyone else remember when Ed Miliband was Labour Leader? He was waking through the streets of (I think it was) Manchester with a press pack and walked past a young girl begging. He then decided that it wouldn't be a good look so doubled back and gave some small change.

The girl was 14 years old, Romanian, and sent out to beg by her aunt. I remember wondering at the time why he didn't call social services instead.