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

[pa1oma]

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.

Many of them are connected to car washes as well. That another place of exploitation and slavery.

@DdraigGoch Maybe he did.

It would be entirely inappropriate for anyone to make a social services referral for a vulnerable child whilst being filmed by news crews for a segment that was going to be publicised.

I work in central London and have seen people getting changed into Their ‘begging’ clothes before going to their specific location. There are a few people near work who I buy food for who seem genuinely homeless.

When I used to go into work early (pre-covid times) around 5:30-6 in central London (London Bridge/Westminster) I used to see them get dropped off in flash cars. I never give them money, especially as sometimes they have children, all this does is encourage scum to drag more women and children over here. I've had some really horrible experiences with some of the women with my daughter (she is on the AS) were they try to touch her and grab her arm. Only when I say I'm calling the police do they run off. I've reported a few with children (as the kids are most likely drugged) as they should be removed from these gangs. By giving money you are also paying to drug these innocent children.

There is a couple of homeless people I do regularly give food and drinks too but that is different than these gangs (who quite often refuse food or drinks and say 'cash only', one CF offered to walk me to a cash point).

Find a jacket if it's winter

Not sure if it will go ahead this year Wrapup London

@bruffin Yep - wrapup is good. Also I often get one from parent's groups on Facebook etc.

Jesus Wept.

Cunty Fuck? To describe someone who has most likely been trafficked...

I always give money to people begging.
Yes I know they may not be telling the full truth - but I do know this - they’re a lot worse off than me.
No one leaves their home and family to sit in the rain all day on a hard pavement if they’ve got many alternatives.

@Clytemnestra2 the lady who used to sit by the bikes? She’s not been there for a while

I live in C London and there are two different things going on here.

1. The Roma. Effectively professional beggars. Overnight every doorway in our high street will have groups of Roma sleeping there - several women and one man. They target this area because there is a high Arab population so more chance of charity - at Eid for example. They were at one point sleeping on the steps of my children's school and nobody could help us get them moved on. Police not interested, local authority not interested. Or powerless. The caretaker had to wash the stairs every morning to make them sanitary for staff and children. The authorities appear to have given up. The women all dress in a certain way - long skirts, slider shoes with tights. Very recognisable.

And yes they will use children to beg - I had to help one young black man extricate himself from the clutches (literally) of a young Roma girl - about 9 years old. She was begging and crying and clinging on to him (mum was standing a few yards away). He was powerless because as a young black man he had no way of getting her off him without using force which would clearly be risky for him. I could see the panic in his eyes. Luckily I walked past them just as this was happening and in that situation I was able to help him, basically just by witnessing that he was the victim not the aggressor here. I live in the area so see and know the tactics.

1. The Iranians who lie flat out on the floor. I've seen these people too - often on Marylebone High st. I say Iranian without knowing that they are Iranian rather than, say Kurdish. But they are definitely not Roma.

I think the Roma situation has elements of trafficking but it's also a way of life. It's also not homelessness in the sense we normally understand.

Shouldnt this be reported to police if knoen to be slavery so they can be taken to a place of safety?

@Flapjak

Shouldnt this be reported to police if knoen to be slavery so they can be taken to a place of safety?

As has already been discussed in the thread:

• the groups have sentries and will scatter at the first sign of the police
• the victims are afraid of the authorities as they are not in the country legally
• the police are well aware

How do you know they are Iranian?

The tissue scam is still going on on trains. If you come across text the BTP 61016. You'll get an initial generic text, then if it follows my experience, one asking which train and details.

@Mollscroll-think you live very near me ! Thanks for explaining difference.

Sorry messed up the highlighting on above post so it doesn't make sense.
Yolio
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

The main groups that this thread was started about currently in London, are mainly Romanian and some Bulgarian Roma. Regardless of what anyone feels about them, trying to de facto strip them of their nationalities because of their ethnicity, doesn't help anyone, though it does help cover up the situations many come from and absolve governments of responsibility

Mollscroll
We may well be seeing different groups, in which case apologies for clouding the waters, but the thinner lighter skinned ladies wearing Muslim clothing (and probably are Muslim) wailing on Piccadilly were Albanian Roma, being 'looked after' by the Romanian group pitched at Park lane.

We have ‘regulars’ in our main shopping centre, nearly all women with the same placard saying, ‘I’m hungry, please help, God bless.’

I thought they were probably Romanian, confirmed the other day when I heard a man the other day asking one where she was from.

Of course I feel sorry for them, but OTOH I’m convinced they’re run by gangmasters.

It was some years ago now, but there was a TV documentary about Romanian gangmasters - presented by a Romanian - who showed the opulent and palatial villas they had built at home out of their ‘slaves’’ earnings.

This is why I don’t and won’t give them any money.

It was some years ago now, but there was a TV documentary about Romanian gangmasters

I think it was a programme by Ross Kemp about Bulgaria?

www.tapatalk.com/groups/anthroscape/ross-kemp-gangs-of-bulgaria-t1627.html

Ross Kemp made TV programmes about gangs all over the world.

This is quite common in Vietnam - beggars prostrate themselves. I don't give them money as I find it humiliating and would rather they just asked.

I donate to local shelters. Not directly to the homeless.

@Chottie

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........

Yeah, I've heard similar from friends. The old 'I need a train ticket' story and when you offer to buy one they make up some excuse.

From MyLondon

The British Transport Police ask London transport passengers to not encourage tissue selling if you see it while travelling.

Instead you can help the person or group of people by texting BTP on 61016.

Include the following details in your text:

The service you’re travelling on
The carriage you're travelling in
How many people are involved
A description of the person or people
Any other information that may be necessary or helpful

You will then receive a text back with any further information required and updates on the situation.

If you'd prefer an alternative, you can report this to 0800 40 50 40.

@TheSparklyPussycat

From MyLondon

The British Transport Police ask London transport passengers to not encourage tissue selling if you see it while travelling.

Instead you can help the person or group of people by texting BTP on 61016.

Include the following details in your text:

The service you’re travelling on
The carriage you're travelling in
How many people are involved
A description of the person or people
Any other information that may be necessary or helpful

You will then receive a text back with any further information required and updates on the situation.

If you'd prefer an alternative, you can report this to 0800 40 50 40.

I did this once but they kept texting me back with more questions and when I got my phone bill I realised I'd been charged about 50p per message

Someone mentioned those bloody musicians and OMG, they are SO ANNOYING. If you've been on the metro in Barcelona you might have encountered them. I went Primavera one year and had to get up at stupid o'clock to get my plane, and I think this might have been the night when I saw Nine Inch Nails really late and didn't get back to my hostel until 4am, so I wasn't in a good mood to begin with and then these idiots with guitars and whatnot show up on the train trying to get money out of people. I just ignored them. They were doing my head in.