Begging outside shops etc, should be stopped?

[Bookingsmamas]

Shouldn’t these places have their security move these people on? It’s absolutely getting ridiculous now. I’ve seen a steady increase of these men begging for cash, they’re homeless, etc etc.

I have 0 issue with someone sitting outside somewhere asking for money. But they aren’t doing that, they’re going up to cars, people walking by. And now tapping on my bloody car. Twice since going to our local Aldi, someone has tapped?! On my car when I’ve tried to ignore them politely.

It just feels very intrusive. AIBU to think security should be stopping them or encouraging them to move along? Our local shopping centre is excellent and moving these people straight on

It's not just men who beg. I've seen women too and I'm sure some of them shout abuse. Are you intimidated by them? Or is, if just men?

Minds changed by this thread =0
Opinions reinforced = 100%
Anger buttons pressed = 50%

Homeless problems solved =0

@Hubstar I'm in the south. Plenty are being housed in Premier Inns too once the emergency beds and hostels are full, so long as they meet the acceptable behaviour standards.

@katrina11

The reason that the homeless often want cash is because many shelters require payment and if it's cold and/or wet people are desperate to get into the warm. Councils are extremely good at spending on adverts saying 'don't give money' but not as good at providing the shelter people need.

Absolutely agree with this. The fiver a month I give to Shelter via direct debit wasn't going to help the bloke who needed to dry his sleeping bag that night, the last time I was in London. I loathe being told by charities/police forces/individuals not to give cash to beggars. Especially when they follow up with: 'They'll only spend it on drink." Not surprised. So would I.

@MissAmandaLa1kes

Surely during lockdown, homeless people were accommodated in hotels and social services and well intentioned volunteers will have been drafted in to help. I know where i live a number of former homeless people have been helped into supported accommodation and the slow process into a more fulfilling life due to this. Some simply dont want to engage.

And maybe some need additional support that isn't available. You think they don't want to engage because it makes you feel better. Just leave them to die on the streets, you don't have to see them then.

This thread is so depressing but typical.

Seriously wtf do pp keep saying things that imply people shouldn't be allowed to feel intimated or would you be intimidated if a woman was shouting etc me etc. No one should shout at anyone ffs, it's OK not to be OK with that and feel vulnerable and no, it's not a competition of whether the homeless are more vulnerable.

The fiver a month I give to Shelter via direct debit wasn't going to help the bloke who needed to dry his sleeping bag that night, the last time I was in London. I loathe being told by charities/police forces/individuals not to give cash to beggars. Especially when they follow up with: 'They'll only spend it on drink." Not surprised. So would I.

This.

@Lepetitpiggy here it's £9 per night, cash only, with proof of medical need. The queue, every night goes round the block from the shelter - only four rooms. All vacated at 7am the following morning.

It obviously varies from place to place.

Proof is needed here as we are a touristy area and supposedly (I don't believe this for a minute) tourists were using it for cheap accommodation.

There are people asking for money outside more or less every food shop and cash machine on my High street. You do get tired of it - some round here have been doing it for years. It makes me more inclined to go to the large supermarkets that seem able to keep on top of the issue meaning less spending by me in local shops.

[quote Becca19962014]@Lepetitpiggy here it's £9 per night, cash only, with proof of medical need. The queue, every night goes round the block from the shelter - only four rooms. All vacated at 7am the following morning.

It obviously varies from place to place.[/quote]
Oh god that's awful. What an appalling situation

Shops/restaurants don’t own the pavement/road outside their premises so cannot move them on.

Jesus Christ, listen to yourself will you?
You're everything that is wrong with society.
The people you are talking about are human beings, just like you

Are people really this naive? These are professional beggars, no person in need would be as aggressive as they are!

Absolutely agree with this. The fiver a month I give to Shelter via direct debit wasn't going to help the bloke who needed to dry his sleeping bag that night, the last time I was in London. I loathe being told by charities/police forces/individuals not to give cash to beggars. Especially when they follow up with: 'They'll only spend it on drink." Not surprised. So would I

Ok but you are only making the problem worse and not helping anyone at all

Ok but you are only making the problem worse and not helping anyone at all

Bollocks.

@Devlesko - I'm not going to listen to a word you say after your assertion that women are silly for being afraid of aggressive male (or female, for that matter) beggars.

This daft "top trumps" of victimhood is pathetic. It really is. Heaven knows who is in charge of drawing it up and policing it. But it appears on this thread it is Devlesko who asserts that women's safety comes below the rights of a beggar who wishes to intimidate them.

I feel deeply sorry for the homeless, the addicts and the alcoholics. - yes, even the scary ones. I don't feel sorry for professional beggars. They should be cleaned out and their gangmasters dealt with severely.

@Lepetitpiggy yes, it's really sad.

People who have had contact with them have had awful experiences. When they first started they were ok but now they're a landlord as well and it's all about meeting their criteria and getting as much as they can for their properties from people - none are near the LHA rates and when questioned they say it's impossible to run a property properly at LHA rate. They became a landlord so people could rent at LHA rate where I am.

To be frank they annoy the hell out of me - you'll have noticed I'm sure!

At the same time I know it's not every homeless charity, just saying it's different in different places.

Unfortunately it’s hard to tell who is genuinely homeless and begging for help and who is just making money from it. Lots of organised criminals traffic people to beg for money for them. Then there are others who do it for money for themselves when they don’t need it.

I have a family member who works for a half way house/residential care provider. A lot of the people there have “mental health” issues, I say it that way as there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, they just know how to work the system, “o I’ve been caught with the worst kind of child abuse images and accused of abusing children, it’s because I’m depressed and have mental health issues...” kind of people. Not all are like this but there are far more than there should be. A lot of them deliberately make themselves look dirty and homeless to beg on the street even though they are raking in thousands and thousands of pounds in each month by working the system. My family member actually stopped shopping in the city centre with their children and grandchildren because she didn’t want the men from the homes she works in see her with her family, especially her grandchildren.

I will happily buy the big issue, donate time, money, food, clothes to homeless shelters but I won’t give out cash any more unless I know for sure that person is homeless or is in need, e.g growing up there was a pretty famous homeless man who wandered our town, he was an alcoholic, slept on benches and in doorways, was a character that everyone knew. Homeless shelters tried to help him for years but he always ended back on the streets. My dad would always throw him a few bob, and I would happily when I got older.

[quote IrmaFayLear]@Devlesko - I'm not going to listen to a word you say after your assertion that women are silly for being afraid of aggressive male (or female, for that matter) beggars.

This daft "top trumps" of victimhood is pathetic. It really is. Heaven knows who is in charge of drawing it up and policing it. But it appears on this thread it is Devlesko who asserts that women's safety comes below the rights of a beggar who wishes to intimidate them.

I feel deeply sorry for the homeless, the addicts and the alcoholics. - yes, even the scary ones. I don't feel sorry for professional beggars. They should be cleaned out and their gangmasters dealt with severely.[/quote]
Everyone should feel safe including those living on the streets, that don't all happen to be male. Happy.
I've never been scared by a homeless person yet. That doesn't mean to say it will never happen.
I don't think it's a dead cert that every homeless person is going to attack me, neither.

People need to stop mixing beggars and homeless

@UsedUpUsername

*Jesus Christ, listen to yourself will you? You're everything that is wrong with society. The people you are talking about are human beings, just like you*

Are people really this naive? These are professional beggars, no person in need would be as aggressive as they are!

Were you there? Jesus wept, they are some deluded fools on here today.

Apologies if you actually know op and witnessed the incident. Presumably you also have all the official evidence/facts to back up your sweeping generalisation?

Sorry what's that? You are none of the above but love to read the daily mail and base your opinions on their latest 'news'

[quote Wiltshire90]@Hubstar I'm in the south. Plenty are being housed in Premier Inns too once the emergency beds and hostels are full, so long as they meet the acceptable behaviour standards.[/quote]
Me too. We must be in much different cities. Because here. We only have a few emergency beds ONE of the shelters I work at. The other 2 don’t have emergency beds at all.

We housed people during the first lockdown in the hotels etc. But that swiftly finished. People are back out on the streets and we’re back out working on them finding the people we know of. They direct us to new people on the streets.

[quote Becca19962014]@Lepetitpiggy here it's £9 per night, cash only, with proof of medical need. The queue, every night goes round the block from the shelter - only four rooms. All vacated at 7am the following morning.

It obviously varies from place to place.[/quote]
Same for our emergency beds at the shelter

Except we’re meant to kick out at 10am. Though it goes against our beliefs. We’re here to help the homeless. Yet the government wants us to kick them out. It’s like a dr who becomes a dr yet isn’t allowed to make anyone better.

It’s so so sad. There isn’t enough.

Not enough money. Not enough resources. Not enough volunteers or people who want to do it

People are falling through the cracks.

Since begging is illegal, the police really can and should do something about it. I agree with you, it’s intrusive and can feel quite frightening especially if you’re alone as a woman.

I once had a man approach me for some change. When I said no because I genuinely don’t carry cash around, he told me to fuck off and when someone else gave him something he said something like ‘at least some people aren’t selfish cunts’. Nice. Glad I didn’t have anything to give him.

Oh and this isn’t an issue with all homeless people by any means. It’s an issue with beggars who waltz up to you and often invade your personal space. I feel the same way about chuggers tbh.