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

So several recent political threads full of smug tory voters, and now 70% of people here think begging should be banned.

This place is truly dreadful sometimes.

And if a fix makes a miserable existence tolerable for a few hours I’ll fund that. I see women my age on the streets and shudder at how easily that could have been me if I’d been dealt different cards. good for you. So when that drug addict is found dead because of the fix that you paid for you can be proud of the fact that you paid for that.

And when children are abused because of the drug deals you paid for that’s ok.

But hey, you did a good thing didn’t you.

I haven't got a problem with this but the one that annoys me to death is the Big Issues sellers outside our local supermarket. They heckle you all the time and people constantly pass them £5, 10, and £20 notes. I know this for a fact as I know the security guard outside the shop right next to them.

This person is literally making a fortune. I doubt very much they are sharing that around the homeless.

I also don't actually trust many charities. Most of the big ones are a massive scam in themselves with hardly any of their money actually going into the cause they claim they exist for.

It's a tough one. I used to work with pre-homeless people, ones who were on the verge. Their lives were seriously tough. Suppose I can't forget that when I'm in the moment of seeing someone sitting in the freezing cold as I'm going to probably waste a load of money on relatively luxury items in whatever shop it is. Being a drug addict doesn't automatically mean you are a hideous irrelevant person.

@ToffeePennie

In a town local to me there was a gentleman begging daily with a big placard about how he is an ex veteran, sold his medals for money, he and his whippet both starve (although the whippet always looked in really good shape to me). He started off harmlessly begging for change, then started harassing people as they took money out of the ATM, eventually moving his “sleeping spot” to literally in front of the only ATM for miles, so you have to bend over him to do anything. He was really off putting and it got to the point where the police were involved. I was in town one day and saw him have a massive altercation with the police about it, being told to move on etc. He was then told to register with X homeless charity local to the town and taken there by the officers. I witnessed as he was half dragged there against his will, the woman answered and I heard her say “he’s not homeless, just a liar.” I didn’t see what happened after as my business associate arrived. Later it transpired he had a job and a perfectly nice house, but realised he could make more money from begging. The guy had a decent Audi on the drive of his fairly large sized house, all paid for totally by begging. Even worse, he was seen in another town buying a brand new Mercedes and paying IN CASH! The medals he had sold? Faked. The service he had provided? Lies. Eventually he was convicted of fraud. I am so so wary of the homeless now after that.

Cool story bro

Me, I prefer to save my rage for the societal problems that cause homelessness and addiction.

People are taking the moral high ground, but some beggars can be very intimidating. I won’t go shopping alone in my local shopping centre due to an ever increasing number of addicts begging, and often shoplifting as well.

I absolutely agree that there should be much better provision for homelessness - one of the most frustrating things was how many services were cut or closed due to Covid. Not that long ago I walked past a woman sitting in a doorway crying and I asked her if she was OK (obviously she wasn't but it was a conversation opener). She said she had nowhere to go, she was homeless and scared. I offered to try and call the council or one of the homeless charities on her behalf but she said she'd tried, they were closed because it was the weekend/due to Covid. I looked them up when I got home and she was right - what the actual fuck? As if people are only homeless between 9-5 on a weekday?

Fortunately round the corner was an outreach group from a church handing out hot drinks - I told them what had happened and they went off to find her. It was great that a group like that was out there helping but where the fuck were all the other agencies? The ones receiving public money to provide a support service?

And don't even get me started on how there should be much earlier intervention to prevent people ending up homeless in the first place.

HOWEVER. I am well aware of my privilege, coming from a stable home with a good education etc but I will not tolerate aggressive begging. I've had beggars follow me to my car, we've had a beggar locally knocking on doors and being threatening if she doesn't get cash. During the worst of Covid when the town centres were empty I had a guy right in my face shouting at me about how much he needed money - it was near as damn it deserted, and he was bloody aggressive. Much as it's not as shit as being homeless or a drug addict, it's still shit to have to live with.

It is possible to empathise/want to help AND not want to have to run the gauntlet of aggression, particularly when you're a lone woman.

I also don't actually trust many charities. Most of the big ones are a massive scam in themselves with hardly any of their money actually going into the cause they claim they exist for

Exactly this. Shelter’s turnover is £58 million a year. Wtf are they doing with the money?

So when that drug addict is found dead because of the fix that you paid for you can be proud of the fact that you paid for that.

That is so unnecessary.

You can chose not to give to people. Others can chose to give to people. Why the need to be so repulsive?

Someone giving a beggar two pounds isn't murdering them. It really isn't.

@TrendingHistory

I completely agree with you OP. It can be very intimidating as a woman to be approached by a strange man who often is drunk or high on drugs. I’m sure someone will accuse me of making generalizations but I live in Westminster and the number of beggars who are also drug addicts is enormous.

There have been a number of very violent fights between the beggars recently. It really is a frightening environment for a lone female.

Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester is similar, a number of spice addicts are regularly fighting amongst themselves and aggressively demanding money from shoppers and people waiting for buses. Even in the day time it no longer feels safe.

Some of the virtue signalling on here is horrendous - a number of specialist organisations strongly recommend not giving money. So why do all these do gooders think easing their conscience is more important than not facilitating someone's drug habit and getting in the way of the excellent work these organisations do? Surely a donation to a soup kitchen / outreach group is more beneficial.

Why the need to be so repulsive?

I guess some people are born that way. 🤷‍♀️

@Littlefluffyclouds13
“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.”

Nobody should feel threatened when they are going about their daily business, shopping etc.! The best way to help those genuinely in need (and we don’t know if these beggars are genuine or not) is to lobby the Government or give to the relevant charities so they can be helped in the best way possible.

I have never understood why taking in more immigrants and asylum seekers happens, while there are homeless people here already who need food and housing! Deal with the current problems first before adding to it!

I have a beggar that sits outside my property. He claims to own it and chases other beggars off. He is a junkie and has made no effort to stop. He lives in a house, has a start phone and hides his expensive trainers under a manky old coat prop. He rubs his hands on the ground to dirty them. He gets dropped off in a BMW. There are at least 4 of them in his 'gang'. I've seen them count up their takings and head straight to the pub. They hide the money in their pockets to make it look like they only have a few coins. They are given money roughly every 3rd person which in season means every 2 or 3 minutes they get a pound. Trading standards have told me they make about 200 a day in the summer. After all my taxes and wages they make a tonne more than my business makes. They target kids to beg to by chatting to them. They are visibly irritated by food given to them and bin it. Or leave it as litter. Which I have had to pick up before. They aren't grateful for your kindness they are absolutely taking the piss out of your gullibility. If its bad weather they go to Manchester instead.
If you want to be kind donate to a food bank instead. Stop funding their drug habits

We've got an organized group at the traffic lights at the top of our street. It's a fairly large city intersection so lots of cars wait there. I regularly walk my dog up there and have seen the van dropping people off in the morning and picking them up in the evening, they rotate people every few days.

I have huge sympathy for anyone who's desperate enough to beg, but I can't give these particular people money, because there's clearly a gang behind it. I do give generously to a local homeless charity that provides meals and shelter, because it's well run and they really do make a difference to peoples' lives.

@hamstersarse

So when that drug addict is found dead because of the fix that you paid for you can be proud of the fact that you paid for that.

That is so unnecessary.

You can chose not to give to people. Others can chose to give to people. Why the need to be so repulsive?

Someone giving a beggar two pounds isn't murdering them. It really isn't.

5x £2 equals enough for a bag of heroin, which could kill someone off. So, murdering no, enabling them, yes.

‘These people’.

Nice.

@Laiste

They don't always want ''something to eat''. There is a man (tall, 20s) who cruises round a local petrol station forecourt and the mc donalds drive thru queue near us begging. DH has repeatedly offered to buy food from maccies for him or go into the Morrisons (petrol station shop) with him for him to chose a sandwhich/meal ect. No. He wants cash.

A woman's concerns about men aggressivly begging them for cash is not something to be shouted down and shamed.

Markeaton? I also tried to help in that way, but was refused. I didn't have any cash (everything's contactless) and was already in the drivethru queue, so it was uncomfortable.

There is an area of our town that is no go I don't know what substances people are on but they are full on ! They beg harass fight amongst themselves even the soup kitchen was moved out it's so.bad.

@Blossomtoes

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.

This. Get angry about an affluent society that tolerates homelessness and people so poor they have to beg. Not the poor buggers who have no choice. Better yet, give them some money or something to eat.

I used to think like this. Not any more. Handing money to beggars is either funding drugs and alcohol or organised criminal gangs. I get really annoyed at people who throw them a pound and walk off all smug thinking they are helping. You aren’t, you are making it worse. Even if you buy them food you are freeing up ‘ their cash’ to buy drugs. Much better to support the relevant charities ...

@Deathgrip

So several recent political threads full of smug tory voters, and now 70% of people here think begging should be banned.

This place is truly dreadful sometimes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that begging is illegal and has been for a long time.

Again, don't conflate homelessness with begging. They're not a neat overlap on a Venn diagram.

Aggressive beggars intimidating women and other members of the public is a problem that needs addressing. Homelessness is a problem that needs addressing. Poor mental health provision and support for addiction needs addressing.

I'm a Labour voter if it helps.

I just walk past people now and don't feel guilty about it. The other day I was heckled by someone in a Superman outfit when I didn't succumb to his charm. He actually shouted, "don't you want to help disabled kids then?""

What did it for me was lockdown1. I learned that my hometown has a separate foodbank where school teachers and heads of school will refer families to get food, toiletries, clothes, and household items e.g. bedlinen. During lockdown 1 they went from hundreds of families to thousands. I do give to the homeless at Christmas, but for now, I am concentrating on this charity.

Also, both DH and I work FT and in our opinion pay quite a lot of tax. We are doing our bit of contributing to the pot of helping and some.

@Laiste he probably wants cash so he can buy drugs or alcohol or food of his own choice or tobacco or any of a million things. Which is entirely his right as a human being. Homeless people need things other than food the same as everyone else.

None of that makes harrassment by aggressive beggars acceptable though.

Can you point out where I said it did?

@Lockheart and until all those things are addressed, people are still living on the street and need things.

I think the point of this thread is about agression and intimidation not particularly begging .

There has been thread after thread about men being aggressive and intimidating women and it has to stop but according to some of they replies begging give them a free pass .

@aliloandabanana
A few do chose this as a way off life . There was a big push with covid in our area for homeless a lot refused. The council took over a large hotel offered rooms and food .
Various services linked up (drug, alcohol and adult services )to get them off the street permanently they absolutely trashed the place and got kicked out leave the council with a bill of £1000's .