Drug/drink addicts around the town centre, begging, urinating in public. General A.S.B

[Smokyk]

Does anybody else have a similar problem locally to them? I live in Catford (S.E London) and I'm honestly sick of the sight of it.

Whenever I go to my local Tesco I'm hounded by drug addicts for money. I can't sit down on a bench for 5 minutes to rest my legs without being approached (I'm 8 months pregnant)

There are a group of drinkers that sit near the Costa all day every day, spilling booze all over the place and pissing up the walls in full view of passing children (including mine) making the area smell like a urinal. There are signs saying it's a no drinking zone but they take no notice.

Yesterday we walked past one of these men openly smoking crack at the side of a shop making no effort to conceal it.

Another bloke, drunk as a skunk and in a group of several tried giving my DD (2) a high five and terrified her.

How tone deaf need you be to approach a lone pregnant woman with a toddler when you're out of your head and in a group?

I've been asked for cigarettes and verbally abused when I've said I don't smoke.

One of the well known beggers even harasses people inside cafes.

It's absolutely disgusting.

What is the answer? A petition? Or do us normal locals just have to accept it is what it is? I can't move.

No doubt the police would do nothing. Probably sympathise with them.

You might be better to approach the council or write a social media post about it if there’s a local residents group. You might engage with some other local people who could give you more information about things that are being done or how you might get the authorities involved in some way.

Report as ongoing antisocial behaviour to the council.

How tone deaf need you be to approach a lone pregnant woman with a toddler when you're out of your head and in a group?

They are not tone deaf, they are desperate addicts.

It's absolutely disgusting.

What is the answer? A petition? Or do us normal locals just have to accept it is what it is?

You 'normal' locals should probably count your blessings as you go about your day.

When you asked what the answer was I though you were meaning in terms of helping these people

Email, then phone and speak to, your local councillor.

@Fluffypastelslippers

Was going to say the same thing.
With these type of OPs I always think

"We never noticed until they came for us"

Who would you petition to?

I have put a post in the local Facebook group and the general consensus is have pity for them and accept that it is what it is although several others feel the same as I do.

I do pity them and there should be more support available for people in the grips of addiction, but that's not to say we should just accept our children be exposed to men exposing their genitals and smoking class A drugs in public. Not all addicts behave that way.

I have all the sympathy in the world until it starts to impact on children.

@ManifestDestinee

Who would you petition to?

I don't know, a hub of some sort where they can meet and access support (and bloody toilets) perhaps.

Stricter penalties for doing drugs in public places.

The thing is these aren't all homeless people.

That’s disgusting behavior OP.
I can’t understand that people say it’s excuseable behavior to harass a pregnant woman and toddler and whip out your penis in public in full view of others to piss against a wall. I don’t care if you’re an addict. My sympathy for these men ends where their harassment of women and children begins.

I also think the police is mostly useless but a newspaper article or even a YouTube vlog by someone with a lot of followers might help. Public outrage often helps to encourage the right authorities to step in.

There is having sympathy and then there is being fed up
My local town is like this , we have always had a few who are quiet , ask for money etc but accept if you say no
Recently the ones here are abusive and shout at people, openly do drugs and they have homes etc a roof iver their head
Its putting people off going into town with their kids and visitors visiting and thats no right either
Addicts in my opinion need to be in rehab not just housed with similar addicts and given money etc , but we have no right to lock people up so if they choose not to have help it seems we are stuck
I personally think we should have locked rehabed hospitals for people to go to ( free) to really help them face their addictions as the current system isn't working

There needs to be more police on the streets. Addicts will only accept help when they want to change, and services can only do so much. I do sympathise but especially whilst services are so stretched, some places are simply no-go zones.

Wow. Just wow.

You do realise that CGL Change grow live are based just up the road near Lewisham Hospital? I'd imagine a lot of the people you refer to attend there

My post on the local group is gaining some traction and the majority of commenters are of the "be kind and have sympathy" mindset.

That's all well and good, nobody least of all me has suggested that they don't need support, but should we just tolerate harassment and disgusting behaviour indefinitely when many of them don't want help?

I've looked online and there is already a drug and alcohol abuse support service nearby however the onus is on the addict to make first contact, the support service can't trawl the streets looking for people to help - but the help is there for those who want it.

My sympathy for these men ends where their harassment of women and children begins.

That's how I feel too. I care more about my two year old daughter seeing people smoking crack and exposing themselves in broad daylight than I care about somebodies perceived right to do those things, or the reason they're doing them.

@Ifailed

You do realise that CGL Change grow live are based just up the road near Lewisham Hospital? I'd imagine a lot of the people you refer to attend there

Yes I've just seen that and mentioned it in my last post.

I'd love to know what the biscuits and "wow just wow" comments are implying, would you posters like your children being exposed to drugs and male nudity then?

Oh but the poor addict.

Fuck that.

I think it's normal to find it intimidating and unpleasant when unpredictable intoxicated people won't leave you alone in a public place and piss in public. I have a soft face and am female so get approached a lot. I hate it.

I make a regular donation to a local charity that works in this field. And then I avoid any public space where this is a risk. I don't sit down outside any more. I go to shops where it doesn't happen. If someone does approach me I am a hard faced bitch (well, not really, I just say 'no, sorry' to any request). The last time I gave someone cash was years ago, and I've been haunted ever since by the possibility that it was probably enough for them to overdose and die. I will only give via organisations now.

I'm not stopping anyone else living their life. But I will avoid situations like this and I think that's a legitimate choice.

@Amiwronghere

Wow. Just wow.

Constructive comment, care to elaborate?

Just out of interest, has a petition ever changed anything, ever?

Those addicts are someone's child/ sibling. Could very easily be your child in the future.
*@Fluffypastelslippers is spot on with her post.

My sympathy ends when the harassment starts too

The people who think you should have sympathy are no doubt tucked up in leafy green suburbia not being harassed by unpredictable men. It is possible to have sympathy and not want to be harassed. It is victim blaming to suggest OP should be the one to change her behaviour instead of the adult who is being angry and unsociable.

Not much help but we have that problem here too. These days I just ignore them, sometimes they shout abuse for ignoring them but why should I care?

Mind you nothing as bad as this "classic" from Worthing a couple of years back.

@FreeBritnee

The people who think you should have sympathy are no doubt tucked up in leafy green suburbia not being harassed by unpredictable men. It is possible to have sympathy and not want to be harassed. It is victim blaming to suggest OP should be the one to change her behaviour instead of the adult who is being angry and unsociable.

Very well said, thank you.

I'm that I'm the problem for not wanting to be harassed in the street or exposed to groups of men taking drugs and exposing themselves when I'm out with my children.

Those addicts are someone's child/ sibling. Could very easily be your child in the future

In my family, an addict adult child was forced to leave the home as he was abusive and violent. It is not fair for others to tolerate abuse in any setting.

It's usually only people with zero lives experience of addiction who say things like the above.