AIBU with street begging?

[2389Champ]

Walking around our town yesterday, I was asked by three different people sitting on the pavement, for spare change. All without exception young and as far as I could see - although I could be wrong - pretty healthy looking and clean. Not the usual haggard, worn look of the homeless.

There were also quite a few shops/cafes with notices asking for staff. Maybe just seasonal, but still work.
I was very tempted to go back to these youngsters and point out nicely there were employment opportunities and had they seen them? Not from an outrage point of view but as a genuine suggestion. DH talked me out of it and said I was in danger of turning into a DM reader and that it would be construed as interference or being a busy body.

Generally, I buy a sandwich for the homeless rather than give money as it often gets spent on alcohol and I’d rather they at least had something to eat.

Right.
I wasn’t going to come back to my OP as I asked for your views, I got them and I felt the subject had run its course.

However, I have read every response and found it very enlightening.

Two main observations; street begging and homelessness aren’t the same thing. Not all homeless beg, not all beggars are homeless.

As with every level of society, there’s the genuine people and there’s the opportunists. How we’re are supposed to tell the difference - who knows and I defy anyone to truly know that difference. Some of the street people around my area are absolutely fine and pleasant - we have a regular Big Issue seller who intervened when my DH was having hassle from some characters and is always fantastic company. He’s very open and honest about his past demons too.

And some of them are vile. They intimidate, sit in groups drinking and swearing and deliberately block access to shops. They think it’s ok to piss in the corner of a public walkway when free public toilets are 100 metres away.

If anyone is naive, it’s those that assume every person living on the street is an angel in disguise and automatically a victim when there are all types and all personalities out there.

And some of them are vile. They intimidate, sit in groups drinking and swearing and deliberately block access to shops. They think it’s ok to piss in the corner of a public walkway when free public toilets are 100 metres away.

Another naive thing is people that thinking domestic violence is just phone call needed to be safe and thinking victims will be safe if they leave. Is not safe always cos support and housing is postcode lottery. After refuge is either no housing help at all cos lots councils break law or is dangerous housing with the scary people you speaking about.

The scary people you saying about that I copied pasted. They have problems and need help but they is what you say scary. Some are just out of prison including for violence offences including domestic violence.

These is same people sometimes who victims of domestic violence are put with in hostels and other homeless housing. Even when own bathroom and kitchen is not safe and is scary being in same housing block or building as them. Is not safer than domestic violence even if risk of murder high risk domestic violence.

Is also why the homeless people who are not like that don't sometimes wanting stay in homeless shelters cos is with the scary not nice ones cos all dumped in together. Is violence and rapes in these places. Is why some homeless is on streets and people say they refused accommodation but is cos very dangerous accommodation.