People begging outside of supermarkets

[Beautifulweeds]

I can hardly ever stop by anyone begging, especially those with a dog, without giving what I can.

Thing is, these days, we don't carry much cash, but I always make sure I have some on me.

There was a Romanian lady with the big iissue outside of an aldi, with a dog, who I bought treats for and gave her some money every week. Then she appeared in local news about being involved in child abduction! Didn't see her again but she has been replaced by another old Romanian woman, no dog this time fortunately. I have less generous about paying for the big issue from her, which I never took, just offered a donation.

Also, other people who sit in the floor and are friendly outside of other supermarkets. Often 3 of them, so who to give to?

I've noticed some will only be there for a couple of hours and move on.

I'm a sucker I know, can't bear to pass anyone who seems like they need help. At the times I had absolutely no money for myself I would still feel guilty.

Sorry, guess my question is how to know when someone is genuine? I tend to think if anyone is willing to sit and beg they're genuine but experience has shown could just be part of a bigger mercenary business.

None of the Romanians are genuine! I used to walk to work as their gang leader dropped them all off in the morning in his fancy people carrier. You are such a mug. Grow a backbone. Buy a big issue if you want to help the homeless.

It's highly likely that they're placed there as part of organised gangs. It's a rotten life for the people begging, but the people that benefit from the donations are the ones up the chain.

Give to organised charities not beggars if you want to make a practical difference.

I got one removed outside of an M&S foodhall after she aggressively turned on me. Took me a few reports both instore and online but she is now gone.

They are not genuine.

You'd do better to donate money/your time/or requested physical items to a local homeless charity.

Never see the beggars outside the shops when the sun is shining eh? Funny that.

I've seen one of those bare and filthy footed beggars in the City before. Down on all fours begging.

Later on I saw the same guy in a subway into Bank station putting on his sparkling clean Nike Airs, and a fancy jacket.

firstly, thats really kind of you and its refreshing to see this. Its a desperate situation to be in regardless, sometimes people begging can be part of a ring. From a safety point i think giving to or engaging with a group of people can be a bit unsafe.

It can be really tricky. Genuinely homeless people tend to have a lot of their things with them. Even if people are doing it to buy drugs or alcohol and theyre homeless id probably want the strongest thing possible to get through the situation too.

Because of the work i do im not allowed to give money but will always stop and chat and offer a ciggerette. Ive found asking about if theyre currently engaged with support services (local homeless organisations, each area usually has a different one), or asking if theyre going to be rough sleeping did they make me want to make a streetlink referral (anyone can make one and it notifies homeless teams where someone will be sleeping but sometimes people dont have a phone or smart phone that they can do it themselves)

If you have spare change you could look at setting up a small monthly contribution to local charities who help. And if you have the time even maybe volunteer with some. Your heart is 100% in the right place.

https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ It takes seconds if you see someone sleeping rough or come into contact with someone whos sleeping rough.

Earlier today one asked me to buy him a scratchcard!

If this is real then you need to have a sharp word with yourself for being so gullible. Instead of feeling virtuous about being kind you need to turn it around and realise you are perpetuating crime, fraud, people smuggling, modern slavery and misery. You’re not the good guy when you give to street beggars from organised gangs.
If you want to donate money use a charity. Or donate to a food bank.

At one point I used to regularly buy the Big Issue and then I actually subscribed to it but it didn't stop me feeling guilty whenever I walked past a vendor.

I can't even remember now why I stopped my subscription to the Big Issue- I think it was after my DH died and I was worried about my own finances.

But now I have small standing orders for a number of charities and I sometimes buy in charity shops and charities on line. But I find it extremely upsetting when I go anywhere with street beggars and will walk totally out of my way because of the guilt of not giving to them. Always I think of the Parable of the Good Samaritam but in all honesty I don't have the income to be generous as I would like.

I don't know OP how you tell who is genuine or nor but it makes me so angry that in the 21st century we are no further forward than in Dickensian times. Poverty and need and begging should not exist in our society and it is a crime that it does.

If you want to help the homeless give your money to an outreach charity. You’re not helping anyone giving them cash they will probably use on alcohol or drugs. You might say but I only gave £2. All they need is a handful of people who only give £2 and they’ve got enough for a bag of crack. You wouldn’t go up to a dealer and buy crack do give to addicts but that’s exactly what you are contributing to by giving cash to potential addicts. Unfortunately people encourage street begging by keep giving money.

Don't donate to them they will be encouraged because it's a good spot donate to the proper charity's who help instead

So many are fake these days you can't tell who is who but if you donate to the charity at least the genuine ones should be helped

As some others, I have a monthly direct debit to a homeless charity.

I believe this is a much better use of funds, although it is still hard.

There’s a resident begger right outside of Aldi doorway. I honestly don’t know why they aren’t moved on? You have to practically step over them to get in the store.

There is also one outside of Greggs occasionally.

It's a business, they use children and dogs to elicit sympathy.

I give money to homeless charities rather than to people in the street. I have given food before to people who were going through bins looking for food- they seemed genuine. One such person actually stopped looking in the bin when he saw that I had noticed, he had such a sense of dignity. I also once bought a coffee for an older man who was shivering at a railway station - asking him first of course, in case he was waiting for his train and would be offended by me taking him a coffee.
It sounds like I am virtue signalling, I am not. I don't give to people in our local town centre as a rule because it's not clear how genuine they are.

I always assume that people begging outside supermarkets are either scammers or junkies. If they are the former, I’m certainly not giving them my money. If the latter, it’s obviously not in their interests to give them my money.

So they get nowt.

You may feel sorry for them but they see you as an easy touch. I thought begging was supposed to be illegal? Anything goes these days.

i shop at my local sainburys every friday a big issue seller is right in the doorway, i grap a trolley and get in store fast i dont want to buy one, he always makes a comment like its cold isnt it, , i feel they should be away from the main doorway. not many people seem to buy one off him, we all have our charities we support you cant give to everything

I hate them too @Beautifulweeds and actively avoid them. Never make eye contact ... I also get annoyed with chuggers in the exits of supermarkets too. And there was even one INSIDE a charity shop the other day, begging and cadging for us to join their weekly lottery.

And on the entrance to Morrisons yesterday, there was a chugger who stopped my DH in his tracks and blocked his way, and said 'you are about to have the best conversation you have had this year.' DH said 'I have the best conversations with my wife, and I don't want one with you, now MOVE!' And then he shoved him out of the way. No more than he deserved for stopping DH from walking any further, and blocking him in.

I really think some complaints need to go into these supermarkets and shops that allow these fuckers in. They're a pest.

And don't even get me STARTED on the fucking shops and stores begging for money at the checkout/as you pay, as well as upselling. Fucking SAVERS, every single time I go in, (even to buy a pack of aspirins,) say 'would you like to purchase one of our bottles of perfume?' Every single time! How many bottles of perfume do they think a woman needs? Either that - or batteries! And some other shops are the same. With W H Smith it always used to be a Terry's Chocolate Orange. I haven't stepped foot in a WH Smiths for about 3 years so I don't know if they still do it!

Maybe donate to a reliable charity instead I donate to save the children every month, comes out off my bank, there are some genuine beggars but most ain’t

I don’t give cash to beggars. As others have said, the Romanian and Bulgarian beggars and BI sellers are organised gangs; and I’ve volunteered with a local homelessness outreach charity for several years, and so know how much support other beggars in the area been offered over the years but have turned down because they aren’t ready to face their addiction and be committed to recovering from addiction, and that any money is going to go straight into the pockets of their drug dealers.

Give to - or volunteer with - a homelessness charity instead - if you don’t like larger charities then a local community kitchen or outreach charity who work on the ground.

I never give money 'in the street". Personal policy. I do the giving I want, to the causes I care about and that is that.

There's a big Tesco by us with 4 entrance/exits. Sometimes there's beggars in 2 doorways, sometimes they have all 4 exits covered. One has a dog. They usually disappear about 5ish, makes me wonder where they disappear to (home, maybe?) One of them has a girlfriend apparently who comes and collects any 'donations' part way through the day. I used to feel sorry for them but the more I've learned, I know that they are just scammers, not genuine. It makes me cross; I work hard for what I earn and I would love to go shopping without somebody asking for some of my money every time I walk past. I want to say get a bloody proper job! 😆

I give to charities, rather than directly to the individual.

Although having said that, I had a long and friendly chat with a local drug addict and ended up buying us a takeaway bacon sandwich and a tea each to eat together. Haven’t seen her around for a few weeks, so I am hoping she’s gone to rehab…. 🤞