To be pissed off by the sleeping rough, drunk people

[fleurlechaunte]

who accost me for spare change whenever I walk down the road with my two small children in tow. This happens at least 3 times a week.

I don't mean to generalise here and I know there are real genuine hard luck stories out there but these people do my head in.

If I have any spare change I will be spending it on my children thank you, not on your next Can of Special Brew or a contribution to your next wrap of Brown. Ask the single person in the smart suit or the well dressed young men coming out of the expensive bars that may be able to afford to help you out. Not a single mum with two small kids, pushing a falling to bits buggy.

Well am I?

No sure if your being unreasonable or not. If you don't want to give em money could you make a donation to a local homesless charity instead.

YABU. Think about it. People don't ever chose to be in that situation.

Why confused?

Don't have a problem with homeless people just those who see me with my children and we don't look well of as we aren't and ask me for money. This happens to me a lot and it irritates me. Wouldn't it you?

Look, sometimes I'm skint, alright? Nobody's forcing you...

Well I hope it keeps fine for you.

YABU.

nametaken - why should she make a donation to a homeless charity? What if she already makes plenty of donations to charities that she has an affinity to? Homelessness isn't all fleur's responsibility - it is the local council, social services and ultimately the Government - professionals paid by the tax payer to deal with these sorts of social problems.

lol BitofFunnyBunny.

I have more compassion for my kids thanks, they clearly don't or they wouldn't ask me for money would they?

YABU

there have been record number of repossessions in the last year or so

people with drug and alcohol issues , many times have those issues due to broken homes, poor and neglected upbringing and due to their addictions cannot hold down jobs and end up in unsecure housing or no housing

there are complex social reasons for homelessness

you might be a single mum , with little money , but you have a home , and a few pence spare

you still have the luxury of looking down on those less fortuante than you

nice attitude to give your children

BTW before I became a single, skint mother I worked with a Mental Health and Homelessness team in London and had bucketloads of compassion.

Kids come first thats all and it irritates me when people put their addictions first in any walk of life.

Having known dozens of homeless people years ago when I lived in Cambridge....the vast majority that I knew used the money for alcohol or drugs.
Also, most of the people I new did in fact choose to live on the streets, they enjoyed the freedom/lifestyle etc. There were lots of beds available in hostels which they often refused to use because they could not drink on the premises.
Quite a few of them, in fact, had homes, but hungout as homeless during the day/evening, begged for money etc.

Not looking down on anyone, I more than most am aware of what can lead to these situations. Children more important thats all.

fleur, after your thorough pasting on this thread, you may want to join the rest of the MN criminals here

well it's not that easy to get off crack cocaine is it.

just ignore them

A fair amount of people on the streets are ex serviceman/ post traumatic stress/ can't cope. Others are lost souls for all sorts of reasons - and they were all someone's child once you know.

Depends if they are doing it in an aggressive or unpleasant way.

I once was accosted by a lady who told me a very sad story about how she could not feed her children ... she asked me for small change which I did not have. I went into the next shop, baught breakfast cereals, orange juice, milk and a few sweets. Came out of the shop, gave it to the lady who asked me "got any small change now?" ly I have been very weary of people who ask for money since that and I find it hard to believe even genuine people.

I can remember a friend of mine sitting in the ruins of an old building on his lunch hour once and a begger sidled up to him and asked for the price of a cup of tea...my friend then unburdened on his new friend about his unsustainable debts, the fact that his girlfriend had just run off with his best mate, a flat he couldn't face being in or afford to be in. He wondered if he should just kill himself or not. True story.

Sometimes having a home isn't the be all and end all.

You have more money than them though.

I would be pissed off if I looked so poor that they didn't ask me for spare change TBH. I might not be rich but I try not to look like I am on the breadline

How can they tell whether you have money to give or not? They can't. All the day can do is ask, and all you can do is politely decline if you don't have the money to give.