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?

Sadly, a number of gangs also traffick people in and literally force them to beg, then take the money from them.

Beatrix/ Manatee I don't give money to homeless people-I just politely say no.

I don't think the thread was about giving money to homeless people so much as the issues of the people who ask for money (ie having alcohol/drug issues)and the circumstances of Fleur who was pissed off about it.

The OP wasn't about the rights and wrongs of giving money to the homeless.

It was about being pissed off that they ask a single mother.

Ridiculous.

I am not offended fleur, I am merely saddened and bewildered that you can have so little patience for the homeless that you are actively pissed off at them begging.

Exactly DSM. Noone anywhere has said you have to give to homeless people. It's just the pissedoffness at 'annoying' people's misfortune that is quite irritating.

Op is not ennoyed at other people misfortune but at the fact they are asking her for money. I do not see how much better it is to say no anyway, the end result is exactly the same.

Givepeasachance, sorry can't let this go as you totally misunderstanding my thread.

Not pissed off at begging, please read my posts. Pissed off that they beg from ME for reasons that have already been stated extensively on this thread. Pissed off may have been the wrong word to use. Frustrated probably more accurate.

By that I mean you are not more compassionate than OP for the simple fact you are saying no. More polite maybe but not more compassionate.

Pissed off/frustrated that they don't know you won't have a little spare change purely because you have children?

Can you not see that that is a little but presumptuous, and silly?

Not all single people in suits are rich. Not all mothers are poor.

Basically, the homeless people aren't discriminatory. Maybe we should take example.

Why wouldn't they beg from you?

Is this because you have children, one of whom is disabled?

Not "ridiculous" not "silly" at all DSM. Try it out, see how long it takes you to lose your temper with drunk people getting in your face as you try to do your shopping with your kids.

Anyway bored to tears with trying to explain myself and getting precisely nowhere.

See you.

I think they should have a bit of decency and think "we won't bother her, looks like she has enough on her plate" and believe me I do look like that. I think they should understand that if I have ANYTHING to spare I will be using it on my kids. Surely that is just basic decency. When it happens so often with so many different people asking it pisses me off. End of.

TheHedgeWitch, something missing in your name, are congratulations in order?

Hedgwitch I AM talking about the kind of person in your example. The ones who have bikes sitting outside the tube station so that as soon as they have enough "change" they can cycle straight to their nearest dealer.

Not every beggar, is an honourable, kindly soul who has fallen on hard times. There is the one last week who is on crack and who spat at my children and myself when I asked him not to be smoking it outside the park where we and many other children were. Of all the places in London to smoke and deal why does he have to choose a childrens play park?

Sorry, yes, congratulations . My dd would never go in one of those chairs for more than 15 seconds. I used to weep. Well done you.

There are homeless beggers where I go shopping.

It doesn't piss me off, nor frustrate me.

Maybe I have a higher tolerance to others, or a more patient disposition, I don't know.

I thank christ that they do ask me, if I was honestly walking around looking like I had so much on my plate that homeless drunks were too afraid to approach me for a bit of change, I would be seriously worried about myself!

Congratulations HW

Fleur, you don't know or care what is on THEIR plate. Why do you think they know or care what is on yours when they ask? Do you think they stop to think? I can understand on one level where you are coming from, but still.
These are people in truly desperate circumstances.

People smoking crack in playgrounds and spitting at your children, is completely unreasonable, and yes, I wouldn't like that.

Now if only you had mentioned that originally.

Even if you are approached by 10 people a day, that is probably 2 minutes interaction per day. 0.00139% of your day.

You have 1338 minutes left of the day to not be bothered by beggars. No big deal.

Aren't you good DSM. Good for you. Shown lots of patience and a kindly disposition on this thread haven't you?

Yes I do walk around like I have a lot on my plate, because I have. Not too worried about it though. Just getting on with it.

DMS, are you actually reading Fleur's posts?

I didn't mention because it wasn't relevant to being pissed off about being approached for money. Not going to use an unrelated unpleasant incident to back up my case.