Direct approach begging

DS's best friend was Sally Army and always advised us not to give to beggars, many of whom are not genuine, including one who sat on the approach to our indoor market playing one of two tunes on the recorder - after 5 years he still played the wrong notes with no attempt to improve. I still feel slightly guilty at refusing money, but have a limited income and many other demands on what we have coming in.

Elegran, is there a rule that says that Big Issue sellers cannot be dropped off from expensive cars?

We used to give beggars a box of raisins in the belief that money would be wasted on booze or drugs.

...my wife always had a box handy when our kids were young.

Last time we're were accosted in a restaurant the staff promptly ushered the beggar out.

Is there a rule that says that seeing that happen should never ring an alarm bell in someone's head?
Perhaps the Big Issue seller was being dropped by an organiser. Perhaps it was a friend. Perhaps it wasn't.

As Chewbacca says ^"The Big Issue itself recognises that some of their ex vendors, and rogue sellers have and do abuse their system but their is very little that they can do about it except that you request to see their registration badge. So for anyone to deny that this happens is ridiculous."*

If anyone has suspicions, then a phone call to the Big Issue office about a seller at X pitch at Y time on Z day should ascertain whether they are genuine. And if they are aggressive, they should be reported to there. They have strict rules to abide by.

They have to keep to their allocated pitch, so it should be obvious if someone is poaching.

Durham is there a rule that says that Big Issue sellers cannot be dropped off from expensive cars?

Nope, there is not. But it raises suspicions when they do. And there aren't any "rules" about how people react to that occurrence either.

The latest Big Issue has interviews and articles about Dunkirk, in case anyone is interested.

I prefer to look at the good that the Big Issue has done rather than be suspicious of the sellers.
Not many Eastern Europeans in my village, but the Big Issue seller is.
Do I have to ask her if she arrives in a big car, and refuse to buy a copy if she does?

Do whatever you feel comfortable with durham! No one is forcing you to donate, or not to donate. And I don't think that I've seen one single post that states that the Big Issue does do good work. What I have seen is that some people have their suspicions about the validity of some vendors. But you do like to pick up on snippets that catch your eye, don't you.

"And I don't think that I've seen one single post that states that the Big Issue does do good work. "

Sorry, but I think the Big Issue does do good work, so we are obviously starting from different points of view here.

Apologies durham, I meant that the Big Issue does do good works, of course. Fat fingers I'm afraid! So we're not at such differing points of view afterall.

Yes the Big Issue does do good work, but it has grown exceedingly large and I did hear somewhere a while ago that there are scams going on where a boss somehow acquires copies of the Issue for resale by his underlings. Which would explain the big cars. I didn't altogether understand how it worked but the Issue were aware of the problem and trying to stop it. I think it was due to their having grown faster than their accounting could keep up. Hopefully it's sorted and isn't happening now. I think their rules have changed too so that people can work for them for longer.

We have a significant problem here in the Southwest, and although we ourselves live in a city in which here is so much help available to the (genuinely) homeless, this article typifies the sort of thing that goes on in Devon. www.devonlive.com/how-to-really-help-the-homeless-in-the-town-where-beggars-earn-130-a-day/story-30434086-detail/story.html

Coco, yes, i agree, however, I had promised to donate some money to a homeless person and he was the first one I saw! So, although I do buy the Big Issue or always give the seller my 'trolley pound' even if I don't take the magazine, this other young man seemed to be living on the street.

I do think it is better to donate money or goods to the Sally Army or perhaps the Women's Refuge or whichever charity for the homeless you prefer to support.

I do hate it when posters have a go at each other online! I find it quite unnecessary and upsetting. That said, the best way to help the genuinely homeless is to donate food, clothes etc. to one of the organisations which help them. I don't think that just handing over money is any help at all. In Oxford we have several centres which help the homeless with food, beds, showers etc and a health centre with volunteer doctors. The churches have food collections once a month on a rota, which are taken to the local homeless cafes. At Christmas we collect new hats, scarves, gloves, underwear, chocolate etc, which are wrapped up and given to homeless people as gifts. I do sometimes buy the odd tin of dog food as they keep the dogs for protection. Homeless people are often seen as fair game for bullies and the presence of a dog often puts them off. My daughter had a friend who was a nice privately educated girl from a good background who ended up on the streets for various reasons.

I ask the local homeless guy in my high street, in London, if he wants a cup of tea or coffee, or something to eat. Sometimes he says yes, and sometimes he says he's had enough - fair enough! I appreciate his honesty. I never give money to people, but have been known to tell people who are begging in cafes etc. that they are breaking the law and that if they don't go away I will call the police - that usually does the trick! Whatever nationality they are, they all understand the word police. Not being uncharitable, but these people can be very intimidating, but then you end up feeling guilty in case you have not helped the one and only truly homeless/starving person. no win situation!

I used to give to everyone begging on the street, on the basis that if they weren't genuine that would be on their conscience, not mine. A family member who works with homeless people told me always to give to charities or food banks instead, so now I do. The more money that goes to fraudsters, the less gets to those in genuine need.

I do buy the Big Issue, but only from the "regulars" I've come to know.

We have a couple of female Big Issue sellers on our high street of eastern European appearance ...the same ones for several years. We always used to buy a copy until watching a TV programme about the sale of Big Issues. It showed the difficulties of individual people trying to buy sufficient copies to sell daily as others were being dropped of in vans to buy in bulk....apparently it is now classed as self -employed and entitles you to a NI number and all the associated benefits. Originally the Big Issue was solely to help homeless people, but apparently the rules changed. Saw this on TV about two years ago. Now give to the Salvation Army instead.

I don't understand that, JanaNana.
Selling The Big Issue is supposed to stop people being homeless. It's supposed to give them a bit of security, a bit of work and an NI number. What is wrong with that?

So do you think giving the Big Issue seller £1 every week is wrong? I don't always want the magazine (sometimes I do) and he can sell it to someone else then.
Or is that against the rules?

I think it is, Jalima. But sometimes rules are made to be broken.

He just has a very nice smile!

I think it's a good idea to give the Big Issue seller any money you want to.
Apparently they get 50% of the sales price, which is now £2.50. They need to sell a lot to get decent money.

Mine has a nice smile, too, Jalima.

It makes a difference, the woman down the road is always grumpy-looking and steps forward as you go to walk past which he doesn't, but I have already given my money to him anyway.