Giving to a person begging on the Underground

I would not give cash to a beggar. Food or a hot drink should be acceptable, if refused then they are not genuine.

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'Robert's story is about as likely as those ones of the beggar who drives off in their BMW. They suit one agenda.

There are some very well organised beggar circles but they are known. They get arrested and deported every so often, and get trafficked back. These are the ones with tissues to sell. I note that tube trains now run messages on the intercom when they have these people on so it is recognised as, essentially, organised crime. If the women come home with no money they get beaten. Hopefully there is some help available to the women and children but groups and charites offering such help are pretty stretched these days.

On Saturday there were a record five people in the road outside my Tescos - more beggars in poor neighbourhoods as they are more charitable. I'd say three were the former, two were just sad byproducts of our 1%/99% world. I give food if I remember to buy any. I have a flat, my health and an education, and was lucky enough to be born at a time when all of these were possible to acquire.
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Synonymous it is a little unkind to call those who do give 'foolish' or easily led. As to the numerous urban myths about beggars jumping into large expensive cars after earning £800 a day....piffle. I understand that there is organised crime involved in begging, I am not stupid, but to tar all beggars as being part of this is on a par with saying that all benefit claimants are bogus. Just one small point to those who have kindly offered food to beggars and had it refused....perhaps you are the third or fourth kind individual who has done this, and what they now need is a few pounds to put in the electric meter for heat when they get to wherever they call home?

A vegetarian who refuses a meat sandwich isn't genuine?

I am foolish because I give money? I don't agree, I do not believe I should tell a person what I think is good for them and dismiss then as cheats if they don't eat when I think they should eat or what they should eat , I think that would be arrogant of me

I have a friend who always works for Crisis at Christmas where it is suggested to volunteers that they never give money because it's quite likely the recipient will spend them on drugs or drinks. Instead they should offer to take them for something to eat and drink. I've adopted this policy now and it's surprising how many people refuse the food and drink.

Not surprising they refuse food if desperate for a fix , with the cut backs in the NHS we have few rehab centres , they need help

How sad that we have reached a situation where
most writers assume that every beggar is going to spend the money on drink or drugs or is conning people.

Perhaps joannewton it makes it easier to refuse to give a few pounds

If you live and/or work in a major city you'd soon be flat broke yourself if you handed out 'a few pounds' to every beggar you came across!

Ana, this is not about the numbers of people who ask for money , if I have no money I say so, if I have I give it, quite simple isn't it

Not really. You were questioning people's motives for suspecting that some beggars are not genuine and implying they were just mean. I was just pointing out that nobody's pockets are bottomless, so it makes sense to give to a reputable charity rather than give hand-outs willy-nilly in the street.

I once offered to buy some chips for a man sleeping in a doorway. He said it's OK I've just had some and said I'm OK and showed me a ten pound note. He was thankful and polite. Bless him.

Our nearest town has a population of 18,ooo and more than half of these are students. So a very small place. There are 36 hostel beds which are always full. Those working in the sector (churches etc) say there are approximately 50 more people sleeping rough in the borough - usually in wooded areas etc as it is too dangerous to sleep in doorways - they get threatened and attacked.
These rough sleepers are dependent on organised charity or ad hoc gifts of money from passers-by if they are to eat.
People become homeless for a whole range of reasons and not just drink and drugs. But no surprise if they resort to drink or drugs to numb the cold.
Before people judge they might like to wonder what they would do if they found themselves without a roof over their heads and no money in their pockets.

Ana, no I am not saying people are mean , there are people who do not want to give because they simply do not believe in giving money when asked , this could trouble them so it could help to think of addicts , please do not assume and by doing so twist what is said

There are alcoholics and drug addicts among the homeless and the same in every walk of life. I do not believe one single person decides to become an addict , anyone here who likes alcohol could have become an addict

I didn't twist anything - your post of 17.03 in reply to joannewton46 said it all Anniebach. But I'll leave you to your virtue signalling.

Buskers are not beggars? I didnt know that.

You have to have a licence to busk. They are playing/singing - people can give if they wish. They are not begging, they are performing.
DD did it when she was at college

I offer food and drink to beggars and used to give money too, but after one incident when I was forced into giving one money because he danced backwards in front of me, dodging from side to side and not letting me past I am reluctant. As I had a child with me, it felt very intimidating and £1 clearly wasn't enough.

After we had given him money and he allowed us past I heard another little girl say to her mum 'See, mummy, he caught that lady too'.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=RLBWYU9D8jo

'Of all the trades in England, a-begging is the best'
Sorry. couldn't resist.
As you were

Years ago when in Benidorm, there were beggars along the promenade and I myself witnessed them going home in taxis at the end of the day.

Gill So interesting to note how people can read words that are not actually there and twist things to say something other than was said.

"In this welfare state with additional charities abounding there is no way that any innocent person should be in desperate need because they would have no reason not to be open to the authorities about their circumstances. That is why so many people fight to get over massive hurdles to get into this country."

Where do you live, synonymous?
Do you not look at the news, or read articles about the welfare state, the numbers of homeless people, those being sanctioned, those committing suicide because of sanctions?

Next you'll be saying that food banks are a good thing, rather than the fact that there should not be food banks in this rich country.

That's why people beg.

There are young people homeless, not allowed benefits , where do they get their money from? There are people of all ages, male and female who ask for money, some because they are addicts, some because they are homeless and unemployed , there are too few hostels for these people to stay, what are they to do?

On tv last week they showed people sleeping in refuge banks , one man was not found in time and was tipped into a cruncher with the rubbish, what a horrible death

Obviously they are not supposed to beg, Annie.
Should be hidden from view so they do not offend or disturb us.