Your Reaction to Homeless People on the Streets

[tuffers#1]

When it gets hot I buy a pack of bottled water in the supermarket and give it to homeless people
Got a feeling one or two wish it was something stronger, but dehydration kills quicker than hunger

Also bung stuff in the local food bank collection box and always donate to Crisis at Christmas

Not keen on giving out things like fags or booze, but I have bought a local homeless bloke half ounce of Golden and some papers every now and then

My mum volunteered years ago
For Crisis at christmas .
I was proper narked she wasnt there for Christmas
But when she got home & saw the way she talked about some of the people she had talked to that day , made me realise how much it had moved her.

She took an old coat of my dads , and a few bits
from me & my 2 sisters , ready for her boxing day shift.
Like yourself she always gave to Crisis .

When she passed away we took donations for Crisis.org.uk
Instead of Funeral Flowers.

[Lucky7]

The vast majority want to be there?
I doubt they do

[Lucky7]

No, she didn't leave him with the receipt you tool but he was straight back in as soon as she left.
Maybe he just wanted a different sandwich?

No receipt no swapsies or cash back you tool

Was it me or her trying to swap it? I'm just saying what the bloke did.
FFS some people on here like to create an argument out of nothing.

Personally I give nothing as most of the beggars I see pretending to be homeless are Eastern Europeans who do it as a job.

Generalising again tut tut

[Dunners]

The ‘visible’ homeless are just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is far worse than many people realise.

[Thor]

Dunners whilst some may choose that way of life and I only say that lightly, we as the 5th biggest economy in the world should not have 1 person on the streets, nor 1 person living in poverty.

Priorities need to change.

[Ornchurch]

No receipt no swapsies or cash back you tool

Was it me or her trying to swap it? I'm just saying what the bloke did.
FFS some people on here like to create an argument out of nothing.

Personally I give nothing as most of the beggars I see pretending to be homeless are Eastern Europeans who do it as a job.

Generalising again tut tut

Its not generalising but a fact.
However you seemed keen to have something to jump on to so I thought I would give you something. Only surprise is it took you so long.

[Lucky7]

Was it me or her trying to swap it? I'm just saying what the bloke did.
FFS some people on here like to create an argument out of nothing.

Personally I give nothing as most of the beggars I see pretending to be homeless are Eastern Europeans who do it as a job.

Generalising again tut tut

Its not generalising but a fact.
However you seemed keen to have something to jump on to so I thought I would give you something. Only surprise is it took you so long.

Jump on?
Generalisation 100%
Not all homeless people are east European and not all people are doing it as a job that’s a fact
It’s ok I know which page your coming from Mr Garnett!!!!

[Ornchurch]

Not all homeless people are east European and not all people are doing it as a job that’s a fact - Agree.

However it is also a fact that the majority of the beggars I see are Eastern European and you can tell that it is their job as their clothes are far too clean for them to be homeless. Have a drive down the A12 from Romford in to town and around Ilford and tell me I am wrong.

[Scuba Diver]

I give to the homeless, but not beggars, and you can usually tell.

If they spend the £1 or £2 I give on booze or drugs, that's fine; because, as an addict myself (and Many homeless are addicts) I understand that in that moment that is exactly what they want. Their money - their choice.

[Thor]

Scuba, in respect to addiction wouldn’t it be more beneficial for the habit to be broken for that person to get their life back in order and living a “normal life” for whatever that maybe?

Or is addiction so bad that it can’t be broken?

[Redcard]

I must confess I am also an addict I just can’t break the habit of going to watch the orient even though I know it’s detrimental to my well being.

[NewportEssexO]

Living out in the sticks my kids do not see much homelessness so when I bring my 11yr old boy down the O's it costs me a small fortune before I even get to the ground. He insists on me giving a small donation to each and every homeless person we see. Tbh I am glad he does as it makes me feel like I am helping someone even if they are not genuine which I have no way of knowing.

It is such a sad state of affairs to see people on the street and I for one would not survive one night.

[Scuba Diver]

Scuba, in respect to addiction wouldn’t it be more beneficial for the habit to be broken for that person to get their life back in order and living a “normal life” for whatever that maybe?

Or is addiction so bad that it can’t be broken?

Of course Thor, it would be of benefit for the individual to break the habit.
As many are aware though, this is a complex issue.

I guess (since) these people have lost (pretty much) everything, they just now crave something to take the pain away- booze and drugs ticks this box.

Of course, there is 'help' out there, and I have used such services myself. All of these are open to homeless people, and rightly so. However, for help, I would say it's more 'guidance', since the breaking of the habit is (essentially) down to the individual's desire to do that: no support worker etc. however well intended, can do that for that them, just as no one ever lays them on the floor and forces them to drink or drug - it is wholly and solely the individual's choice, and not the responsibility of 'services'.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

I must confess I am also an addict I just can’t break the habit of going to watch the orient even though I know it’s detrimental to my well being.

Classy.

[Scuba Diver]

Cheers, UpminsterO. I guess you never know "who's reading", and if my experience can benefit someone on the board, that is enough reason to put it up there in my view.

[moonwalk19]

Some time ago I was passing a young girl with a small child sitting against a wall . I went straight into an adjacent McDonalds and bought them a meal. I gave it to her and the look of delight on her face made my day.

[point nine one eight]

Forget about the political arguments regarding homelessness. On a practical basis what do you do when you see homeless people/ people begging, especially in the current cold spell

do you:
a) ignore them/ walk on by
b) give them money
c) buy them a meal/ drink
d) something else


Seeing people homeless especially late at night or very early in morning who have obviously slept rough, at this time of year in freezing temperatures is a sad sight ( irrespective of the causes)

How do you react when you see homeless individuals

I drive on by, don't give them a dime, my excuse I'm a miserable old git

[Still's Carenae]

We need to look at this issue a different way.

There are many professional beggars out there (when you see someone get picked up by a merc at the end of each day, you know that many others are doing this) even some selling the big issue (a family of 5 have been selling in our area for at least 8 years, who are Albanian).

You have the beggars on the trains. Where does it end.

If you want to help people then best to put money into a charity for the homeless or help outin shelters.

Some people however do choose this way of life and that must be respected.

[Chicken Dhansak]

We were in the city of Bath some time back for a weekend away, and walking up the high road we came across this guy sitting
on the pavement with his dog. My partner, who is generous, gave him a couple of pounds. The guy said "thank you" got up and
immediately went in to the small supermarket next door and bought food for his dog. That action really impressed me.

[Max B Gold]

Some 35 years ago I was walking down the street in Glasgow city just at Buchanan Street Bus Station with the lucky lady who is now my wife but was then my burd (we wur winchin' heavy at the time). We came across a crumpled heap of an old man on the pavement. Everbody else was body swerving him presumably because they thought he was drunk.

I stopped to pick him up and we got him to the Bus Station where First Aiders called an ambulance and started to check him out. It transpired that he'd had a wee turn, wasn't drunk and was taken to hospital. We found out the next day from the First Aiders he was fine. We then went on our way to see the Wildcat Theatre Co play "Business in the Backyard" at the Pavillion which looked at the state of Third World countries infantilised and stultified by the US.

My wife was so impressed that she said it was one of the reasons she knew she had chosen a good man and that we would be for keeps. I often wonder how great my life could have been had I just walked past.

[Redcard]

Wow, she married the guy who was crumpled up in a heap then.

[Max B Gold]

Wow, she married the guy who was crumpled up in a heap then.

That's just silly. I was only 22 so I couldn't have been the old man in the parable.

This is nothing other than a 10th rate attempt at an insult. I reckon you are about 14 so can you please try and grow up.

[Redcard]

Maxie boy, more like a 10th rate attempt at a joke , about as good as your assessment of my age.
Really, I loved your story, most enlightening.

[Thor]

Some 35 years ago I was walking down the street in Glasgow city just at Buchanan Street Bus Station with the lucky lady who is now my wife but was then my burd (we wur winchin' heavy at the time). We came across a crumpled heap of an old man on the pavement. Everbody else was body swerving him presumably because they thought he was drunk.

I stopped to pick him up and we got him to the Bus Station where First Aiders called an ambulance and started to check him out. It transpired that he'd had a wee turn, wasn't drunk and was taken to hospital. We found out the next day from the First Aiders he was fine. We then went on our way to see the Wildcat Theatre Co play "Business in the Backyard" at the Pavillion which looked at the state of Third World countries infantilised and stultified by the US.

My wife was so impressed that she said it was one of the reasons she knew she had chosen a good man and that we would be for keeps. I often wonder how great my life could have been had I just walked past.

Good story.