Beggars!

[jon0844]

The speed and efficiency that they work through busy trains an RPI job would be perfect for some..

They could lay out tickets on seats and tables for those without and then collect the money after.

 

[nidave]

There used to be a group of people when I worked for McDonalds who you knew were genuine (we used to feed them) - they hated the ones who were professional beggars who would get into the car at the end of the day and go home.

 

[LLivery]

I had it for the first time was on London Overground, on the Sydenham corridor. Since then I've had them on Southeastern and Southern. Never seen them on SWT, I doubt SWT do have it as often (I wonder why???) - and on average their patch as a whole is wealthier than many SN/SE served areas.

London Overground seemed to have a particular problem the Spring in the Hoxton, Dlaston, Highbury area. Been on several times with the same man giving a speech asking for money and food. In fact, once he was on the same train as me three times in one day. I don't know if he is still around.

 

[traji00]

Sorry to dig this up, but this appeared in today's Metro:

 

[Clip]

Yeah was just reading that on the Standards website
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tran...beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html

Police are investigating possible links between organised criminal gangs and “tissue beggars” who operate on London’s rail network.

The beggars, often from eastern Europe, are a regular sight on the London Underground where they offer small packets of tissues in exchange for money.

They will normally operate at off-peak times when there are free seats on which to place the packets and a note carrying a plea for financial assistance.

But according to rail staff, in reality many of them may be operating as part of organised criminal networks

No surprises there really

 

[BrunswickGreen]

Sorry to dig this up, but this appeared in today's Metro:

Saw this story in another paper over the weekend, I believe the culprits are of Eastern European origin. No doubt we cannot deport them because it would infringe their civil liberties.

 

[talldave]

Saw this story in another paper over the weekend, I believe the culprits are of Eastern European origin. No doubt we cannot deport them because it would infringe their civil liberties.

But we could make them buy a ticket?!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They seem to be working all the fast trains between Clapham Junction and Sutton recently.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Yeah was just reading that on the Standards website
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tran...beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html



No surprises there really

What "organised crime" for goodness sake?

I can fully accept that some of these groups are organised, and that this begging is, of itself, a criminal act - but this is surely petty by criminal standards.
The article implies that gangs are using these beggars to raise funds for other criminal activities. Well, why not do the other criminal activities from the off?

Sorry, but without a better explanation, I see this as scaremongering gutter press.

 

[miami]

But we could make them buy a ticket?!

Quite, if we're unable to charge them offences they're committing, how would we even manage to deport them for such an offence?

 

[Antman]

What "organised crime" for goodness sake?

I can fully accept that some of these groups are organised, and that this begging is, of itself, a criminal act - but this is surely petty by criminal standards.
The article implies that gangs are using these beggars to raise funds for other criminal activities. Well, why not do the other criminal activities from the off?

Sorry, but without a better explanation, I see this as scaremongering gutter press.

Well some beggars (allegedly?) make up to £500 a day and the link to organized crime has been made by the police and not what you call the gutter press.

 

[jon0844]

Quite, if we're unable to charge them offences they're committing, how would we even manage to deport them for such an offence?

A lot of them are from Romania so as EU citizens I'm not sure we can deport them anywhere!

 

[70014IronDuke]

Well some beggars (allegedly?) make up to £500 a day and the link to organized crime has been made by the police and not what you call the gutter press.

You are presumably taking the GBP 500 from another story. It's not in the Standard story.

I say again, I can quite believe these 'beggars' are organised in many cases - if that counts as 'organised crime' - so be it.

But if you read the story again, it's all conditionals and modal verbs - coulds and possiblies. and a quote from the Sunday Times!
journo quoting journo - wow, that's some deep reporting there, isn't it?

Heck, there is not even mention of bag-snatching or attacks associated with this activity.

Don't get me wrong, I fully support proper police action to deter this kind of nuiscance, but something tells me if they were organised by the nasty nasty serious criminal gangs, then these women would be employed in a certain other trade - as indeed, I read man are so employed - which was around long before the London railway network ever existed.

Far more lucrative for the gangs, and far more miserable for the working ladies involved, I suspect.

 

[miami]

A lot of them are from Romania so as EU citizens I'm not sure we can deport them anywhere!

How do you know, we don't even arrest them!

 

[jon0844]

How do you know, we don't even arrest them!

They operate all over Europe. I'm amazed it's being talked about in the media as if it is something recent!

 

[SPADTrap]

You are presumably taking the GBP 500 from another story. It's not in the Standard story.

I say again, I can quite believe these 'beggars' are organised in many cases - if that counts as 'organised crime' - so be it.

But if you read the story again, it's all conditionals and modal verbs - coulds and possiblies. and a quote from the Sunday Times!
journo quoting journo - wow, that's some deep reporting there, isn't it?

Heck, there is not even mention of bag-snatching or attacks associated with this activity.

Don't get me wrong, I fully support proper police action to deter this kind of nuiscance, but something tells me if they were organised by the nasty nasty serious criminal gangs, then these women would be employed in a certain other trade - as indeed, I read man are so employed - which was around long before the London railway network ever existed.

Far more lucrative for the gangs, and far more miserable for the working ladies involved, I suspect.

Your post is equally conditional at the end though, what you imagine would be the case.

Meaningless.

 

[Stigy]

seems to happen often enough on SE London services. Oddly it seems to be on services that don't seem to have a guard......

Contacting BTP via text seems to be the only option

It's a big problem on swt services and they all have Guards. They all have valid oyster cards when they board, too, meaning it's difficult to keep them out of certain stations.

 

[azz7008]

Isn't strictly related but I was approached in Birmingham by a man in his 20's, asking for some money for the bus. I politely declined, as I didn't even have cash on me anyway. To this he reacted, called me a "t**t" then I looked behind and proceeded to call me a "F**k**g c**t". Disgraceful, it makes you assume every beggar is just as bad as the other.

 

[507021]

I was asked by a man for 17 pence yesterday evening, seemed like an odd amount of money to ask for.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Isn't strictly related but I was approached in Birmingham by a man in his 20's, asking for some money for the bus. I politely declined, as I didn't even have cash on me anyway. To this he reacted, called me a "t**t" then I looked behind and proceeded to call me a "F**k**g c**t". Disgraceful, it makes you assume every beggar is just as bad as the other.

One of my friends who ignored a beggar the other week was called a "fat t**t", I don't think beggars realise that swearing at people who refuse to give them anything or criticising their appearance/weight isn't going to make them change their mind about giving them any money.

 

[azz7008]

I was asked by a man for 17 pence yesterday evening, seemed like an odd amount of money to ask for.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


One of my friends who ignored a beggar the other week was called a "fat t**t", I don't think beggars realise that swearing at people who refuse to give them anything or criticising their appearance/weight isn't going to make them change their mind about giving them any money.

Yes! I am sure that everybody on this forum knows somebody that has had a similar story. It's an unfair assumption to make but it immediately makes you believe that you should only donate to registered charities, as has been mentioned above.

 

[507021]

Yes! I am sure that everybody on this forum knows somebody that has had a similar story. It's an unfair assumption to make but it immediately makes you believe that you should only donate to registered charities, as has been mentioned above.

That's the case for me unfortunately, and even then I don't donate to charity as often as I'd like to simply because I cannot afford to. I have done my bit in the past though, I've volunteered for various charities that are close to my heart in my spare time.

 

[deltic]

Yes! I am sure that everybody on this forum knows somebody that has had a similar story. It's an unfair assumption to make but it immediately makes you believe that you should only donate to registered charities, as has been mentioned above.

Or buy the Big Issue!

 

[work-traveller]

Or buy the Big Issue!

Sometimes I buy the Big Issue, sometimes I don't. I don't though, I make a point of politely declining the offer from the vendor. This often meets with a positive response, as I imagine day after day of people ignoring your existence would grind most of us down.

 

[Steveman]

I presume most people know that you don't have to be homeless to sell the Big Issue.

 

[work-traveller]

I presume most people know that you don't have to be homeless to sell the Big Issue.

Yes - as noted in the press a few years ago, although the loophole described in the article is outdated.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/romania/8306850/Romanian-immigrants-sell-Big-Issue-to-gain-benefits.html

 

[TheManBehind]

I'd well believe they're organised, actually. Photos from Conductors in Germany and the Netherlands have appeared on twitter, with pieces of paper bearing exactly the same text in German and Dutch.

 

[jon0844]

I was asked by a man for 17 pence yesterday evening, seemed like an odd amount of money to ask for.

I think it's been said before that if someone asks for a very specific amount of money, it sounds more plausible.

The fact is, people do give them money. I'm off to Sweden again later this week and the beggars will still be on the trains, and I can tell you now that for every 30 people that keep their heads down and ignore them, one will give money.

So they're never going away.

I presume most people know that you don't have to be homeless to sell the Big Issue.

There's a lady that sells Big Issues outside a supermarket near me, and I don't think I've ever seen her sell a copy. In fact, I don't even think she has many copies. She's been doing it for many years, and she may well be Romanian and certainly would have been doing it before they got 'full access' to working in the UK.

So I wonder if there's still some 'benefit' in registering to sell the magazine?

If what she's doing is legal, fair play to her though. It can't be fun to stand all day outside a supermarket saying hello to everyone, and often being totally blanked.

 

[Steveman]

The fact is, people do give them money. I'm off to Sweden again later this week and the beggars will still be on the trains, and I can tell you now that for every 30 people that keep their heads down and ignore them, 1 will give money.

So they're never going away.

By encouraging them to keep begging you're not helping them at all.

 

[tsr]

By encouraging them to keep begging you're not helping them at all.

I think you may have misread the number "1" as "I"!

 

[Steveman]

I think you may have misread the number "1" as "I"!

Yes you're right my mistake.