rant about beggars

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Gordanus

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I'm sick of being accosted by beggars. Especially if you have a coffee outside at a pavement table in Dublin you're guaranteed to be accosted by 3 different beggars. I overheard a conversation between 3 beggars at the Luas stop at Stephen's Green, talking about accommodation. One said that he'd been given 3 nights in a B&B but never went as he just didn't get around to it. I'm happy enough to give to charity (though that last b*gg*r was defrauding the taxpayer) but I refuse to hand out cash to beggars cos it just encourages them.
So...2 questions:
if you give to beggars, why do you do so?
If everyone stopped giving to beggars, would they vanish or would there be an increase in petty theft, pick-pocketing, and mugging?
 
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Gordanus said:
I'm sick of being accosted by beggars. Especially if you have a coffee outside at a pavement table in Dublin you're guaranteed to be accosted by 3 different beggars. I overheard a conversation between 3 beggars at the Luas stop at Stephen's Green, talking about accommodation. One said that he'd been given 3 nights in a B&B but never went as he just didn't get around to it. I'm happy enough to give to charity (though that last b*gg*r was defrauding the taxpayer) but I refuse to hand out cash to beggars cos it just encourages them.
So...2 questions:
if you give to beggars, why do you do so?
If everyone stopped giving to beggars, would they vanish or would there be an increase in petty theft, pick-pocketing, and mugging?
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Well even the charities are saying you shouldn't give money to people begging and especially children so I am not sure why people still do it either.
 
I give to beggar's the odd time because I feel sorry for them (mostly while I'm out at night, I've seen many a beggar suffer terrible abuse at the hands of drunkards). Only the more passive ones sitting on the side of the street. Any that approach me (usually drunk or on heroin it seems) don't get anything because they manage to get my back up.
 
I never give to beggars. Ever. Unfortunately some people do and always will and so the cycle continues. If people really understood the issue they wouldn't give a penny to any beggar no matter who...

The fact that we live in such an affluent country and yet allow homelessness and begging appalls me sometimes. When I see children I'm particularly dismayed. These tend to be immigrant (gypsy?) children begging on their own or women with babies.

It is nothing short of an outrage that we allow this go on. These children should be taken into care immediately and parents made jump through hoops to get them back!
 
Gabriel said:
These children should be taken into care immediately and parents made jump through hoops to get them back!
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Seems to me that the powers that be are content to leave the many winos and junkies, who can barely look after themselves never mind anybody else, around Dublin city to keep their kids in tow in spite of the obvious dangers to the health and wellbeing of the children. Not sure if changes in children's rights legislation will change this?
 
....children should be taken into care immediately ....
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Yeah, 'cos children in care and foster homes are so well treated, they'd never miss their parents...:rolleyes:

I agree that begging (children esp.) and homelessness is heartbreaking particularly in an affluent society...but there are things you can do to help

You can give money to your charity of choice which is working in this area, you can volunteer for youth work, or do volunteer hours for the Simon Community etc., and do your bit to give something back in thanks for the great start in life that your parents were able to give you....
 
Whenever I see children begging I usually try and stop into a spar buy a sandwhich and juice and give it to them. I never give money.
 
Purple said:
I didn't know they had Spar shop in Switzerland ;)
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there is [broken link removed] . Spar are all over Europe. In fact they claim that "SPAR is the world's largest retail chain with 17500 stores in 32 countries on five continents".

Back to the topic, was in New York last year and hardly seen any beggars/homeless people on the streets. The few that I did see hid themselves away in the shadows.

Whatever the policy was there to get to this should be implemented here. Time to get the junkies intimidating people at Luas stops etc off the street
 
About 2 yrs ago, Neil Prendeville had a guy on his chat show. The guy wanted to see what he could make from begging in the cork area and he would be giving any monies donated to the Simon Community. If my memory serves me right, in the space of 24 hrs he had a whopping €180 collected...!!! People rang in afterwards and joked that they were going to give up their day jobs to go begging.
 
on the right hook they other day they were talking about begging gangs cork who are fighting over pitches and are earning upwards of 100 euro an hour. it really should be banned so as to protect the children involved.
 
Kildrought said:
Yeah, 'cos children in care and foster homes are so well treated, they'd never miss their parents...:rolleyes:
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Nothing got to do with it.

Are they better off sitting on the side of a road begging for money?

I don't know enough about foster homes...but I doubt that they're that bad. They're just regular people who want to adopt.

The point is if you feel it's okay to stick your child on the streets then you don't deserve the right to be that childs guardian and therefore should have that right taken away from you (even if it's only temporary).
 
i was walking down Grafton street the other day and a begger says to me "can you spare 50c for a cup of coffee?"

I thought to myself that in the age of the Celtic tiger 50c for a cup of coffee was excellent value.
 
I only give money to older people begging.

There is a young guy who begs outside dunnes store in georges street,he makes me laugh ,he is fat and healthy looking. I can't believe anyone would give him money but obviously they do or he wouldn't be there
 
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