What would you have done?

Tooting Gull · Jul 25, 2003

I was coming home from work tonight about 10.30pm, got to Waterloo station for a tube south, and decided to buy a Big Issue (cover price £1.20). I approached the scruff who was touting a single copy of the June 9th edition, but thought what the f***, there'll be something in there for the journey, good cause etc.

I said: "I'll take it," whereupon the joker said: "I'm going to have to ask £4 for this one."

I started laughing and walked away, he then said: "Make it £2," and as I continued through the barrier pitched in with: "You can have it for the cover price." (Cheers mate). Which I then paid for a six-week old magazine.

What would have been the correct response:

a) Pay the £4 (I did have it on me)

b) Pay the £2

c) Pay the £1.20

d) Given him all my money

e) Told the piss-taking pikey scumbag to get lost, get a shave, a wash and a job.

Eddie the Seagull · Jul 25, 2003

I'd have pulled out a tenner & said there you go mate........

As he reached out to take it I'd have gone; "AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

And then taken option 'e)'.

Juan Albion · Jul 25, 2003

I keep a stash of 2,000 Surinam Guilder notes for just such occasions. Not only do they think they are rich, but you get the paper for about 70p.

Brixtaan · Jul 25, 2003

give him £20 , take him home in a cab collecting a chinese and wifebeaters on the way (not with the £20), pour a long bath so he can clean up, get the wife to give him a scrubdown then tuck him into bed with her while you watch BB on the sofa in the lounge.

WTF?

Wilts · Jul 25, 2003

(c) Given him the correct money, and asked him specifically to divide it equally between each and every homeless person on the streets of the UK.

dwayne · Jul 25, 2003

Seems to me that you've got a problem with the homeless and that giving him your money constitutes you having power over him. The poor bloke was probably bored and just jesting , give him a break.

Lord Bracknell · Jul 25, 2003

I was once taught by a Professor of Social Anthropology who had spent years working in India that transactions with beggars should always follow three rules:-

1. Never make eye contact.

2. Always give money - in the form of the smallest coin in circulation.

3. Having not made eye contact, walk away purposefully.

I don't know whether this works at Waterloo Station. I tend to be more generous, mainly because this is contrary to the "Please do not encourage beggars" signs that they've put up all over the place - which seem to me to be part of a wider campaign to remind everyone that the station belongs to them and not to ordinary people who might want to catch trains, meet their friends, get a cup of tea or indulge in other anti-social practices.

desprateseagull · Jul 25, 2003

dont buy - report him

did he have an ID badge? mpst of the ones i see in Brighton have set pitches, and get into trouble if they hassle people to buy what is a crappy mag.... nice idea, to startwith but i feel some people are now expoiting it. have seen some beggers go round the corner from 'work', and drive off in a big bmw!

they say charity begins at home, well youre all welcome, there's
plenty to be done !

Earlybird · Jul 25, 2003

e) Every time :nono:

I hate seeing young fit men begging because they're too poxy lazy to get a job.

Give your spare change to random pensioners! :unclesam:

NMH · Jul 25, 2003

You could have said "your enterprising attitude has made you whole, take up thy 'Big Issue' and walk", but you chose a very dull option.

Since you request judgement from us over this scranbag of a salesperson, I would have to offer that the judgement be also upon yourself, and that you should now tithe an amount to a homeless person. 2 Quid will be fine. Do it tomorrow or be condemned to forever burn in the fires of Hades.

Oh, and have sympathy toward the hapless would you? Even when out of their earshot, it runs through the heart to speak ill of them.

......and lay of the veal, it's not at all any better than a decent cut of pork, and the Nazis had more compassion than the people who raise calves for that meat on the table.

NMH has spoken.

Legend · Jul 25, 2003

I think e) is the only real option.

Everest · Jul 25, 2003

Knee him in the knackers.

dwayne · Jul 25, 2003

NMH said:
You could have said "your enterprising attitude has made you whole, take up thy 'Big Issue' and walk", but you chose a very dull option.

Since you request judgement from us over this scranbag of a salesperson, I would have to offer that the judgement be also upon yourself, and that you should now tithe an amount to a homeless person. 2 Quid will be fine. Do it tomorrow or be condemned to forever burn in the fires of Hades.

Oh, and have sympathy toward the hapless would you? Even when out of their earshot, it runs through the heart to speak ill of them.

......and lay of the veal, it's not at all any better than a decent cut of pork, and the Nazis had more compassion than the people who raise calves for that meat on the table.

NMH has spoken.

good post

CHAPPERS · Jul 25, 2003

I'd have just walked off, i get pissed of with some sellers, especially the ones where you give them the money and they ask you if you wouldn't mind if they could keep it. If they don't want your money don't give em it.

Braders · Jul 25, 2003

b) i'm nice like that (but only if i've got a couple of quid spare , which i usually don't)

Curious Orange · Jul 25, 2003

I always prefer a polite "Sorry, No" and walk away. But I'm not a very charitable person most of the time.

Simster · Jul 25, 2003

In answer to your question, I would say that it would have depended on my mood in all honesty.

At Christmas, we were in Nottingham and I bought my wife a very expensive eternity ring, then we went out for a none-too-cheap TGIs before heading off for our hotel. On the way (only a 100 yard walk) I came across two homeless people - one was a nice bloke doing his best to sell The Big Issue perfectly legitimately. The other was a woman in her twenties who was in tears because she had no-where to go. It was absolutely f***ing freezing. I gave them a tenner each but I'm not pretending to be a martyr, it was just to ease my conscience.

As a rule, I never give money to Big Issue sellers on trains, or Big Issue sellers who cheekily try and scrounge more than I'm prepared to give, and I have to say my sympathy levels seem to drop in the summer for obvious reasons.

CHAPPERS · Jul 25, 2003

Simster said:
In answer to your question, I would say that it would have depended on my mood in all honesty.

At Christmas, we were in Nottingham and I bought my wife a very expensive eternity ring, then we went out for a none-too-cheap TGIs before heading off for our hotel. On the way (only a 100 yard walk) I came across two homeless people - one was a nice bloke doing his best to sell The Big Issue perfectly legitimately. The other was a woman in her twenties who was in tears because she had no-where to go. It was absolutely f***ing freezing. I gave them a tenner each but I'm not pretending to be a martyr, it was just to ease my conscience.

As a rule, I never give money to Big Issue sellers on trains, or Big Issue sellers who cheekily try and scrounge more than I'm prepared to give, and I have to say my sympathy levels seem to drop in the summer for obvious reasons.

Never EVER give the homeless of Nottingham money. I only ever bought the Big Issue off of two people in that town, one at the bus station and one on Bridlesmith gate. The rest are f***ing scum, i have heard the same stories countless times na deven when i tell them i know they are lying and to not talk to me again they keep on. Its a very big problem up there, worse than London and Brighton put together IMHO.
There is a very bad crack drugs problem up there now which makes that town a very scary place at times, the wankers trying to force you into giving them your money only make it worse.

dwayne · Jul 25, 2003

...do u know where the biggest crack problem in the country is at the moment...............Worthing!!!....and that's fact.

Reading Posh · Jul 25, 2003

Well, I always ask myself "what would Jesus do?", and of course Jesus would talk earnestly until the poor fellow got so bored he f***ed off out of the station.

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