How do you say no to Brighton beggars?

Rowdey · Jul 5, 2017

Little story long..

About 15 years ago, i managed a rig on Waterloo station giving away 'Ready meal' samples from Saino's. - Pasta, meat dishes, but also red cabbage and roast pots etc
The Station manager pulled me up before day 1, and said ' I'm watching you on CCTV - No food to beggers, or i'll kick you off'.
Given that back then it was somewhere between £1000 and £2000 a day to have a rig there, plus staff and production, if you were a scruff, you got nothing.
One guy, padded around on an oversized skateboard 'Ex-forces, lost me legs in the Falklands didn't i..' and got very arsey when he couldn't get anything. Problems arose when 'Mr+Mrs Normal punter' wanted to give him some food, but just had to cite 'Rules is Rules, sorry'

Come end of the week, Station manager was pretty pleased, and said the boarder has assaulted and chased on foot.. his station staff before, and gets in his Volvo estate, before heading back to Surrey with his £5-600 a day in cash... (think he was on TV some years later..?)

golddene · Jul 5, 2017

I was working near Hove station a few years ago with my brother who is a kind hearted soul, a youngish woman asked me then him for a tenner as her baby was hungry and she had no money!, I replied no sorry I don't carry cash around with me, my brother immediately put his hand in his pocket and gave her his tenner, six weeks later the same girl saying the same story at the same place! She got no more and I'm afraid no one else will from either of us.

Prettyboyshaw · Jul 6, 2017

Must admit I find it difficult to say no but propbably should. On Church Road they're everywhere. One bloke sits outside the same office everyday, if it was my office I'd be very pissed off. But if I walk past I just can't help giving him a few quid, it just looks a shit life real or not. However, if it was the scum that dance around shouting and annoying people like they do in North St they can **** off back to the northern pit they came from, no sypathy.

Deleted User X18H · Jul 6, 2017

Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews said:
I try and remain polite but I don't give.

It's your money so it's up to you but I work in St James Street and in a lot of cases you're simply funding off licences, roulette machines or the city's drug trade. The girl with the cockney accent and the little dog often attempts to change up £50/£60 worth of smash in the bookies or the kebab shop

I saw a sign in a St James Street bookie that read " no change - toilet for customers only - no winning, you are not allowed to leave this shop with more cash than you came in with- you're not here to enjoy youself - no Welsh"

sod1 · Jul 6, 2017

Beggars are everywhere here, I just ignore them. If you give them anything they will remember you and bother you even more

Napper · Jul 6, 2017

Don't agree with some of these replies . Seems some say if don't believe Their excuse then f k them ..... how nasty .

You think these people have a choice , you think they can tell you the real reason they need money for addictions and to block things out ..... people should be a lot less on their high horses .

These people have absolute shite lives and for whatever reason is offered up for some money , why not just give them a bit . If it improves their next hour , afternoon or day from the total shitness and despair from their life then so what if they have improvised the reason to try and do this .

Most of them are polite and decent just down on their arse and dealt bad hands .

Napper · Jul 6, 2017

sod1 said:
Beggars are everywhere here, I just ignore them. If you give them anything they will remember you and bother you even more

You just ignore them !!! Christ almighty .

What a society . Nice bloke

daveybgtt · Jul 6, 2017

I just ignore them.

Even worse are the charity muggers who set up shop in the doorway so you have no choice but to be subjected to the spiel that you didn't ask for, preying on people who "don't want to be rude" who then get pressured into a monthly DD they can ill afford. f**k them.

Deleted User X18H · Jul 6, 2017

The woman around the Old
Steine who's car had broken down and has no money to get her children home, has been arrested and charged.

The kids are supposedly in Subway. She is very convincing first time to be honest. Anyone ever encounter the black guy trying to flog electricals or jewellery out of his car around central Hove a few years ago?. As you crossed the road, Hova Villas for
instance,he'd get your attention and spin you some yarn about being a Rep and
being given too much stock, that no else knew about. He stopped me twice and I reminded him he'd stopped me before. Found out that some poor sod agreed to buy a laptop and on opening the ( laptop) bag found two bottles of water inside.

sod1 · Jul 6, 2017

Napper said:
You just ignore them !!! Christ almighty .

What a society . Nice bloke

It is a big problem here and that was the advice I was given by my friends here. I witnessed a guy give a young beggar money the other day, next minute he was surrounded by about eight of them,not really a situation I want to find myself in

The Birdman · Jul 6, 2017

Bill Cassidy's tie up said:
I work in Jamie Street and know must of the regulars who've been around for years. I do help them occasionally but I think they know not to take the piss. Bit worried about Jason haven't seen him for a bit hope he ok.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

when I worked at Amex House in the late 70/early 80 there was a tall guy short hair worked StJames street he would ask if you could spare couple of Bob but I gave him quid once he thought I was taking the piss I believe he was a bright Student once but drugs had messed him up sad story. But I agree with an another post the answer they do need to accept some of the help that's on offer and it doesn't help in the long run giving them money to feed habits but we should not give up on them. It's a difficult situation as its happening in every town and city in the U.K

Brovion · Jul 6, 2017

Commander said:
It's definitely got worse. I used to live in Brighton about 13 years ago and only started working in the city again recently, and it was one of the first things I noticed. I always feel bad saying no, but judging by the amount of northern accents it always seems to me like a lot of them come to Brighton because it's a good place to beg. That's probably a simplistic view, but I bet there aren't loads of beggars in Newcastle with southern accents.

When I lived in London a guy came up to me just before Christmas one year, in tears, and said he'd just heard that his kid had been rushed to hospital and that he didn't have the cash for the taxi fare and was there any way I could help him out. He was so clearly genuine, and so clearly distressed, that I gave him a tenner. He was so grateful and touched and I went on my way feeling very happy that I'd done a good deed at the time of year for giving, and all that.

About 6 months later the same guy approached in the same place with the same story.

Think that's the last time I gave cash to a beggar.

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A similar thing happened to me. A guy, probably in his forties, stopped me down Trafalgar Street and basically gave me his life story. He started by saying he'd just been evicted from his flat as his landlady's boyfriend thought he was hitting on her, then he told me about his failed marriage his estranged kids and the fact he couldn't get a job. Then he said he needed to get to London as his only relative, a half-brother, lived there and he hoped he'd be able to put him up otherwise he'd be on the streets. As he was talking his eyes were filling with tears which were rolling down his cheeks, and then he started sobbing. He didn't actually ask me for any money, but I felt sorry for him so I just gave him all the cash I had on me (about £15). It did cross my mind that it was a con, but he spent about ten minutes talking to me, so I thought at the very least he deserved the money for his efforts. And he DID look genuine, although I appreciate that could have been part of the act. Hell of a way to earn a living if it was a con.

Never seen him again mind! This was in about 2000

papajaff · Jul 6, 2017

There was a guy around North Street who I used to chat with. Shame on me for not remembering his name (so let's say Dave) but his dog was called Charlie Chalk. Dave told my ex and I about how he ended up on the streets and it was pretty sad. Rejected by his Mum at an early age as she was a user.

Charlie Chalk was a lovely Staffie who used to growl initially as he was protecting his owner. Stopped seeing Dave and Charlie so asked another guy who was on his patch one evening where he was and Dave had taken his own life. Took the trouble to make sure Charlie was ok before doing the deed.

So no, I don't ignore them and if I can, I help. If I can't, I acknowledge them with a cost free "hi mate, how are you".

Herr Tubthumper · Jul 6, 2017

carlzeiss said:
They are probably making more than I am earning so I don't have a problem saying so .

Maybe time for a career change?

essbee1 · Jul 6, 2017

It's the chuggers that piss me off (quite a few of the homeless in London are ex-servicemen - so try to
give)

Chuggers I completely ignore or tell them under my breath "to get out of my f******* way". They have a habit of standing
in your path.

rocker959 · Jul 6, 2017

Near Covent Garden one evening some years ago a dishevelled youngish man came up to me and my ex partner and said excuse me could you possibly spare a penny ? I said a penny ?! and he replied yes because I am not a greedy beggar !

DavidRyder · Jul 6, 2017

essbee1 said:
It's the chuggers that piss me off (quite a few of the homeless in London are ex-servicemen - so try to
give)

Chuggers I completely ignore or tell them under my breath "to get out of my f******* way". They have a habit of standing
in your path.

They seem to be frustrated children's TV presenter wannabees with too much energy. Yes they get on my nerves too.

The Wookiee · Jul 6, 2017

sussex_guy2k2 said:
Just a little story, and maybe I shouldn't let one bad experience sway me, but I gave money to a "homeless man" once. He looked awful (of course he did).

To cut a long story short, I later saw the guy down the pub with his mates, bragging about how he'd made over £500 that day "begging". FYI, he was wearing a particularly nice suit down the pub and had a new Audi outside (which again, he bragged about to his mates).

Needless to say, I won't ever be giving money to homeless people again, and that Audi had a particularly awful scratch on it come home time.

There was a story floating about a few years ago that alot of the "beggars" in Brighton were brought down in a minibus each morning and picked up again late on in the evening, their "earnings" were then given to the boss who then gave them a commission. This was repeated each day.

Braggfan · Jul 6, 2017

The Wookiee said:
There was a story floating about a few years ago that alot of the "beggars" in Brighton were brought down in a minibus each morning and picked up again late on in the evening, their "earnings" were then given to the boss who then gave them a commission. This was repeated each day.

I find that hard to believe.

mothy · Jul 6, 2017

There are loads in central hove now too. It has spread. Do NOT give them money as it just encourage it. If they truly want or need help they should engage with the support networks that are out there - & we should give our money to the charities & local services.

Giving money to them just creates more begging

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