Street Begging?

hi Hun,

well when I first got to Portugal, I used to feel sorry for the 'gypsy' beggars.. I used to try and give them stuff, especially the ones with kids lying in their arms...

..I lived there for years (as you know) it didn't take long to discover these begging 'Gypsy's' had more.. a lot more.. money than me... I stood and watched as the 'husband' (?) turned up ...in a very lovely merc, the woman got up and took her 'dirty' clothes ... and lo and behold they where both dripping in bloody gold, and where very well dressed.. I never gave them anything again, oh and the Portuguese I know always said that they weren't Portuguese (Moroccans/ Romanian mainly) ... and the kids where the ones that I felt for as it was commonly known they sedated the hell out of them to make them lie there asleep in their arms all day and all night...

Do we want this 'culture' in this country??? lol!!! well I don't.. so good on you!!! nah you can guarantee that the 'begging' isn't their only source of income either..

great question xx

edit... the people who disagree are obviously the ones who don't live with this problem (...and if they do, what do they do?? give to all? or walk on by?or what?)

AND

Kamran??? what is your answer about??? what exactly should Elsie be grateful for???

.We have that problem here in Spain they are Romanian and Bulgarian gypsies. At first i used to give them money or food until they started sitting outside shops breastfeeding getting their older children to beg who are very intimidating .The children constantly try to take the shopping out of the trolleys .There were camps in the woods where i live and although the women and children were dressed in rags ,and they are forced to carry the babies and water a good mile from the shop to the camp , the men drove about in new 4 by 4 s. There is a long canal near my house with a road that runs parallel which is only wide enough for 2 cars to pass ,one night a gypsy woman put her baby on this road in front an oncoming car.The driver of the car swerved and went straight into the water lucky 2 people walking their dog saved the driver.This is the second time this year it has happened , they are hoping the driver will stop the car and they can then rob him or her. So i would say report them because their behaviour does get worse .

Aberdeen should look at why people are begging and trying to resolve the issue rather than making it illegal I went christmas shopping and was stopped by several people not sat on the floor begging but just walking around asking random people for money or a cigarette , this happens at train stations and in the city centre and can be intimidating I always give to beggars as i feel they must be desperate or in a bad situation to do such a thing , even if they are on drugs or have a drink problem the problem should be tackled by speaking to beggars and helping them with their problems

Totally agree with you, I would go even further to say I NEVER, give to anyone in the street or who knocks at my door. I hate feeling under pressure every Saturday when I go to the supermarket to give to this charity or that. IF I want to give my hard earned wage to anyone I will decide to who and when. I don't feel the need to wear a sticker, badge or ribbon to let everyone know how generous I am. If you are truly giving you should just do it not make a song and dance about it.

I was in my local city last Saturday and I can honestly say I lost count of the times I was stopped by various charities and beggars, I particularly hate those who run down the street after you.

Last year I was accosted whilst in my local B&Q by a group of people collecting for McMillan nurses, I'm sure a very worthy cause, as I have said I do not give to charity in this way but anyhow as we were just going to check the cost of something, I had no money on me anyway. One member of the group chased me down the isle and asked for money, when I politly said no, he turned and muttered something then in a very sarcastic tone said well it's to be hoped you don't get cancer.

Charming.

Unfortunately we have a big problem with this locally- Heathrow is on the doorstep - so much so that the police have had to put in extra officers in the shopping centre.

First you have to avoid the big issue sellers, then the chuggers and finally the asylum seekers - who really got on my nerves when then offered my 18 month old a McDonald's balloon then wanted a pound for it.....I gave the balloon back then had to go into the shop and ask for one because she was inconsolable.

I think you were right to say something but beware several members of the public got beaten up and knives were pulled on them - hence the extra police.

hi Elsie were the same in a wee town and you cant move for them and after all if they live here they will be getting more than we are working our guts out for?I am a health professional too and I empathise in the great work you do too and the washers we get at the end of the month?but wee love it and that why we put up with it?like you I contribute to other Charity's and do sponsored swims ,but its getting out of hand and yes the way they look at you as if you were a sh*t on there shoe?and enough is enough or we will be working to keep them in a great life while we end up in the grubber take care

Well done Elsie.

These beggars are a blight on our streets and serve no purpose.

Perhaps they are being brought over by the Gov't due to a shortage of British beggars.

We've just had the same people turn up in Chipping Sodbury

selling Big Issue, which is an urban/Bristol-Bath orientated publication.( obviously selling B.I. means they're not begging!!!!!!)

Hopefully people will have the good sense to ignore them and they'll p*ss off somewhere else ( back home maybe, but I doubt that will happen)

You should have reported her to the local authority to see if they can help her (not arrest her, I don't think she deserves that).

I'm currently living in a place that's full of beggars and it gets kinda unbearable to walk some places. Full of children playing small keyboards and juggling in front of cars when the traffic light is red just for a few pennies.

I don't give them money but I call the social security authority to let them know there are youngster in the streets begging.

Most of the times they're taken out the streets and return like 2 weeks later. But at least they get a haircut, a decent shower/meal and brand new clothes. I must say I don't mind paying taxes if they're used to help people even if they're not from my country.

I have to say they are over here in Ireland too and I NEVER give them anything. I don't like them coming to the door in case I have left a window of the house or car open. When you say "Sorry I never give to the door" they fling insults at you as they walk out. It's not a nice feeling.

I have an elderly friend who had one woman push past her through door to go to the loo. Then she called to a crowd of them to come and they poured into my friends house, one even started to go upstairs before she had to yell at her to come down. She was very shaken.

elsie, don't give up on your beliefs and certainly don't kick yourself for reacting okay.

Near where I live we have kosovan gypsies continuously harrasing people to buy s**t gold from them and getting aggressive when they won't buy and they will not take no for an answer, they are also very quick to push their hungry baby in front of them.

All of this is because a bufoon led government is giving them more sanctions and rights than our own people and it has to stop.

If any one wants to come to this country and progress I will back them all the way, but I aint about to bend because bone idle lard arses want to sit back and bleed the country and it's citizens and steal lie and cheat.

We already have enough scum in this counttry without them adding to it.

Finally, who ever the moron is that wrote you and said you obviously don't know about the work word is just an idiot, he clearly lives in a protected area (behind mummies pinny) where he does not have to have contact with these people.

Like you and I have said before, I have no racial problems at all and I work with a wide group of different ethnic backgrounds but even the people I work among are sick to death of these abcesses on the backside of human life walking our streets being a pain in the rear with their aggravated begging and pleas of poverty whilst their husbands and boyfriends are running drugs and crime in high powered posh cars that you, me and most other decent folk can only look at in magazines or footballers wives etc.

JUST KEEP SAYING LIKE IT IS BABE if people don't like it they don't have to come on yahoo do they it's quite simple.