How do you say no to Brighton beggars?

[Official Old Man]

When will someone understand the the 'beggars' are an organised gang earning £1000's every day/night.
They arrive in a flash 4x4 and each have their own patch. Underneath the dirty clothes is a clean, well dressed con artist. Try sitting in their spot and a gang will soon be round to kick you out. The BBC or someone should get on to this and sort them out. I have a girl outside my shop who can cry on demand. She gets fed loads of bags of chips, all go in the bin, and is given not change but notes £5/£10/£20's. Their not all on drugs or alcohol, just in it for the money. There is a homeless guy outside the university building in Kings Road who is genuinely homeless but he never begs or steals from anyone. He is there 24 hours a day rain or shine, same as the guys outside the cinema complex in West St who never beg.
How to say "NO", send them a text on their iphone.

 

[Brovion]

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 .

As has been pointed out, they're not all genuine. It's telling the deserving cases (who as you say can't help their circumstances) from the con artists which is the problem.

 

[Napper]

As has been pointed out, they're not all genuine. It's telling the deserving cases (who as you say can't help their circumstances) from the con artists which is the problem.

either way they are on their arse so why not help them however elaborate the cover story.

Most are off their heads and addiction problems. Its not right but occasionally giving them a packet of fags or a few quid may just make them a bit happier for the day

 

[Lord Bracknell]

A professor of social anthropology, who had spent many years working in India, once told me that the standard way to deal with beggars was to reach carefully into one's pocket and give the beggar the smallest coin that was available.

You've acknowledged the situation of inequality, but not created any sense of dependency on the part of the beggar

 

[Brovion]

either way they are on their arse so why not help them however elaborate the cover story.

Most are off their heads and addiction problems. Its not right but occasionally giving them a packet of fags or a few quid may just make them a bit happier for the day

No, totally disagree, sorry. As some of the stories above have proved they're NOT all 'on their arse'. Some have just found a good way of making money They're no more down and out or 'off their heads' then your or I - they're just con-artists. As I said for me the problem is differentiating between the two. I'm not sure why you don't, but each to their own.

 

[Arthur]

What about chuggers.......Do people piss their pants about saying no to them or is it just tramps?

 

[whitelion]

What about chuggers.......Do people piss their pants about saying no to them or is it just tramps?

I just swerve them all.*

*I have in the past given to beggars but as others have stated it's hard to differentiate between con artists and genuine in need.

 

[FloatLeft]

In a few more years, we'll all be doing contactless payment instead of carrying cash. What are they going to ask for then?


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[whitelion]

In a few more years, we'll all be doing contactless payment instead of carrying cash. What are they going to ask for then?


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They'll probably be carrying mobile card machines.

 

[Randsta]

I feel bad but I walk around Brighton as quickly as possible headphones in and focused on where I need to go!

 

[W.C.]

I say 'Sorry, don't have any' most times. Can only think of one person (clearly with mental issues) who ever got the arse. Most usually smile and say no problem.

 

[Wellesley]

I usually say 'oooh get away from me, oooh you're all stinky! Heeellllllllp! Heeelllllllp me somebody! Pooollliiiice!'

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I just keep walking and say nothing as if I havent heard them.

Oooh 'eck - I've got something in common with BG

I pretend to be either deaf or a foreigner that speaks no English - if I see them ahead, I make a conscious effort to cross the road to avoid the awkwardness of the moment ....

my bad?

 

[dazzer6666]

A professor of social anthropology, who had spent many years working in India, once told me that the standard way to deal with beggars was to reach carefully into one's pocket and give the beggar the smallest coin that was available.

You've acknowledged the situation of inequality, but not created any sense of dependency on the part of the beggar

In India the vast majority of beggars, at least in the cities, are gang-controlled, local advice these days is never give anything to someone on the street....

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[Lush]

If you live in Brighton, you could tell yourself that you are already funding their hostel/day care/addiction/keyworker/rehab etc through your council tax. If you want to give a little more to help fund their addiction too, that's up to you.

But only people with a Brighton connection are entitled to support from Brighton & Hove council, and over half of the people begging on the streets have come here because people are generous and it's a fairly tolerant city. That's why the problem needs bigger thinking and national funding.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Me and a mate got conned out of a quid the other week.
Coming back from a wet business lunch, two girls, moderately attractive, both carrying clip-boards confronted us with gestures, but not a word spoken.
On the clip-board was a petition / donation sheet for mutes - several names already on the sheet with donations ranging between £1 and £20
I signed my name, gave my postcode and handed over a quid. As I did this, the young lady smiled and blew me kisses as a gesture of her thanks.

As we walked away, I turned to my mate and said: "reckon we've just been fleeced by a couple of Romanians" - he nodded and grunted: "yeah, but she was hot!"
Ho-hum!
Their trick was not to speak ... semi-clever

 

[GJN1]

What I have noticed of late is their strategic positioning. Now, they tend to take up residence right next to cashpoints or, as has happened round my neck of the woods, right outside of the door of the local little Sainsbury's or the Co-op at Fiveways. Mind you, I prefer dealing them than chuggers on North Street each and every day of my excuse for a life...

 

[WonderingSoton]

I think this is an issue all along the south coast, Southampton has beggers everywhere around the city centre. I do wonder if the south coast climate makes it slightly more attractive a place to live that lifestyle if you have to, because it's certainly rare to hear a local accent when being asked for money. But then you wonder how they get down here from up north / get here from Europe in the first place.

Strategic positioning as above is also very noticeable, always in the alleyways, shop fronts, foot-passes cashpoints etc that they know see the largest footfall. And the same faces rotate their positions, it's like they share the best spots on a rota.

I make eye contact and just say "take care". Do not give anything, but wish them well at least.

That said I did once give a lady ~2 quid the other month, because she stopped me and gave me this whole story, recently lost everything, living in a car park, being asked for sex, beaten and spat at etc. Who knows how true it was?

Also once saw a mate of mine buy a big issue from a seller because the seller gave him this spiel about it being the last copy in his stock, and that he just had to shift it all. My mate bought it, only for the seller to reach into his rucksack and immediately pull out another wad of big issues.

 

[whitelion]

What I have noticed of late is their strategic positioning. Now, they tend to take up residence right next to cashpoints or, as has happened round my neck of the woods, right outside of the door of the local little Sainsbury's or the Co-op at Fiveways. Mind you, I prefer dealing them than chuggers on North Street each and every day of my excuse for a life...

It used to be a town/city centre problem.

A couple of months back there was a rough sleeper with dog and sleeping bag etc outside the cashpoint at Co-op in Southwick Square.

Wasn't there for long - a few weeks maybe.

 

[Megazone]

The majority of these beggars have had very hard upbringings. Their lives have been and are, a lot tougher than most peoples. Whenever I have the chance to give them the odd quid here and there, It doesn't bother me one bit. I always keep in my mind what it would feel like to be them and how lucky I am not to be in there sad situation.

God know how anyone can have an issue with them asking for a tiny bit of help?