Vince Green Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12178026/Wolverhampton-street-beggar-makes-500-a-day-despite-having-his-own-home.html I have known for years that a lot of the old time beggers in London were professionals. There was even a man called the dog man who would rent out cute little mongrels to them to boost their take.. Everyday I used to see a young bloke sit near Hammersmith Station who must have made a really good living. If I was a bit late sometimes I would see him waiting at the bus stop with his sleeping bag rolled up (and minus the dog) going home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 I'd rather be mole catching and gardening thank you. Most homeless I see aren't on £500 a month let alone a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) Well, it shows some enterprise. It's not like their sitting at home watching Sky and smoking gear. It's the people who give them money that are the problem and the new breed of trendies who like to fill their Instagram account of them getting down on one knee with a homeless person whose first name they now know. On a local FB community discussion group there was a pathetic display of faux 'right on' solcial concern where various groovies and trendies were clambering over eachother to out post the next person on how great and right on they were to the (sole) homeless person in Billericay. Just from that escapade the tally showed he'd had at least 20 cups of tea, a dozen sandwiches and atleast a oner in bangers. The hilarious bit was that the homeless chap started knocking back the sandwiches and food because he was vegetarian. Well, you can't top up a mobile, buy fags or put petrol in a car with just bacon sandwiches can you I'm not having a pop at the homeless but with the right approach and the right pitch it wouldn't be difficult to lift £1 or £2 off a hundred plus people. . Edited March 2, 2016 by Mungler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 It's like when I was in sales, bigger the footfall better your chance. There's a reason some people catch the train into London, don an outfit and beg all day, with thousands of people coming past all day long non-stop, even if 1/5 give you some change or £1 you looking at a few hundred a day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 When I worked in Manchester, the local beggar was dropped off by a very nice Merc - about 100 metres from his pitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) I knew that reminded me of something: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_with_the_Twisted_Lip This is a Sherlock Holmes story of a man doing basically this, living a respectable life but really being a professional street beggar in the City of London. Edited March 2, 2016 by Thunderbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 in this day and age , no=one should be homeless and no-one should be begging,, 100% of the people I see buming money or fags are drug or alcohol dependant so its self inflicted on their behalf, before you all jump down my throat I know not everyone is dependant that scrounges but I,M yet to see one that isn,t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveboy Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) I'd rather be mole catching and gardening thank you. Most homeless I see aren't on £500 a month let alone a day. I think the point was they were pretending to be homeless. It was reported that one of them had a card reading machine. Edited March 2, 2016 by daveboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3472603/Walter-Mitty-conman-begged-street-posing-homeless-ex-Para-lost-house-finding-wife-bed-man.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 4 people have died on the streets here in last few weeks. Many have mental health problems or dependency. They are not earning £500 per day and their life looks pretty misreable to me, and often violent. The hostels are full of drugs and so the ones who don't want to be subjected to this often rough sleep. Next time I am speaking to one, I will tell them to get themselves off to Wolverhampton where the streets are paved with gold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Not for the first time - you appear to have missed the point of the thread. No-one should take pleasure in people being homeless. What posters are concerned about are professional beggars, who aren't on the streets out of necessity. They are there to defraud the public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Oh the professional beggar,not like in my day where they were all amateurs,just doing it for the sport. Nothing vulgar such as money changing hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Not for the first time - you appear to have missed the point of the thread. No-one should take pleasure in people being homeless. What posters are concerned about are professional beggars, who aren't on the streets out of necessity. They are there to defraud the public. This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 I lived in Bristol in the early 90s at the height of the homelessness problem in that city. It was horrendous. I reckon there were a few who were taking the mick but not many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walshie Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Not for the first time - you appear to have missed the point of the thread. No-one should take pleasure in people being homeless. What posters are concerned about are professional beggars, who aren't on the streets out of necessity. They are there to defraud the public. Exactly. I've nothing against helping people who need it, but giving money to people who probably earn more than me sticks in the throat a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
100milesaway Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 You may see lots of Big Issue sellers around and lots of these are Big Issue sellers because this counts as being self employed, when they have (worked) for six months they are allowed to claim all our benifits. Lots of these sellers work on behalf of someone else so they can unofficially pass the benifit on to their friends.That is why you always seem to see the same person doing the actual selling. Sub contracting I think is the term... It's amazing really before I retired I had been self employed for 40 years and unable to claim a penny but these rules don't seem to apply for incomers. from Auntie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobbyathome Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 to be honest this story has been going round for years beggers earning their fortune also big issue sellers making thousands per day in central London etc etc etc I work in London every day and sure there are many beggers but I don't give to them and I have not seen many people giving them money most people working in London just walk past nowdays I certainly wouldn't sit on a cold wet street with everyone looking down at you with a dog on my lap hoping to get a pound off someone £500 per day everyday yeh right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipdog Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 £500 a day figure is rubbish! Assuming the begged sits there for 8 hours a day that's someone giving a £1 every minute! I would say more people give to buskers and even then not at the rate of £1 a minute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Oh the professional beggar,not like in my day where they were all amateurs,just doing it for the sport. Nothing vulgar such as money changing hands. They are probably claiming benefits as well. Or worse, not paying their taxes. Or, God forbid - foreigners coming over here stealing a good honest day begging from the locals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Used to be a recognised trade in the past. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Not for the first time - you appear to have missed the point of the thread. No-one should take pleasure in people being homeless. What posters are concerned about are professional beggars, who aren't on the streets out of necessity. They are there to defraud the public. Perhaps you could ask them to prove they were homeless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 No point asking them, as they would be unlikely to engage in a pointless debate. Then again, that wasn't really your intent - very predictable. :whistling: I'm a little surprised you haven't suggested letting the Police do their job and arrest them. Begging is an arrestable offence, under Section 3 of the Vagrancy Act 1824. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 No point asking them, as they would be unlikely to engage in a pointless debate. Then again, that wasn't really your intent - very predictable. :whistling: I'm a little surprised you haven't suggested letting the Police do their job and arrest them. Begging is an arrestable offence, under Section 3 of the Vagrancy Act 1824. They are too busy Tasering sheep at the moment. But I'm sure they'll get around to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Nice to know that you think that is where Police priorities lie. It says much about you - none of it good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 hm £3500 tax free a week less dog food and a plastic cup, why isnt everyone doing it ? or at least those poor people on less than 180k a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.