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Post by spaceflower on Dec 17, 2013 1:19:57 GMT
I don't know if you have them in all countries. Never saw one in Sweden before. They sit on the cold hard ground and hold a cup. They have stories of sick children in need of an operation. I think it is so hard to see them, I really avoid going to town b/c of them. I feel sorry for them but at the same time I don't want to encourage them coming here. Shouldn't the regimes in their own countries take better care of them? They come mostly from Roumania and Bulgaria. They are gipsie, living in poverty in shackles at home. Here they live in caravans or sometimes in their cars. Or in tents (not all have cars). Since Sweden belong to Schengen area (UK and Ireland don't) all citizens from Schengen countries can come here. They have the right to stay three months. And who knows the date they arrived? Here you can see a typical house from a village from which the beggars come. sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=95&artikel=5730769
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Post by tangent on Dec 17, 2013 2:20:50 GMT
We used to have beggars but not any more. There were genuine cases but there were also professional beggars who made more money from begging than from a regular job. It was distressing seeing a person in real need but it was not always possible to distinguish the genuine beggars from the bogus ones. Begging in the UK has been illegal since 1824 but the law is not always enforced. Shelters are available for homeless people and they are allowed to sell magazines called The Big Issue on the street instead of begging.
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Post by Alvamiga on Dec 17, 2013 8:45:57 GMT
In Reading they have clamped down very hard on street begging. There used to be a major problem with aggressive beggars at the train station. There was even a case where one was clearly a bogus case when someone recognised them getting into an expensive car away from the area and the police found that they had been working a large area and making a significant income from it.
In our area, there are local schemes set up to help the homeless and similar and people are encouraged not to give to the people directly, but to the charity instead, as that way it is known where the money is going.
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Post by tangent on Dec 17, 2013 11:10:19 GMT
I was approached by a beggar when I was at university. He wanted money but I said I would give him a meal instead. He refused and then meekly admitted he wanted the money for alcohol.
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Post by Mari on Dec 17, 2013 18:06:46 GMT
We don't see them here a lot. Sometimes they sell papers or make music, but in general that's it.
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Post by charliebrown on Dec 17, 2013 18:12:41 GMT
Beggars are common scene in Polish cities, rather not in the countryside. But occasionally I see old guys begging in front of church or store. We usually give some money to old people. I never give money to young people with dog that beg for money, even I'd love to help the dog.
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Post by Kye on Dec 17, 2013 18:13:47 GMT
There are about 30,000 homeless people in Montreal. Yep, we have beggars.
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Post by Moose on Dec 17, 2013 19:18:04 GMT
Where I live there are no street beggars, although there is homelessness - the homeless tend to live in shelters. When I lived in the SE there were many beggars though. Some were genuine - there was an old man who used to live at Canterbury bus station and carry his possessions in a trolley; for all I know still does - and some, especially in London, clearly had roofs over their heads but were looking for money for drugs.
From January Romanian and Bulgaria Roma are allowed to come here and it is expected that they will. I have no problem with them coming to work, though where they are gonna find jobs is beyond me. I would have a problem with them coming to beg or engage in street crime. And yeah, their own governments should be helping them - but they don't.
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Post by Alvamiga on Dec 17, 2013 21:42:03 GMT
I am sure there is a lot of information about it in the Daily Mail!
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Post by Moose on Dec 17, 2013 22:10:54 GMT
Yes it has been hysterically banging on about it for months.
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Post by spaceflower on Dec 18, 2013 2:31:39 GMT
Homeless (usually with drug problems) Swedish citizens have right to social security and a roof over their heads. The "Schengen visitors" have not. OTH, we can't let them starve and freeze to death. Charity organisations give them food. But the city of Stockholm give some places to sleep at night (not enough places for every beggar). From New Year's Day all jobseekers from the EU will have to wait for three months from their arrival in the UK before they can apply to claim any out of work benefits, Downing Street announced. The scrambled clampdown betrays the extreme nervousness in Downing Street at the possible reaction of potential Tory voters – and increasingly restive Tory backbenchers – if the public decide ministers have failed to take every measure possible to prevent Romanians and Bulgarians travelling to Britain en masse. David Cameron said he believed the restrictions would "make the UK a less attractive place for EU migrants who want to come here and try to live off the state". www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/18/david-cameron-benefits-romanians-bulgariansHow do I delet a post, I wish do delete this one (doubleposting)? Click the down arrow at the top right of the post - Tangent
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Post by spaceflower on Dec 18, 2013 2:32:29 GMT
Homeless (usually with drug problems) Swedish citizens have right to social security and a roof over their heads. The "Schengen visitors" have not. OTH, we can't let them starve and freeze to death. Charity organisations give them food. But the city of Stockholm give some places to sleep at night (not enough places for every beggar). www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/18/david-cameron-benefits-romanians-bulgarians
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Post by Miisa on Dec 18, 2013 17:38:19 GMT
The bigger cities here get some of the Romanian and Bulgarian professional beggars that drive up here in large groups and set up shop. Some years they have even tried staying over the winter, then child services have had to step in, as they usually have quite young children with them and live in cars and tents, etc.
I never give money to them, though I do occasionally give to buskers or other performers.
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Post by Alvamiga on Dec 18, 2013 17:54:46 GMT
At least buskers and other performers provide some kind of service for the money they get, although some of the ones that set up in Reading you are more inclined to pay to shut up than to play, especially late on a Friday!
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Post by Moose on Dec 19, 2013 21:43:59 GMT
I have a policy that if a busker is good then I will give them a little, if I have anything to spare. If they are just making a noise for the sake of it I would prefer that they simply put a cap out
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Post by tangent on Dec 19, 2013 22:44:12 GMT
And if they are terrible, they should pay you?
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Post by Moose on Dec 21, 2013 20:49:41 GMT
Quite
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2013 14:44:27 GMT
I hate that too and there are quite a few bad ones in Bremen.
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Post by Moose on Dec 29, 2013 21:51:57 GMT
I can sympathise with them needing money but really, at some point it becomes noise pollution and not just entertainment.
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Post by spaceflower on Dec 31, 2013 2:18:16 GMT
I was going to Systembolaget to buy Christmas ale (starkbier) before Christmas. I saw a beggar sitting in front and turned around. Well, bier is only fattening anyway.
I have given money to Stadsmissionen ("the City mission), a charity organization which helps homeless people so as to ease my conscience.
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Post by spaceflower on Dec 31, 2013 2:18:17 GMT
Double post
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Post by Moose on Jan 3, 2014 3:32:29 GMT
Was the homeless person going to stop you buying beer?
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Post by Moose on Jan 3, 2014 3:32:32 GMT
Was the homeless person going to stop you buying beer?
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Post by spaceflower on Jan 3, 2014 15:58:38 GMT
Was the homeless person going to stop you buying beer? No, but he would beg, "Please ..." I feel so uncomfortable. And when I walk out I feel like s/he's thinking: "She can afford to buy alcohol (other unnecessary things), but she won't give anything to me, who really need the money". Of course, they park themselves outside the the grocery stores also, but one got to buy food. Once I gave 20 kr to a begging woman when she showed me a paper, an invoice or an offer for an operation. And of course, operations are expensive for non-residents. But then she started to follow me, talking about how much money she needed for the operation, that I was a good woman who understood etc. I was in a worse situation than if I had given nothing at all.
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