what would you do?

jkc
jkc Registered Posts: 166 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
hi since i didnt do any of my exams this time I decided to go shopping with my brother. A homeless man asked me for money so I quickly got out my purse and donated a quid.
cheekily he asked my brother for his brolly, It was raining so I thought we would carry on walking. however when I turned around my brother was minus one umberolly. he said well he needed it more than me. I am so proud.
just thought I would share any way hope every one did ok in their exams and best wishes.
reg
JKC

Comments

  • steveJ
    steveJ Registered Posts: 694 Epic contributor 🐘
    These days I'm dubious about a lot of the homeless people...still a kind thought though.I think usually your better off buying a cup of tea or some food instead of givin' em cash !!

    Hey anyways why didn't you do the exams this time around ?
  • jkc
    jkc Registered Posts: 166 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
    hi Thankyou for asking, I lost my nerve, about two weeks before exams and cant seem to face any more papers. hopefully I will make a come back next year. I know I can do most of the paper. my gut seems to be telling my brain to give it up. never mind.
    i think you are right about offering food I was just amazed by the gesture it cheered my sole, bless im.
    jkc
  • rachy1975
    rachy1975 Registered Posts: 366 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
    That is a really selfless thing to do.....and good karma, but...
    im the same as stevej...i dont give homeless people my money. I used to buy an extra meal in macdonalds when my son was a nipper and get him to take it out to the guy.
    So many of them just buy drugs or booze with it..and in all honesty im not very sympathetic towrds people like that who dont help themselves....also one of the rules on the street is you never ask a woman for money especially one with children so anyone that does, is pretty much a blagger....!!
    but thats my opnion and the first one i have ever expressed on here.....:huh:
  • fatandforty
    fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor 🐘
    I think if my life was that bad that I was living in a shop doorway I would prefer alcohol!!
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    That is a really selfless thing to do.....and good karma, but...
    im the same as stevej...i dont give homeless people my money. I used to buy an extra meal in macdonalds when my son was a nipper and get him to take it out to the guy.
    So many of them just buy drugs or booze with it..and in all honesty im not very sympathetic towrds people like that who dont help themselves....also one of the rules on the street is you never ask a woman for money especially one with children so anyone that does, is pretty much a blagger....!!
    but thats my opnion and the first one i have ever expressed on here.....:huh:


    I think the instinct for food and shelter is more important then these "rules" that you talk of :huh: Good that you are teaching your son to have some social morals though, when I was a kid my parents would have crossed the street rather than walk past a homeless person! :mad2:
  • rachy1975
    rachy1975 Registered Posts: 366 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
    I think if my life was that bad that I was living in a shop doorway I would prefer alcohol!!

    I wouldnt let my life get that bad....speaking as someone who has been homeless 3 times....not once have i slept in a shop doorway
    get off your ass and do something, there is help and options there if dont feel sorry for yourself and do something about it!!!
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    I wouldnt let my life get that bad....speaking as someone who has been homeless 3 times....not once have i slept in a shop doorway
    get off your ass and do something, there is help and options there if dont feel sorry for yourself and do something about it!!!

    Not sure its that black and white actually. Some people have other probelms alongside the fact they are homeless, such as addiction?
  • rachy1975
    rachy1975 Registered Posts: 366 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    Not sure its that black and white actually. Some people have other probelms alongside the fact they are homeless, such as addiction?

    easy answer there too...dont do it in the first place!!!
    2 little words..."no thanks", said them many times...lol

    i know everyones situations are different really but i just dont like to see people wasting their lifes when some have theirs taken away from them without a say....
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    I wont bother discussing this if you obviously have such narrow minded views on addiction. Ive experienced serious addiction in my life, affecting a close family member, and most of my younger years were spent helping this person try to beat it, so dont come with that easy answer nonsense.

    Paul.
  • rachy1975
    rachy1975 Registered Posts: 366 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    I wont bother discussing this if you obviously have such narrow minded views on addiction. Ive experienced serious addiction in my life, affecting a close family member, and most of my younger years were spent helping this person try to beat it, so dont come with that easy answer nonsense.

    Paul.

    i do have very narrow mminded views after being married to a heroin addict...think its prob is best not to discuss

    :001_smile:
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    I dont really want to talk about my experiences on here, but suffice to say, lets leave it.
  • rachy1975
    rachy1975 Registered Posts: 366 Dedicated contributor πŸ¦‰
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    I dont really want to talk about my experiences on here, but suffice to say, lets leave it.

    :thumbup1:
  • LondonMatt
    LondonMatt Registered Posts: 1,110 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    when I was a kid my parents would have crossed the street rather than walk past a homeless person! :mad2:

    Nothing wrong with that, some of them are aggressive. There's this bloke where I live who instead of just sitting on the floor with a card or something, deliberately stands in your way with his hand out. You say 'sorry, mate' and try to walk around and he'll move over to block you. And he isn't exactly small either, if I was a woman I'd feel very threatened by him. Obviously not all of them are like that, but for the sake of the ones who are, I don't blame people for actively trying to avoid them.
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    Oh Matt - and you always come across as having such a caring social conscience :-)
  • LondonMatt
    LondonMatt Registered Posts: 1,110 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    Oh Matt - and you always come across as having such a caring social conscience :-)

    :confused1:

    I'm not going to put myself through that situation just to spare the guy's feelings. If he sat on the floor or whatever then fine, but deliberately making people uncomfortable is too much. I'll cross the street thanks and I don't blame others for doing the same
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    I dont in that situation either, there arent many spritely homeless people on their feet that Ive seen though, not denying they exist. That is a different story.
  • LondonMatt
    LondonMatt Registered Posts: 1,110 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    I dont in that situation either, there arent many spritely homeless people on their feet that Ive seen though, not denying they exist. That is a different story.

    I've seen enough to be wary
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    I've seen enough to be wary

    I think the more sensible way is donating to an official registered charity for the homeless.
  • LondonMatt
    LondonMatt Registered Posts: 1,110 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    I think the more sensible way is donating to an official registered charity for the homeless.

    More sensible than what? Avoiding unnecessary confrontations? That doesn't make sense. My Β£5 a month or whatever, isn't going to stop that bloke from being a jerk
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    I was SIMPLY saying that it makes more sense to donate money to a charity than to approach homeless people that may aggressive. The original point was a about purposely avoiding the homeless (which you said there was nothing wrong with) in case they are aggressive, so I was highlighting that there are other ways to help without putting yourself in close proximity.
  • LondonMatt
    LondonMatt Registered Posts: 1,110 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Fair enough, I will continue to avoid :001_smile:
  • fatandforty
    fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor 🐘
    I wouldnt let my life get that bad....speaking as someone who has been homeless 3 times....not once have i slept in a shop doorway
    get off your ass and do something, there is help and options there if dont feel sorry for yourself and do something about it!!!

    I have spent my whole life getting off my ass and doing something to help myself. Hence I find myself at 40 years old studying to better myself whilst doing a cleaning job to help pay the bills. Nothing has been handed to me on a plate.

    However, I wouldn't judge anybody else without knowing their circumstances.
  • blobbyh
    blobbyh Registered Posts: 2,415 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Most of us on this forum are professional people with the inner strength and resolution to get where we are today. Many of us can also call on the support of loved ones and others to help us when we've had days of doubt. There have been endless threads and comments on here all this week about exam worries. Now imagine worrying where your next meal comes from or where you're gonna be sleeping tonight. Whether you'll receive abuse or perhaps a beating for simply sleeping in a shop doorway because that's still safer than sleeping somewhere more private and even more dangerous. Imagine having no hope. If I was homeless - and I so very nearly was a few years ago - I think I'd drink alcohol all day with what little I had, at least it would dull the pain of living for nothing.

    Not everyone has our characteristics and/or a family/social network to help them in their time of need so what sort of people would we be if we simply abandoned them to their fate?
  • steveJ
    steveJ Registered Posts: 694 Epic contributor 🐘
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jriWN2RqdUk

    I think this can some up the money or food question ?

    :laugh:
  • Jan
    Jan Registered Posts: 654 Epic contributor 🐘
    What would I do?

    Well I'd like to think something similar, but I'm always wary about opening my purse in the middle of the street. A few years ago, on holiday I soon learnt to keep a couple of dollars in my pocket as we were always getting approached "for a dollar".

    I tend to buy the Big Issue, even in rural North Yorks we have an occasional seller. Mind you I did feel sorry for one in winter and bought her a soup as well, she looked so cold in her sandals. She refused it, don't know if she thought I was gonna poison her or what?! I remember feeling a bit miffed at the time, not very charitable I know. :blushing:

    I've been very lucky in my life, try not to judge people for where they find themselves, and think, but for the grace of God/fate/whatever it could be me in that position.
  • mark130273
    mark130273 Registered Posts: 4,234 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    im sorry to say but i hav seen a couple of programme in london that was on some news prgramme they studied some homeless people and followed them round and some of them were really bad . then in the second half of the show they folowed one person and he asked for money all day from morning till early nightime and then when he got up and walked off they followed him round the corner and he got into a brand new car and drove home to a nice house. he was doing this as a profession and was making about 150-200 a day !!!Since then i am very wary of who im giving money too ?
  • Paul24
    Paul24 Registered Posts: 578 Epic contributor 🐘
    im sorry to say but i hav seen a couple of programme in london that was on some news prgramme they studied some homeless people and followed them round and some of them were really bad . then in the second half of the show they folowed one person and he asked for money all day from morning till early nightime and then when he got up and walked off they followed him round the corner and he got into a brand new car and drove home to a nice house. he was doing this as a profession and was making about 150-200 a day !!!Since then i am very wary of who im giving money too ?

    I just think for every bogus homeless person there is (wont hazard a guess at a figure) there are many more who are in fact in dire need, and Im willing to take the gamble that the odd one might not in fact need my couple of quid / cigarette. Its not as though Im ever going to know about it.
  • mark130273
    mark130273 Registered Posts: 4,234 Beyond epic contributor πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈ
    Paul24 wrote: Β»
    I just think for every bogus homeless person there is (wont hazard a guess at a figure) there are many more who are in fact in dire need, and Im willing to take the gamble that the odd one might not in fact need my couple of quid / cigarette. Its not as though Im ever going to know about it.

    i just wonder what they could be using it for . thats why i think everyone if they are giving to the homeless should never give them money should give them cup of tea . food clothes.. something that they will use and not just abuse?
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