Beggars in UK

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 05:04 AM

A beggar sitting on floor along Princess Street in Edinburgh.

[Edit: Below p.o.d. moved here by moderator]

Points of discussion:

1. There are many beggars on the street in Edinburgh, and London too.
2. Are they not cold and hungry? So pitiful.
3. Why can't they claim unemployment benefits?

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 05:05 AM

A man who played music for money in Underground of London.

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 05:09 AM

The buskers can sing quite well.
Why not they sing in pub, it is better than being like a beggar on the street and in the underground.

Is busker a beggar?

**Orleander** · 09-20-11, 06:05 AM

nope, they are providing a service (entertainment) in exchange for money. You are rewarding their talent when you give them money.
Beggars give nothing in return

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 06:58 AM

Why do they want to do busking?
Mostly young people, playing electrical guitar or flute, singing quite well.
For what reason they are like that?

**w1z4rd** · 09-20-11, 07:09 AM

We have this begger walking up and down I street here in my home town. We call him the "Coat King" as he is always wearing about 7 coats at the same time and he walks down the street with a smile on his face, not caring if he is walking in the road or disrupting traffic.

Some of us felt bad for the old beggar so we went and offered him food, accommodation and a job. At first he ran away screaming when we approached him, but when he got used to us, we learnt that he used to be a teacher, and doesnt want help. He is happy how he is.

So now we just leave him alone and he wanders the streets. Im not sure how much longer he has left to live, but it taught me... that some people just like living like that.

**gmilam** · 09-20-11, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by Saint

Why do they want to do busking?
Mostly young people, playing electrical guitar or flute, singing quite well.
For what reason they are like that?

Don't know about the tubes in London, but I know musicians who have made pretty good money busking on the street corners in Texas.

**nietzschefan** · 09-20-11, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by w1z4rd

We have this begger walking up and down I street here in my home town. We call him the "Coat King" as he is always wearing about 7 coats at the same time and he walks down the street with a smile on his face, not caring if he is walking in the road or disrupting traffic.

Some of us felt bad for the old beggar so we went and offered him food, accommodation and a job. At first he ran away screaming when we approached him, but when he got used to us, we learnt that he used to be a teacher, and doesnt want help. He is happy how he is.

So now we just leave him alone and he wanders the streets. Im not sure how much longer he has left to live, but it taught me... that some people just like living like that.

I love a real beggarman.

One of the most interesting people in History was a scamp. The Word "Cynic"(then meant "dog") comes as a result of his life (and a few others).

Diogenes of Sinlope who lived his simple life in Corinth. Was so proud his only possession was a bowl to eat/drink from, until he saw a child drink with cupped hands. "A CHILD has BESTED me in living simply...", he said and tossed his bowl away forever.

He told Alexander he was blocking his sun, Slept with the highest paid courtesan(in history) for free and jerked off in the marketplace - saying "if only I could relieve hunger by rubbing my belly".

The problem today, is we do not value individuality and nearly everyone is far too materialistic.

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 08:09 AM

Are they not cold sitting on the floor besides the street during autumn and winter?
Why they put a notice board written something like:
I am not alcoholic,
I am not drug addict.

To justify their begging?

**~~phlogistician~~** · 09-20-11, 08:34 AM

Buskers are completely different from Beggars. Buskers often have jobs, and play outside just for the fun of it, and the money is a bonus. I have known successful, professional musicians to busk.

Beggars on the other hand often have some mental health problems, or histories of substance abuse, or depression, and do not seek the help they are entitled to. They put signs saying they aren't substance abusers etc as people do not want to give them money of they think it will be spent on drugs.

**Ghost_007** · 09-20-11, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Saint

A beggar sitting on floor along Princess Street in Edinburgh.

[Edit: Below p.o.d. moved here by moderator]

Points of discussion:

1. There are many beggars on the street in Edinburgh, and London too.
2. Are they not cold and hungry? So pitiful.
3. Why can't they claim unemployment benefits?

You will find beggars in most towns and cities, but not that many I'd say. Getting food isn't really a problem, they can get enough money in a day for food and alot of the time smaller take-aways give them food for free. If you are homeless you are not entitled to unemployment benefits, as far as I am aware.

**realitystrand** · 09-20-11, 02:29 PM

I volunteered in a hypothermia shelter near Washington D.C. one night one of our guests came in shivering. Her fingers were blue. I went to get her a cup of coffee. She said I don't drink coffee. I said Luv this is for your fingers just hold it. After about 1/2 hour her color returned. Many choose this life others are trapped in it from circumstances beyond their control. Others created it from poor choices. We saw several get out of it and start jobs and had advocates that gave them a path. Some belong in mental institution and need help but this area seems not to want to provide in a meaningful way, what many of our shelter guests need. Some are dangerous not only to the staff but other guests. On one occasion a staff member was sliced. I play harp and bring it sometimes to lull our guests to sleep. One guest who was very despondent glommed on to the harp hugging it and plucking at it for a long time. It seem to sooth him like no person could.

If you really want to help -- volunteer. Any one of us could be just a few paychecks and circumstances away from being a guest at the shelter.

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 07:02 PM

if the beggars can get free food, then why do they need money?
maybe they have thousands in bank?

**Asguard** · 09-20-11, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Saint

if the beggars can get free food, then why do they need money?
maybe they have thousands in bank?

are you really that stupid?

If you have food do YOU still need money? Nothing else you need?

**Saint** · 09-20-11, 10:24 PM

the beggar gets money from people, he shall use the money to buy food and not to ask for free food.

I know that some beggars have bank account keeping thousands of dollars.

**Asguard** · 09-20-11, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Saint

the beggar gets money from people, he shall use the money to buy food and not to ask for free food.

I know that some beggars have bank account keeping thousands of dollars.

Evidence please

You love to sprout rubbish without ANY surporting evidence and without any rationality. This is a patten of yours going back at least as far as your idiotic thread on docking tails. You were given evidence that your views were wrong time and again only to come back with "definitive" statments which had no basis in reality and here you go again.

**AlexG** · 09-20-11, 10:38 PM

I spent many years commuting by bus into a major NE american city. I saw the same 'beggers', day after day, month after month, and talked to many of them over a period of years. They made quite a tidy bit of untaxed money.

**~~John99~~** · 09-20-11, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Asguard

Evidence please

You love to sprout rubbish without ANY surporting evidence and without any rationality. This is a patten of yours going back at least as far as your idiotic thread on docking tails. You were given evidence that your views were wrong time and again only to come back with "definitive" statments which had no basis in reality and here you go again.

It is true that some can have more money than the people they are begging for money from. It is widely known that there are scam artists and there have been quite a few instances where this has been shown to be true. I can go look for links but try google some time.

**Asguard** · 09-20-11, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by John99

It is true that some can have more money than the people they are begging for money from. It is widely known that there are scam artists and there have been quite a few instances where this has been shown to be true. I can go look for links but try google some time.

sure, i knew one. But thats not what this is about, Saint implies that beggers a) dont need money, all they need is food and b) have 1000s in bank acounts.

Concidering that the biggest scam artists are company CEOs i think the few "beggers" who happen to be scamming people are an irrelivence.

**Saint** · 09-21-11, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by Asguard

Evidence please

You love to sprout rubbish without ANY surporting evidence and without any rationality. This is a patten of yours going back at least as far as your idiotic thread on docking tails. You were given evidence that your views were wrong time and again only to come back with "definitive" statments which had no basis in reality and here you go again.

u r wrong, it was often reported in paper that there is Beggar Syndicate making money from their workers - beggars.