Are there any legitimate reasons for begging?

MagicMarker

If I lose my home and all my money tomorrow, and I have no friends in the world who can offer me a couch, is there somewhere I can go to get food and shelter at no cost? Does the state provide for such people without question? Or is it the case that there's only so much free food, and only so much free shelter, and basically that there's no room at the inn for some people?

Genuine question as I really don't know.

So to sum up, are beggars...

A: People who are provided for by the state, but are trying to feed a habit
B: Cheeky chappies looking to make a bit of extra pocket money on top of what they're provided for by the state
C: Genuinely helpless people who the state have failed
All of the above.

kneemos

If your partner has already spent all the money on drink or drugs .

FatherLen

besides the free money?

kfallon

If you end up getting your hole!

"Please, please, please can we have sex tonight, please?"

Rinse and repeat til you mentally break her down!

starbelgrade

I'll have an "E" please, Carol.

Wacker The Attacker

Lack of money

kfallon

starbelgrade wrote: »

I'll have an "E" please, Carol.

Carol would have got a shot of the good news, that's for sure!

biko

You forgot E: people shipped solely in to beg for their foreign masters.

Sulla Felix

Some are genuine some aren't.
Tgeres so many non genuine though that I just give to Simon and that's it.

Mardy Bum

Oscar Wilde on beggars

Man should not be ready to show that he can live like a badly fed animal

There is more begging done by trackey cladded gentlemen than actual homeless people round Dublin which brings another Wilde quote to mind.

They must also be extraordinarily stupid.

JohnMarston

There's a group of 4 or 5 beggars in Waterford city here. Seen them begging in different spots. Sometimes they have children with them, sometimes prams, sometimes on their own. On more than one occasion i seen them meet in a group deciding where to beg next and pooling their money together.

You never see them holding "will work for food" banners in this country.:pac:

Freedom of expression according to the courts.

old_aussie

Ireland the new India

CruelCoin

Answer: Wasters who deserve no support.

No family who will take them in.
No friends who will take them in.
Despite dole, etc still can't pay rent.
Can still afford Nike though!

You lose your house and home, and have nothing and nobody to your name, not a single person who would want to take you in.......Jesus christ, doesn't say much for you does it?

CodyJarrett

Guy asked me to top-up his ESB card with a few quid the other day as I left the Lighthouse Cinema there in Smithfield.

I said no but was tempted as felt bad for the guy as he sounded genuine.

As for everything else, I'm not sure.

I see all the free food places around and the like but maybe some can't use them and have heard horror stories about the hostels so can well understand people being reluctant to use them.

A lot of beggers around Dublin are scammers though. Guy asked me one day for money for food as I walked on Moore St and I said come over here and I'll pay for you in the buffet (one of them is just €5) but he said he would rather the money and when I made it clear that was all I was willing to do, he got rather unpleasant.

Legitimate reasons? Sure but they are few and far between from what I can see and even then, giving them money won't really help them all that much anyway.

Just remembered actually: the other night a guy stopped me on Wexford St and asked me for some change to help him out and I said: "What you want the money for" and he said: "Get a few cans" - I nearly dropped in shock as in all the years I have been asked for money, nobody ever said it was for Beer - I gave him €2

Biggins

MagicMarker wrote: »

Are there any legitimate reasons for begging?

I would say genuine starvation qualifies.

MagicMarker

Biggins wrote: »

I would say genuine starvation qualifies.

But do they not have somewhere to go to get food? Do they need to beg? This is my question.

brummytom

MagicMarker wrote: »

But do they not have somewhere to go to get food? Do they need to beg? This is my question.

Obviously I can't speak for Ireland, but I ended up talking to a homeless bloke a few months back. He seemed really nice, polite, and genuine. Just someone who'd had extraordinarily bad luck.

Anyway, I was amazed when he said that they get no help from the state. Even soup kitchens/homeless centres aren't subsidised at all, it's all down to charitable individuals. To have a bed for the night, they need to get (i.e. beg) for a few pounds, about £5 I think.

If you've got no fixed address, as far as I know, you can't claim the dole? So once you're on the street, it can be very hard to get back.

grizzly

What's the situation with accommodation for homeless people? Some people tell me that theres ample short term beds in Dublin. When I get asked for money for a hostel – is this genuine? I'd give food, but worry that money is only going on drink/drugs.

Biggins

MagicMarker wrote: »

But do they not have somewhere to go to get food? Do they need to beg? This is my question.

I personally know of no place that gives away free meals three times a day in every town.

mikemac1

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Oscar Wilde on beggars

Man should not be ready to show that he can live like a badly fed animal

Not exactly a man to be taking lessons in morality from

Mardy Bum

mikemac1 wrote: »

Not exactly a man to be taking lessons in morality from

I think you could use that line in relation to any human ever if so pleased.

Capt'n Midnight

Biggins wrote: »

I would say genuine starvation qualifies.

But even then you can get free food by dumpster diving for sell by date stuff or asking nicely at the fresh fruit markets at the end of the day

20c will get you tesco value noodles or aldi beans

Biggins

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

But even then you can get free food by dumpster diving for sell by date stuff or asking nicely at the fresh fruit markets at the end of the day

I have never personally seen food being rummaged for - although I have no doubts it happens - and/or it would be a full time occupation to go Dumpster Diving if one had to try and feed one's family three times a day, seven days a week!

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

20c will get you tesco value noodles or aldi beans

Indeed - but you'd have to beg for that 20c if you hadn't got it.

forfuxsake

Mardy Bum wrote: »

I think you could use that line in relation to any human ever if so pleased.

Except:


Baby Jesus
Santa
Mother Teresa
Mr Miyagi

gurramok

/me puts on PC hat....Legit reason - to save all the pennies to pay for their flight back home!

If you are in C bracket and starving, get down to your CWO(Community Welfare Officer) and you will get an Urgent Needs payment to feed you.(not a Communion garment )

ressem

brummytom wrote: »

Anyway, I was amazed when he said that they get no help from the state. Even soup kitchens/homeless centres aren't subsidised at all, it's all down to charitable individuals. To have a bed for the night, they need to get (i.e. beg) for a few pounds, about £5 I think.

If you've got no fixed address, as far as I know, you can't claim the dole? So once you're on the street, it can be very hard to get back.

It's the same set-up in Dublin in that they've to pay a similar amount for the emergency accommodation with the Simon Community.
Presumably they've come to a conclusion from trial and error that there are problems with providing the bed for free.
It does get government funding to supplement donations.

MagicMarker

Biggins wrote: »

I personally know of no place that gives away free meals three times a day in every town.

True, but you don't need 3 meals a day to not be suffering from starvation.

mikemac1

Iveagh Trust run hostels in Dublin

They will let you use their address and help you apply

So you get 180 or whatever a week and you sign maybe 120 of that over to them

In return you get food and shelter, full use of facilities and help from staff

If you're reliable and not a drunk you can get your own room in time

You can drink cans in the hostel but they don't tolerate messing

Lots of staff, strictly run

Capt'n Midnight

Biggins wrote: »

I have never personally seen food being rummaged for - although I have no doubts it happens - and/or it would be a full time occupation to go Dumpster Diving if one had to try and feed one's family three times a day, seven days a week!

no it wouldn't be a full time since you show up when the trading day is over.

check out Freeganism

take the kids to the beach, looking for mussels and periwinkles and dulse and other stuff that will keep ya alive.

Indeed - but you'd have to beg for that 20c if you hadn't got it.

or find it on the street

either way it shouldn't take too long to beg for 20c


Food has never been as cheap if you drop your standards right down

hawkelady

99% of homeless get the dole!!
Yes you need an address but your local priest/ church will give you that or you can use a hostels address.
So if you are down on your luck and ain't completely dependant on drugs and other expensive pastimes , you will not starve ..

Mardy Bum

forfuxsake wrote: »

Except:


Baby Jesus
Santa
Mother Teresa
Mr Miyagi

Look hard enough in the Bible and you will find him advocating death.
Mother Teresa got the Hitch treatment.
I'll give you Santa and Mr Miyagi!

WumBuster

Speak to st Vincent de paul would be your first port of call I would say

starfish90

hawkelady wrote: »

99% of homeless get the dole!!
Yes you need an address but your local priest/ church will give you that or you can use a hostels address.
So if you are down on your luck and ain't completely dependant on drugs and other expensive pastimes , you will not starve ..

Ha I never knew that-I may start telling them that so!It's hard to know who is actually being genuine too-a friend of mine offered a homeless person a sandwich and a drink but they didn't want it-they just wanted money..

charlemont

Bumped into a guy on Oliver Plunkett Street Cork the other night and my friend gave him €2, He said he was badly strung out for Heroin and was he shaking, I'v never seen him before but he was from Dublin judging by his accent.

Simon have a house a few doors down from me and to be honest they do look after the house, They had a few unsavoury characters there over the years but nothing as bad as some of the degenerates that live in other houses here.

I was surprised to see a young Romanian girl begging at about half 1 am on the South Mall recently, Surprised because she was only 14/15 and on her own.

My name is URL

CruelCoin wrote: »

Answer: Wasters who deserve no support.

You lose your house and home, and have nothing and nobody to your name, not a single person who would want to take you in.......Jesus christ, doesn't say much for you does it?

Maybe not, but you're post says plenty about you... none of it good.

mattjack

Biggins wrote: »

I personally know of no place that gives away free meals three times a day in every town.

It is possible to get breakfast,dinner and sandwichs all free in Dublin.
There are drop in facilities who provide for homeless .

boo3000

I love that there's loads of advice here on where to get cheap or free food.

Very helpful for all the genuinely starving AH lurkers