Scobes begging outside LIDL, Ennis Road.

Comhrá

Having put up with the antics for many months from the couple of regular scobes sitting outside the entrance to the LIDL store, Ennis Road, I finally emailed LIDL a week ago, explaining my annoyance.

They replied, saying they would take up my concerns with the particular store and for a few days the people concerned weren't to be seen. Then they were back, sitting on the ground outside the entrance with their brown paper bag & cans of liquor, begging away as usual... "Any spare change, Sir?"

I spoke to the manager earlier this week and he said that he had been regularly telling them to go away, and had called the Gardai on numerous occasion, but that they (the Gardai) weren't really interested, saying they were busy etc. and generally not taking the situation too seriously.

What a pity that no-one in authority can or wants to do anything to deal with this nuisance. Many people are complaining locally about it for ages, but all to no avail.

One of my neighbours has stopped going into the store concerned and Dunnes Stores across the road are the benefactors now where her custom is concerned.

Jofspring

Ya it's awful to be honest. It might seem like a selfish thing to say but they very annoying. It is putting a lot of older people off. People are popping down to the shops to pick up a few bits, not to be pestered by people begging. Thing about it is I have seen a few different people doing it so it must be becoming a popular spot.

Tesco in roxboro is the same. Had some skanger ask me for change or a few cans from the slab in my trolley during the summer. It was around the time that poor aul fella was mugged in the jacks there. I could see how nervous the older folk were walking past him. Seen a few more there since.

Comhrá

I was in the LIDL carpark today and one of these guys was there in his usual place, begging.

I was in Dunnes Stores about 10 mins. later and there was the same guy in front of me at the self-service checkout with a bottle of vodka and a can of what looked like a mixer of some sort. He paid with small coins (with the help of a staff-member) then went on his way. It makes my blood boil to think that LIDL shoppers are fooled into thinking he is a 'hardship case' and are happy to fund his habit each day. :mad:

Special Circumstances

Lidl castletroy, just minding your own business and you get "HAI JIMBOB HAI JIMBOB HAI JIMBOB" roared at you from the spongers outside the door.

Go and f**k off with your jimbob until you can address people in a civilised manner.

Scoping cars and stuff, or genuinely begging outside lidl? I mean, come on like.

Berty

tippman1 wrote: »

I was in Dunnes Stores about 10 mins. later and there was the same guy in front of me at the self-service checkout with a bottle of vodka and a can of what looked like a mixer of some sort. He paid with small coins (with the help of a staff-member) then went on his way.

Keeping it in the country, bless em'

:pac::pac::pac:

stefanovich

What are the guards going to do? It's not illegal to beg in Ireland as far as i am aware. There are there because people do give them money. Don't give them money!

daveob007

Saw those two yesterday also, I never give them money but always give something to the other man who is usually there, late 30s early 40s pleasant mannerly guy. Some people buy bags of groceries and leave them there for that man

salamanca22

stefanovich wrote: »

What are the guards going to do? It's not illegal to beg in Ireland as far as i am aware. There are there because people do give them money. Don't give them money!

Depends on the begging

A person who, while begging in any place—
(a) harasses, intimidates, assaults or threatens any other
person or persons, or
(b) obstructs the passage of persons or vehicles,
is guilty of an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a class 5
E fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or both.

Gardai have the power to move on beggars at any time from outside a business, though usually they are not committing any offence.

A member of the Garda Síochána may direct a person who is
begging at or near the entrance to a business premises, at any time 25
when that premises is open for the transaction of business with
members of the public, to desist from begging and to leave the vicinity
of that place in a peaceable and orderly manner, if the member
has reasonable grounds for believing that, by reason of the person’s
behaviour or the number of persons begging at or near the premises, 30
members of the public are being, or are likely to be, deterred from
entering the premises.

Had the same deal a bit earlier with a guy begging outside aldi on the roxboro road. I have seen the same guy begging around town too.

Parchment

I know im lucky as i dont have to beg outside a shop but it always makes me feel uncomfortable and like a sh!tty person off into buy my trolley of food etc after passing someone asking for some money. I can see how it would be really intimidating for older people.

Comhrá

Parchment wrote: »

I know im lucky as i dont have to beg outside a shop but it always makes me feel uncomfortable and like a sh!tty person off into buy my trolley of food etc after passing someone asking for some money. I can see how it would be really intimidating for older people.

I have no issue with needy folks begging and I'm quick to donate if I feel they're trying to buy food or whatever, but when I see a guy begging and not even bothering to hide his brown paper bag of cans and I meet the dude in the supermarket buying a naggin & mixer within 10 mins. of seeing him begging, than I feel seriously cheesed off to think I might be paying for his drink.

I saw him chatting on his mobile phone last week after a begging stint so he's not exactly on the breadline.

stefanovich

tippman1 wrote: »

I have no issue with needy folks begging and I'm quick to donate if I feel they're trying to buy food or whatever, but when I see a guy begging and not even bothering to hide his brown paper bag of cans and I meet the dude in the supermarket buying a naggin & mixer within 10 mins. of seeing him begging, than I feel seriously cheesed off to think I might be paying for his drink.

I saw him chatting on his mobile phone last week after a begging stint so he's not exactly on the breadline.

The guy is an alcoholic. Probably not so easy for him to give up drinking even if he has no money therefore he begs. He's obviously got serious problems. That said, if he is intimidating people that's totally unacceptable.

Comhrá

stefanovich wrote: »

The guy is an alcoholic. Probably not so easy for him to give up drinking even if he has no money therefore he begs. He's obviously got serious problems. That said, if he is intimidating people that's totally unacceptable.

He may well be, but begging and annoying the public isn't the answer, is it?

Why wouldn't he seek help or have treatment? He lloks to me more like he's a sort of career-beggar first, maybe an alcoholic second.

Swiper the fox

I heard he drives a rolls Royce and lives in a mansion on the NCR. Once left a buggy at a bus stop cause he knew that the taxpayers would have one waiting for him at his stop.

seachto7

tippman1 wrote: »

He lloks to me more like he's a sort of career-beggar first, maybe an alcoholic second.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

FobleAsNuck

seachto7 wrote: »

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

who knows, maybe outside of Brown Thomas?

Comhrá

FobleAsNuck wrote: »

who knows, maybe outside of Brown Thomas?

Better enrol your son now.

Jofspring

Has anybody seen on Facebook the post about the homeless guy sitting outside Lidl getting water thrown on him by the manager of Lidl to clear him off.

It's disgraceful that it was done that way but the lynching that Lidl are getting over it is crazy.

The comment basically goes something like "a homeless man was sitting outside Lidl in caherdavin this evening trying to get some shelter from the rain. The manager of Lidl threw water on him to get him to clear off. It's disgraceful, please spare a thought for the less fortunate this winter"

People have responded with comments like "screw them, all forgieners working in there, no Irish" I know two lads working in this particular Lidl and both are from Limerick.

"Lidl are a disgrace and I will never shop there again"

"the poor man has done no one any harm and just wanted shelter, the heartless bastards should be sacked"


Absolutely nothing about the fact that they are continuously there begging and have been asked to move on on numerous occasions.

Mc Love

This is the post, the amount of vitriol being spewed by the public is unreal!

Mod edit to remove post from Facebook, the Shannon Town Forum has taken down the post also.

DeWinterZero

Fairly sure throwing a bucket of water on someone could be considered assault. If the facebook post is true hopefully there'll be a vacancy for manager out there soon.

Swiper the fox

Just a second here because I can't quite judge the tone of the past few comments. Are some people willing to stand over the actions of somebody throwing water over anybody in those circumstances:eek:
That is absolutely disgraceful.

Skuxx

I'd be willing to bet theres more to this story then that facebook post is telling us. It seems very sensationalist!! Could be wrong of course!

Jofspring

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Just a second here because I can't quite judge the tone of the past few comments. Are some people willing to stand over the actions of somebody throwing water over anybody in those circumstances:eek:
That is absolutely disgraceful.

Definitely don't agree with throwing water on someone to get them to move on, there are much better ways to handle things but as skuxx says it is really being sensationalised at the moment. It's only showing one side of the story first of all. People have just taken the guys post as absolute gospel and are giving dogs abuse to Lidl and the manager of the store without first finding out the full story. Not only that but as usual Niall Boylan has jumped on the story without the background information also. That show has continued to go downhill.

topper75

Parchment wrote: »

I know im lucky as i dont have to beg outside a shop but it always makes me feel uncomfortable and like a sh!tty person off into buy my trolley of food etc after passing someone asking for some money. I can see how it would be really intimidating for older people.

Luck has nothing to do with it.

In a country with social welfare, nobody actually has to beg outside a shop or indeed anywhere else.

A previous poster referred to feeling selfish getting their trolley full of shopping whilst passing these 'beggers'.
FFS - what ridiculous misplaced guilt!

Let's talk about selfish then.

Selfish is getting high/pissed/stoned/whatever on a consistent basis with a complete 'screw everyone else' mentality. Selfish is a complete refusal to accept personal responsibility and just sticking the hand out. Selfish is screwing up constantly time after time and ruining the lives of loved ones along with it, people who probably once cared.

This element are making it uncomfortable for people to enter a shop. As such they are threatening the livelihoods of the manager and staff. Action is due. Water drenching would be very much at the lower end of the scale.

Swiper the fox

If a bucket of water was thrown then it is disgraceful end of story, no need to sensationalise that. I don't want anybody to lose their job but if they consider that acceptable they are obviously not cut out for a management position.

Silentcorner

Jofspring wrote: »

Definitely don't agree with throwing water on someone to get them to move on, there are much better ways to handle things but as skuxx says it is really being sensationalised at the moment. It's only showing one side of the story first of all. People have just taken the guys post as absolute gospel and are giving dogs abuse to Lidl and the manager of the store without first finding out the full story. Not only that but as usual Niall Boylan has jumped on the story without the background information also. That show has continued to go downhill.

It seems that LIDL have responded.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/business-news/lidl-says-online-limerick-allegation-is-widely-inaccurate-1-7060993

It seemed a bit odd that a manager would chuck a bucket of water over a homeless man in front of a customer...I sincerely hope that such a person could not exist!

I am starting to enjoy these social media storms tho...they are like a swarm of angry bees...just waiting to be angered!!

Poxyshamrock

I hate all those 30/40 somethings on Facebook who have nothing better to do than share competitions/pictures of minions and complain about everything.

LIDL have issued a statement and people are still posting about it.

Red King

There's two sides to every story. Of course if it involves a business in this country people will jump down your throat without knowing the facts and just assume the worst.

This story smelled of BS from the start but the typical social justice warriors online had to go in to full meltdown mode and call for boycotts.

I hope Lidl have CCTV to prove their case and I hope they then sue the person behind this for every penny they have got.

Parchment

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I hate all those 30/40 somethings on Facebook who have nothing better to do than share competitions/pictures of minions and complain about everything.

.

Same. "Liked and Shared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) xxxx"

chicorytip

The bucket of water, if indeed it was employed, clearly had no effect. He was back in his usual spot this morning.

Comhrá

Maybe a bucket of Dutch Gold? Chilled.