I met a homeless Mother on the street

Sweet.Science

On abbey st making my way home from work during the week . She had 2 young boys both under 4 and pushing a pram while drinking coffee.

She approached me and asked me can she use my phone . She wasn’t any threat to steal it so it wasn’t a problem . She called out the number for me to dial and said she left her phone in the hotel ( I twigged that’s where she was living at the moment ).

I passed her my phone it was her partner she was calling . I noticed something wasn’t right she was slurring her words . I looked at the coffee cup and it was red wine inside . I looked under the pram and there was 2 bottles of wine there with other groceries . She was extremely drunk walking around town with her kids and was making her way to focus Ireland . She gave me back the phone to explain to her partner who I was as he was paranoid . After threats to kill me I hung up blocked his number and went home

Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc

However has the current crisis meant there has been a slow down in kids been born into this environment? Is this the only good thing to come from it ?

I feel guilty for even saying that . However them 2 boys have all the odds stacked against them from the very start

Excuse me I’m rambling now

vriesmays

Did you ask her which bank repossessed her home.

seamus

"allowing people like this to have kids"

Have a little think about that.

suicide_circus

feel bad for the kids. the bottles of wine and daytime drunkeness and her homelessness are probably not unrelated. I have a friend who works for Focus, 95% of her clientele have substance abuse issues and/or mental health issues

maxsmum

Firstly I can't believe you gave her your phone!
Secondly I would have reported this to the Gardai. These children are neglected. If you have the number she dialled maybe you can still do that

smurgen

I find homeless people i encounter on the street to be very distressing. I know I'm going to be put in the bleeding heart liberal category but if you encounter a person in the flesh and see the desperation in their face it's extremely hard not to feel compassion for them. I don't care if they guilt trip i regularly give them money. There but for the grace of god go i.

suicide_circus

smurgen wrote: »

I find homeless people i encounter on the street to be very distressing. I know I'm going to be put in the bleeding heart liberal category but if you encounter a person in the flesh and see the desperation in their face it's extremely hard not to feel compassion for them. I don't care if they guilt trip i regularly give them money. There but for the grace of god go i.

youre good hearted but by giving them cash you condemn them to another hit and another night on the street. if they have no cash they might just seek help.

Sweet.Science

maxsmum wrote: »

Firstly I can't believe you gave her your phone!
Secondly I would have reported this to the Gardai. These children are neglected. If you have the number she dialled maybe you can still do that

Never thought Of that .

Sweet.Science

seamus wrote: »

"allowing people like this to have kids"

Have a little think about that.

Ok I should rephrase that . Leave it people’s own responsibility to look after their own kids

Stop moaning ffs

‘
Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc’


Seriously?

spurious

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Ok I should rephrase that . Leave it people’s own responsibility to look after their own kids

Where was homeless Daddy?

YFlyer

I had to tell a homeless person on O'Connell Street, Limerick that there was a dry patch to sit on just a few feet away.

Sweet.Science

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

‘
Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc’


Seriously?

What ?

Infernal Racket

smurgen wrote: »

I find homeless people i encounter on the street to be very distressing. I know I'm going to be put in the bleeding heart liberal category but if you encounter a person in the flesh and see the desperation in their face it's extremely hard not to feel compassion for them. I don't care if they guilt trip i regularly give them money. There but for the grace of god go i.

Your kind gesture, which I'm sure makes you feel better, gets spent on cheap alcohol and drugs which only exacerbates the problem. Stop giving them money. If you want to donate, pick a charity like Crumlin Hospital or something else worthwhile

Stop moaning ffs

Sweet.Science wrote: »

What ?

Judgemental sneering bull****.
That you’re unaware of it tells us all we need to know.

vriesmays

Pick your nose and flick it at her.

smurgen

Gerry G wrote: »

Your kind gesture, which I'm sure makes you feel better, gets spent on cheap alcohol and drugs which only exacerbates the problem. Stop giving them money. If you want to donate, pick a charity like Crumlin Hospital or something else worthwhile

I'm under no illusion. I used just buy them food in a shop and bring it out to them.but at the end of the day i thought if they were buying drink at least it would give them momentarily comfort.i sure as hell wouldn't want to be blood sobar out in the cold.
A few years back i spotted a lad i had been in school with on the streets.hadn't seen him since we finished secondary school. He was on the floor with a sleeping bag at his feet.he looked skeletal almost.all the signs of heroin use.we locked eyes and i bet he remembered who i was.i went to the atm to get cash out for him and when i came back he was gone.i reckon he was too ashamed and took off.
It upset me because he was extremely neglected in school. He had head lice and never had a lunch and was violently bullied. His mother died when he was young and I'd say his dad didn't care. I don't think the poor fella ever had a chance.

Sweet.Science

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Judgemental sneering bull****.
That you’re unaware of it tells us all we need to know.

Kids are a career choice for thousands . It’s the reality

smurgen

Gerry G wrote: »

Your kind gesture, which I'm sure makes you feel better, gets spent on cheap alcohol and drugs which only exacerbates the problem. Stop giving them money. If you want to donate, pick a charity like Crumlin Hospital or something else worthwhile

I do give to charities. Giving to a homeless person doesn't make me feel better. It's normally just a momentarily decision to help a person i think might appreciate my loose change more than I. In all honesty i just normally leave wishing they were steadier more well adjusted people and hope they can sort themselves out. Everything is treated so cynically these days.

Airyfairy12

She's a homeless mother in an abusive relationship - her partner is probably the only support she has. If that was my life, id drink too tbf. You dont know what their lives are like or what theyve been through. Most people drink like that just to cope.

Stop moaning ffs

Sweet.Science wrote: »

I’d love your naivety. Those kids were born out of love alright .

Your cynicism and bitterness are something to behold. More to be pitied than laughed at.

Stheno

I rarely have cash/coins on me these days and often wonder does cashless cards etc mean less money given to people on the street

Yurt2

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Kids are a career choice for thousands . It’s the reality

That's sub-Daily Mail nonsense. You've been propagandized my friend.

The Rapture

I've seen a lot worse on the Luas especially around St. James stop. Strung out parents in charge of babies in buggies who don't even react when the kid drops their bottle. All the while 40 odd passengers fix their gaze anywhere but there.

Hedgelayer

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

She's a homeless mother in an abusive relationship - her partner is probably the only support she has. If that was my life, id drink too tbf. You dont know what their lives are like or what theyve been through. Most people drink like that just to cope.

There's always a solution but drinking on top of it isn't the answer.
Food is far more important especially for the kid's.

Any parents who bottle up their problems instead of nourishing their kid's has a big problem.

I've seen women in similar situations get help and some have gone from park bench to park avenue, others are pushing up the daisies and the nearest bench is the one beside the Celtic headstone....

No drowning the problem with drink wouldn't be advisable.

Although I know what you mean, you probably mean it metaphorically

Nikki Sixx

It’s a hard call alright. 9 times out of ten I walk past these people looking for change etc. What I hate are their lies, the bullsh1t stories they hit you with, when you know they do this every day. If you give one of them €5, he’ll still be out the next day and the one after that. Would it be more honest if people bought them a few cans from the off license and handed the cans to them?

Stop moaning ffs

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

One eyed Jack

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Kids are a career choice for thousands . It’s the reality

Christ OP I thought other posters were being harsh in the way they interpreted your opening post. I thought they were missing the greater point you were trying to make that in Irish society today there are still people living in dire poverty and successive Governments have done far too little to address the issues, instead they choose to kiss the electorates arseholes because that’s who votes for them and that’s why those children you saw have very little chance of knowing any different than their current circumstances.

But no, it wasn’t about that at all, it was just another bullshìt lead-in to another bullshìt thread to have a pop at people who are homeless. You could have just lead with that and saved everyone the bother of yet another repetitive thread condemning people who are homeless.

Instead why don’t you ask yourself are you contributing to a society where those children will be regarded as having no chance because of people’s attitudes towards their parents?

One eyed Jack

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

I’ve met plenty of people with those attitudes, nothing weird about it. Are you living in a bubble or just not aware that other people who don’t think like you exist?

Stop moaning ffs

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I’ve met plenty of people with those attitudes, nothing weird about it. Are you living in a bubble or just not aware that other people who don’t think like you exist?

Not at all. I just don’t associate with bigots homophobes or whatever term you’d use to describe people who actively hate poor people and the homeless. I guess the main reason you see it here constantly is because they don’t have the courage to air these views in their social circles or workplace. If they have any. Which is doubtful.

BarryD2

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

What are you on about? The OP stopped to help this woman, possibly put themselves in some jeopardy. What do you do? Attack them.

Stop moaning ffs

*not at all surprising when you look at some of these accounts previous posts, it’s the same thing across numerous threads and topics. It’s pretty much all they post about.

Something severely lacking in Their lives. Human contact and empathy most notably.

Sonny noggs

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

Sounds like you are pro homeless people.

Stop moaning ffs

BarryD2 wrote: »

What are you on about? The OP stopped to help this woman. What do you do? Attack them.

And then went onto wonder why we allow ‘these people to have children’.

You’re missing Context here. I doubt the encounter ever actually happened tbh. Just an excuse for an anti poor people rant. After hours. Wash rinse repeat. Ad nauseum

Roger Hassenforder

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

Was she Muslim?

One eyed Jack

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Not at all. I just don’t associate with bigots homophobes or whatever term you’d use to describe people who actively hate poor people and the homeless. I guess the main reason you see it here constantly is because they don’t have the courage to air these views in their social circles or workplace. If they have any. Which is doubtful.

I was harsh in my last reply to you tbh and I’m sorry for that, but honestly I detest any sort of identity politics. I associate with plenty of bigots, homophobes and plenty of people who have no fear of expressing their disdain for other people for whatever their reasons are. I don’t think they’re courageous, I regard them as full of shìt when they come out with shìt about other people.

There’s no shortage of young people who are unemployed who hate gay people for instance, no shortage of men who hate women and no shortage of women who hate men. I’d to laugh when one of my mates came out with “all men are bastards”, rolled my eye when another friend of mine we were in the club and she spotted a guy, “I’d rape him” she said. I’ve met no shortage of people who are bigoted against people who are religious, one parent demanding that the local clubhouse change it’s name because it was named after a saint. Me regarding her as a dopey bint doesn’t mean I hate all women.

I’ve seen plenty of it in the workplace too btw, because the workplace is some people’s social circle, I know one of the reasons I chose to work for my employer is because as a single father their employment policies are very family friendly and I’m offered plenty of flexibility. Make no mistake that tends to put some of my work colleagues noses out of joint, and they have no problem expressing their opinions either. It doesn’t take courage, it just takes feeling like expressing an opinion is no threat to your safety,

That’s the main reason you’ll see these opinions expressed on social media, because people feel no threat to their safety for expressing themselves. There were countless threads on things like abortion on here and people behaved like utter bellends expressing themselves, because they knew there was no threat to their safety.

I’d rather live in a society where I could tell who was or wasn’t a bellend, than live in a society where people felt they couldn’t express themselves for fear that they might offend someone else’s sensitivities.

nw5iytvs0lf1uz

the reality is in ireland there is a sizeable minority of people who live in the shadows. they dont work and survive on benefits, they have kids they need neither want nor love to get more benefits, they live in a free forever council house or live in a HAP paid tenancy waiting on the right free council house to become available, they top up their earnings in the black market that still thrives in certain towns, most are involved in crime especially drugs related.
the reality is this a sad existence of boredom, abuse, violence, self loathing and worthlessness. I think the best description of the social welfare class is that it is like a cult. there is indoctrination by certain whole communities of their children and the wheel keeps turning.

SCOOP 64

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Was she Muslim?

No way, two bottles of wine in pram.

Your Face

Drinking wine from a coffee cup is genius.

No-one would suspect anything if I did it.

Hego Damask

seamus wrote: »

"allowing people like this to have kids"

Have a little think about that.

Alcoholics wandering around town pissed during the day - yeah he's spot on!!

Hego Damask

The Rapture wrote: »

I've seen a lot worse on the Luas especially around St. James stop. Strung out parents in charge of babies in buggies who don't even react when the kid drops their bottle. All the while 40 odd passengers fix their gaze anywhere but there.

Yep, and this will continue, until the govt. stop paying for scum to have kids and giving free houses this will get worse and worse.

These kids are brought up with zero guidance or love, they turn into demons, just look at that poor Ana Kriegel girl, murdered by scum like this from scum families

NoteAgent

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The endless anti homeless people anti poor people anti Muslim anti gay anti women nonsense on this forum really should be looked at.
You never meet these people in real life though. It’s so weird.

I agree but its still probably more bearable than TheJournal.ie comment section crowd who use the govt as a scapegoat for every single problem they have and accept no personal responsibility.

If you try to counter their argument they immediately accuse you of being a FFG shill

Atoms for Peace

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Was she Muslim?

A Muslim traveller welfare mother no doubt.

Sleeper12

suicide_circus wrote:

feel bad for the kids. the bottles of wine and daytime drunkeness and her homelessness are probably not unrelated. I have a friend who works for Focus, 95% of her clientele have substance abuse issues and/or mental health issues

Unfortunately some people made homeless turn to drink to help cope. Obviously this doesn't work but it happens

Roger Hassenforder

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

A Muslim traveller welfare mother no doubt.

With a disability
And gay

Stop moaning ffs

NoteAgent wrote: »

I agree but its still probably more bearable than TheJournal.ie comment section crowd who use the govt as a scapegoat for every single problem they have and accept no personal responsibility.

If you try to counter their argument they immediately accuse you of being a FFG shill

Never go there for exactly those reasons. Genuinely wonder how much of this is IRA bots. On here the ones spouting it are always 2-30 posts, always anti_______ (whatever the topic is) across multiple forums.
Previously banned posters who sign back up?
Never actually have anything to contribute.

Boggles

Sweet.Science wrote: »

On abbey st making my way home from work during the week . She had 2 young boys both under 4 and pushing a pram while drinking coffee.

She approached me and asked me can she use my phone . She wasn’t any threat to steal it so it wasn’t a problem . She called out the number for me to dial and said she left her phone in the hotel ( I twigged that’s where she was living at the moment ).

I passed her my phone it was her partner she was calling . I noticed something wasn’t right she was slurring her words . I looked at the coffee cup and it was red wine inside . I looked under the pram and there was 2 bottles of wine there with other groceries . She was extremely drunk walking around town with her kids and was making her way to focus Ireland . She gave me back the phone to explain to her partner who I was as he was paranoid . After threats to kill me I hung up blocked his number and went home

Couldn’t stop thinking on way home . We’ve created a monster allowing people like this to have kids in order to get a social house quicker etc

However has the current crisis meant there has been a slow down in kids been born into this environment? Is this the only good thing to come from it ?

I feel guilty for even saying that . However them 2 boys have all the odds stacked against them from the very start

Excuse me I’m rambling now

BarryD2

Nyla Little Reactivation wrote: »

the reality is in ireland there is a sizeable minority of people who live in the shadows. they dont work and survive on benefits.

There were figures reported a few days ago on household income: rounded up

40% two incomes

30% single income

30% no income

The latter presumably includes pensioners with no other sources of income but also above.

If everybody stopped giving money to people begging on the street, how many people would still be begging?

Maybe if people cannot bear to see begging they should stop incentivising it by giving money? There is nothing cold or callous about this. It is not mean. Those children will forever be brought out begging if there's money in it. Think hard about whether you really intend that when you give money.

Instead, ring up Focus or SVP or whatever and make a donation. If you're in a career which could help these lives get on their feet -tradespeople, teachers, psychologists/councillors, etc - perhaps volunteer your time and expertise?
It's definitely a savage life for those children to be brought into, as is the world of every child of a parent with an addiction. The kids will never be more important than the addiction.

Sonny noggs

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Was she Muslim?

A drunk Muslim lady? Well I never!

Outlaw Pete

Stheno wrote: »

I rarely have cash/coins on me these days and often wonder does cashless cards etc mean less money given to people on the street

They're adapting. Told one chap I had no change and he took out an ESB card and asked me would I top it up by a tenner.