Would you have given this guy any money?

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raleighnut

Legendary Member
I got scammed by a girl with the 'bus fare' routine a few years back, I popped into a nearby pub for a swift pint and when I came out she was trying it on with another bloke. As I walked past the guy was just reaching into his pocket until I told him she had asked me for and received some money 10 minutes ago....................he called her some very rude names.
 
I read this VERY good book a few years ago http://www.amazon.com/Broke-Through-Britain-Penniless-Odyssey/dp/184018163X - it's a 'social experiment' to see how generous, or otherwise, the people the author encounted on his walk from Plymouth to Edinburgh were.

He wasn't begging for money, but wanted food/water for his dog and himself, a shower, somewhere to sleep etc.

It makes very good reading, and is a bit of an eye-opener.
 

mr_cellophane

Legendary Member
Location
Essex
Just so long as you don't look embarrased or awkard while being generous with your 70p
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I wouldn't.

What follows is an anecdote in its purest sense, because a) I don't know if what he said was even wholly true and b) there's nothing to suggest even if it was true for him then it would follow for anyone else.

I once interviewed someone for a knife point robbery. Technically I shouldn't even have dealt, as I'm not CID and it was a CID job - but they had batted it down to us as they had numerous other jobs on, and it was a knife point robbery for the massive sum of 50p. Offender had asked someone in a telephone box for it, been refused, the produced a knife and insisted. Having been given the 50p he didn't even ask for any more!

Offender had been found due to matching description, still with the knife (the 50p had gone) and there was Ok-ish cctv. There was more than likely enough for a conviction.

During the interview, the offender gave me a full and frank admission. The solicitor even made the comment on tape that their advice had been to go 'no comment' but the offender wished to be honest.

When I asked on tape why he had done it, he didn't tell me. Off tape, he said he was happy to tell me that he was really hungry because he had given all of his benefits, withdrawn that day, to his dealer. He had been begging all day, and had got enough for a sandwich - bar about 50p.

I conversed with him about how I found it strange, as I knew him, knew he had literally hundreds of convictions for shoplifting but nothing for violence, and wondered why he had gone to robbery rather than simply steal the sandwich as he had done numerous times in the past. He said it was just the frustration of having successfully begged the money from numerous people before hitting a brick wall for the last 50p and having about 10 "no" answers in a row, the last making him lose his rag.
 

Tin Pot

Guru
The guy is not doing this elaborate ruse for £1.80. He's not doing it just once, or just for one day. He's not otherwise in gainful employment and paying taxes.

What do you think forces him to be begging in this way?

If he doesn't meet his quota that day, does he shrug and go home, try again tomorrow?

I don't think so.
 

LimeBurn

Über Member
Location
Sheffield
Ashamed to say it but I'd have given him nothing too. Would have just presumed he was a scrounger but maybe if I'd have seen the chap then I might have done things differently.
 

pplpilot

Guru
Location
Knowle
If anyone is from wolverhampton or surrounding areas will remember the tramp that used to live on the traffic island, he was regularly fed and watered by the locals and generally looked after, he lived like this for the best part of 30 years he ate from dustbins and all the usual , when he died he left the best part of 600k! It was featured on a tv program to find any relatives.

Edit - he has a wiki - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Józef_Stawinoga
 
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