Beggars in Lordship Lane

[Nick1962]

I recently came for a drink in Lordship Lane and was amazed at the amount of beggars who can be found after 7.00pm on the Lane. It's not that I object to them trying to make an honest quid or two but can someone help me with my dilemma? How much do I give them? I can't pay one and not the other 4! If I give them 50p each and then I see the Big Issue seller, that can come out at ?5 every time I walk down the road! Now I already donate ?5 a month to give Jacob in Africa a pair of glasses and a small operation for his eyesight. I pay ?5 a month to look after Clarence the abused Lion in London Zoo and I can't walk past the Sally Army guy outside Co-Op. What used to be a pleasant stroll down the Lane has turned into an expensive day out!. I forgot the awful buskers on the way to the station... ?2 every time (at least they are entertaining me!)

[buddug]

Control yourself - you're already suffering from compassion fatigue! Jacob and poor Clarence fine, but take to the back streets to avoid the rest. And if you find yourself walking an extra couple of miles a day doing that you'll find yourself losing pounds you can afford with the exercise!

[steveo]

Wear a beggar disguise and ask them for a quid

[Nick1962]

A 'beggar disguise' in the back streets!! Maybe that's what the odd woman spotted in East Dulwich gardens was doing... simply avoiding the 'pavement tax'!!

[Penguin68]

A few (well a lot more than a few, as will be clear) years ago I friend and I dressed as tramps and lurked around the Temple (in those days lawyers were wealthier than bankers!) saying 'Scuse me gov, do you have sixpence for a cup of tea'. On the inevitable refusal we would then press sixpence on them saying 'Take this, I wouldn't want to see you go without'.

It was surprising, or perhaps not, they were lawyers, how many accepted the sixpence! Happy days.

[silverfox]

Time to bring back stocks and lock these pests up (Goose green roundabout would be a good place).

[RosieH]

Who, the lawyers?

[silverfox]

Beggars, lawyers, bankers, estate agents and Euro MPs for starters

[RosieH]

Personally, I think we'd do better to eliminate beggars altogether. They make the place look messy, and it's not bad enough we have to fork over our hard-earned for benefits scroungers, without having to pay again.

[Only me!]

I think there is an embryonic idea for an East Dulwich centric, map based Board Game in here .....

Along the lines of ..... a race from Horniman's too East Dulwich Station, without getting fleeced, maybe with bonus points gained for using back roads & alleys, buying overpriced meat, fish or coasters made from Thai tin cans & penalties for loitering on the main roads or using Sainsbury's!!!

If we get our act together we could have this available for ?49.99 in North Cross Road by Christmas (other Religious festivals are available)

WDYT?

[Townleygreen]

Just blank them for god's sake.

[buddug]

Only me! Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think there is an embryonic idea for an East

> Dulwich centric, map based Board Game in here

> .....

>

> Along the lines of ..... a race from Horniman's

> too East Dulwich Station, without getting fleeced,

> maybe with bonus points gained for using back

> roads & alleys, buying overpriced meat, fish or

> coasters made from Thai tin cans & penalties for

> loitering on the main roads or using

> Sainsbury's!!!

> If we get our act together we could have this

> available for ?49.99 in North Cross Road by

> Christmas (other Religious festivals are

> available)

>

> WDYT?

I'd buy it!

[RosieH]

Townleygreen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just blank them for god's sake.

Or smile and say, "sorry, no". It costs you nothing and makes you feel like less of a heel and more of a human being. There but for the grace of god, and all that.

[Townleygreen]

>RosieH said

Or smile and say, "sorry, no". It costs you nothing and makes you feel like less of a heel and more of a human being. There but for the grace of god, and all that.

Yes I agree that's what I do most of the time. One can offer to buy them a sandwich, that way it can't be spent on drugs.

[Jessie]

I find the chuggers - trying to sign people up to charities - or whatever they're called much more of a nuisance and sometimes downright rude.

[Sue]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A few (well a lot more than a few, as will be

> clear) years ago I friend and I dressed as tramps

> and lurked around the Temple (in those days

> lawyers were wealthier than bankers!) saying

> 'Scuse me gov, do you have sixpence for a cup of

> tea'. On the inevitable refusal we would then

> press sixpence on them saying 'Take this, I

> wouldn't want to see you go without'.

>

> It was surprising, or perhaps not, they were

> lawyers, how many accepted the sixpence! Happy

> days.

xxxxxxx

Thanks for making me laugh out loud :D

[Sue]

RosieH Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Or smile and say, "sorry, no". It costs you

> nothing and makes you feel like less of a heel and

> more of a human being. There but for the grace of

> god, and all that.

xxxxxxx

I agree.

It's impossible to give to everyone even if you wanted to, or to know who is the most "worthy" of your money.

But acknowledging that they are there, even if you don't give them anything, so that at least there is some interaction, often seems to be welcomed. It must be so disheartening if you have been forced into begging by circumstances (I'm not talking about those people who do it as a job) and almost everybody just walks past you as if you didn't exist.

ETA: But I must admit I have often crossed Lordship Lane in order not to have to pass the same beggar or chugger twice.

[Nick1962]

I'm loving the idea of giving a sixpence to a banker :)... Brilliant.... Then you could watch him turn it into a thruppence.... and collect a shilling as a bonus!!

[DulwichFox]

Not sure when the Palmerstone was tarted up but when it was the old pub , 8 Years ago ???

..opposite outside what was then 7-11 there used to be a group of 'beggars'

I say a group because they seemed to have set times and would hand over the patch at set times.

They worked what seemed to be 2 hour shifts.

There was this guy that would come into the Palmy for a beer after his shift.

He was a friendly West Indian guy well known to many in the area.

He came in one night after his 2 hour shift and poured a load of change on the bar

and told the manager '?20.00 there mate'

Well the manager did not want ?20.00 in small change...

But ?10.00 an hour 8 years ago ?? not bad.

Concidering the minimum pay is now ?6.08 per hour for workers aged 21 and over

No wonder people are begging.

Fox.

[Lynne]

Bloke who sells the Big Issue on Saturdays outside the charity shop very polite and friendly, but have seen the woman who sells it outside the Co-op being dropped off by a big car

Lynne

[DulwichFox]

The woman who sells it outside the Co-op lives with a group of people in a flat in a big house in Pimlico..

She told me that...

Fox..

[kingy68]

When i am approached with the words "spare change " i just reply with "yes please" that startles them :-D

[computedshorty]

Does it not make sense that if Beggers try to beg but are not rewarded, will have to move elsewhere to get their income.

There is no reason to feel sorry for them or guilty if you do not give.

[kr1st3l]

I'm getting annoyed at how many times ive been asked by the same strange pair of men who, oddly, look well dressed and v.clean, but are either always tipsy or not quite all the ticket (not very pc i know). I'm sure they are not homeless due to the few times ive seen them drinking in the pubs, getting on buses and buying fags etc not that this doesn't mean they aren't homeless but I think they are a pair of chancers and i must look like an easy target!!! I shld ask some stranger if they can give me a few quid for drink n fags...it'd b a great FREE weekend!!! an im pretty skint at mo so hey why not!!!

Also look out for a young white female bout 35-40 wearing bomber jacket n boots as she turns up and sits outside budgens when she in need of a fix as I know someone who knows where she lives with her fella (definately not homeless)!!!

I know there are a lot of genuine homeless people down LL too & will always give what I can spare - I just hate the P!** takers! I was nearly homeless at one point and am now settled with my daughter - we don't have much but I wouldn't ask anyone for a handout!!!Esp if I needed a drink or fags!(and sometimes I could really do with 1 but Id rather feed my daughter and spend any spare spondoolies on her)... The End.

[pipsky2008]

The ginger headed fellow who sits on the pavement outside the co-op with a white blanket round him was huddled in the doorway of a shop oposite asleep at 6am this morning. He would seem genuinly homeless.