Princess street beggers

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Slippery kaboosh

Well-Known Radge
Joined
Feb 10, 2022
Right it's getting ridiculous now. The ones that sit at the corner beside the st James centre with the dog faking parkinsons or the other one sitting barefoot with his feet covered in strategically placed dirt to make him look like some victorian style street kid. Both are pals and are a pair of fucking con men. I've seen them both together in Leith on Thursday night eating a kebab on elm row and guess what. No parkinsons and both wearing shoes. Saw the barefoot one today and asked him if he enjoyed his kebab the other night...oh sorry no English.. get these con men off our streets
 
When I was at high school there was a group of about 6 or 7 foreigners that would jump out a minibus from the bridges all the way along Princes Street, and set up for the day.
All got picked up at the end of the day too.


I think it was Channel 4 that done a program ages ago, where a guy spent time begging in London and I'm sure he made about 40 quid an hour.
 
Hammi said:
When I was at high school there was a group of about 6 or 7 foreigners that would jump out a minibus from the bridges all the way along Princes Street, and set up for the day.
All got picked up at the end of the day too.


I think it was Channel 4 that done a program ages ago, where a guy spent time begging in London and I'm sure he made about 40 quid an hour.
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35 years ago a guy who lived next to me in London was on £500 a week begging, rent paid and his giro. He told us we were mugs for working.
It was a Monday to Friday job for him.
 
I've got this tactic I use if I ever start to feel annoyed about someone begging.. Just forget about it and move on cos it's no hurting me. Works like a charm tbh...
 
Down here there’s beggars outside Tescos
all the time: staff reckon it’s a front for thieves who get tipped off by the beggars when the security is off.

Police move them on, but they’re back in ten minutes.

Pretty sad way to live
 
There’s a young guy sits begging at the entrance to the Aldi store in Whitburn. Always polite, talks to everyone and I’ve never heard him being anything other than polite and grateful for anything folk give him. He’s got that gaunt look of a guy with an addiction problem so I never give him any money but I’ll buy a pack of sandwiches and a bottle of cola in the shop and give them to him on my way out. Financially it’s peanuts for me but to him it might be the difference between him having food that day or bugger all as he’d spend any cash on his habit.
For all I know he might be minted 🤣
 
First time I visited Edinburgh (20ish years ago) I noticed watching out my hotel window a couple of times that they seem to take it in shifts. One sits there a while then gets replaced by the next person for a few hours, that's probably common knowledge but living in a rural part of Australia I hadn't seen begging at the time other than say someone scabbing ciggies out the front of the shops type of thing.

Long as they don't harass people doesn't seem like its any harm
 
Wrote about this a dew yeaes ago about the kirkgate and basixally told to be quiet.and leave the beggars alone. I know there are genuine beggars. But I have also worked with those who are not. I worked with a drug addict who had a flat in Bruce street, Morningside. He got plenty benefits but was out every day with a sign saying he didnt take drugs or alcohol, and just needed money for a hotel bed for the nighr. Pure pish. There was a girl who had a sign sayinv she was hungry and pregnant...her pregnancy lasted a year or more.

I give now and agajn and oftwn feel gjolt when I walk past people, but the realiry is most of thw money goes to drugs or alcohol. Romanians...thags a different story
 
Keepitgreen said:
I've got this tactic I use if I ever start to feel annoyed about someone begging.. Just forget about it and move on cos it's no hurting me. Works like a charm tbh...
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What would the numbers need to be before you'd think it's maybe not hurting you, but from the perspective of promoting our capital city it's definitely hurting...
 
Fishcat said:
First time I visited Edinburgh (20ish years ago) I noticed watching out my hotel window a couple of times that they seem to take it in shifts. One sits there a while then gets replaced by the next person for a few hours, that's probably common knowledge but living in a rural part of Australia I hadn't seen begging at the time other than say someone scabbing ciggies out the front of the shops type of thing.

Long as they don't harass people doesn't seem like its any harm
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Depends what you mean by harrasing. Some are quite aggressive but even making people feel guilty into handing cash over is in some ways mental or financial abuse if the person they are takinf from can barely afford it.
 
Smurf said:
What would the numbers need to be before you'd think it's maybe not hurting you, but from the perspective of promoting our capital city it's definitely hurting...
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Promoting our capital city? What does that mean?
 
Davy said:
Depends what you mean by harrasing. Some are quite aggressive but even making people feel guilty into handing cash over is in some ways mental or financial abuse if the person they are takinf from can barely afford it.
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If they're just sitting there with a cup I'll just walk past. By harassing I meant more how when you're at tourist places like the Eiffel tower or Pisa etc you get aggressively hounded to buy stuff or by pickpocketers. Never had that menacing feeling in Scotland like you get in France or Italy.
 
Keepitgreen said:
Promoting our capital city? What does that mean?
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So you think the sight of folk begging on the streets has no adverse impact on those in the city centre who live or work there? And no adverse impact on the reputation of our city on tourism?
 
Smurf said:
So you think the sight of folk begging on the streets has no adverse impact on those in the city centre who live or work there? And no adverse impact on the reputation of our city on tourism?
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Correct
 
Imagine not being able tae pick who you would like as your MP.
 
Slippery kaboosh said:
Right it's getting ridiculous now. The ones that sit at the corner beside the st James centre with the dog faking parkinsons or the other one sitting barefoot with his feet covered in strategically placed dirt to make him look like some victorian style street kid. Both are pals and are a pair of fucking con men. I've seen them both together in Leith on Thursday night eating a kebab on elm row and guess what. No parkinsons and both wearing shoes. Saw the barefoot one today and asked him if he enjoyed his kebab the other night...oh sorry no English.. get these con men off our streets
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There used to be a group of them from here that spent every Saturday begging in Aberdeen and liaising by mobile phones on the best spots to beg. Saw one old woman going into M&S and buying a sandwich for one of them. When she handed it to him he said “WTF am I supposed to do with that?”. One asked me for money for a pint of milk and I offered to go to the shop with him and buy milk for him. “Nah you’re alright mate.”
 
I work part time in a wee shop and there's an old boy sits outside begging nearly everyday.
Hes in the shop p robably 3 times a day buying vapes or booze or using the ATM.
He's also got a 3 bedroom hoose just round the corner.
I agree with smurf, they dae nothing for the look of a city that rely a lot on tourism, the polis should round them up and fuck them off.
 
paigntonhibby said:
I work part time in a wee shop and there's an old boy sits outside begging nearly everyday.
Hes in the shop p robably 3 times a day buying vapes or booze or using the ATM.
He's also got a 3 bedroom hoose just round the corner.
I agree with smurf, they dae nothing for the look of a city that rely a lot on tourism, the polis should round them up and fuck them off.
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The polis could always adopt the Brazilian approach to dealing with street children.
 
Not just begging these days. I suppose there's been scams in the past but I'm hearing it's reaching new levels.

One I heard of was deliberately targeting the old or infirm (obviously). Can I carry your shopping for you? Get the shopping and do a runner.

Begging on local Facebook pages. Why would anyone in their right mind engage with an anonymous poster who wants anything from charging cables, TVs, washing machines, phones and good old fashioned money ... direct to their bank accounts!
 
paigntonhibby said:
I work part time in a wee shop and there's an old boy sits outside begging nearly everyday.
Hes in the shop p robably 3 times a day buying vapes or booze or using the ATM.
He's also got a 3 bedroom hoose just round the corner.
I agree with smurf, they dae nothing for the look of a city that rely a lot on tourism, the polis should round them up and fuck them off.
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Visit any city in the world, especially the ones that are big on tourism, and you’ll see folk begging. It’s as old as prostitution. If folk want to pass by like they have a bad smell under their nose because there is someone sitting in a shop doorway then fine. I’ve done it myself when I can see the difference between the ‘professional’ ones as opposed to the real rock bottom ones.
If the public are being hassled by beggars the polis will deal with them as appropriate but if all they’re doing is sitting in the hope of a few quid, without being a nuisance, then I’m afraid that if the only thing they’re offending is the guilt of the general public they can carry on. Legally.
 
Beagle said:
Visit any city in the world, especially the ones that are big on tourism, and you’ll see folk begging. It’s as old as prostitution. If folk want to pass by like they have a bad smell under their nose because there is someone sitting in a shop doorway then fine. I’ve done it myself when I can see the difference between the ‘professional’ ones as opposed to the real rock bottom ones.
If the public are being hassled by beggars the polis will deal with them as appropriate but if all they’re doing is sitting in the hope of a few quid, without being a nuisance, then I’m afraid that if the only thing they’re offending is the guilt of the general public they can carry on. Legally.
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I always thought begging itself was illegal
 
The question is why are they begging? You’ve got the professional Romanian begging/shoplifting gangs. You’ve got the jakeys who’s habit you’re feeding every time you drop money in their tin, then you’ve got the mentally ill, veterans with ptsd etc who shouldnae be on the streets but who cannae be helped because we’re spunking money on c#nts that dinnae want tae work, housing immigrants or building student accommodation. Our priorities are a wee bit skewed.
The amount this govt is spending on welfare is obscene but it’s being targeted at the wrong people
 
Forzahibs said:
100% agree with Smurf as a non Edinburgh resident
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Och aye I'm sure theres many folk agree with what hes said

I'm gonna write a wee bit more on it later today. Currently at an outdoor easter event with the wife and bairn and really regretting my life choices 🤣 christ the weather is murder
 
There is Roma type beggars outside my local Sainsbury’s I don’t see many people giving them money, but quite often see them getting food etc. They very much look like trafficed victims. Sitting in the same position for 10 hours plus on a cold damp day is not life, it’s merely existing. I believe it is a common occurrence in many places. Apparently they get dropped off and picked up by cars. Surely the police should be interested in who owns these cars. It’s modern day slavery and is disgusting.
 
Beagle said:
If the public are being hassled by beggars the polis will deal with them as appropriate but if all they’re doing is sitting in the hope of a few quid, without being a nuisance, then I’m afraid that if the only thing they’re offending is the guilt of the general public they can carry on. Legally.
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The line here is blurred for most. Years ago I took part in a Radio Scotland phone in where I spoke about the Romanian women in Edinburgh and the professional beggars in Aberdeen. It had become so commonplace that unless something was done about it genuine people in need would lose out because folk were so pissed off.
The show turned into a discussion on what I said. Roughly 50/50... Miserable bastard/or spot on 🤷
 
Smurf said:
You're deluded.
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Thanks for that. In the interests of cherished cooshed debate, I'll presume you mean more 'I've got a different opinion on this issue than you KiG'

On that basis, I'll expand a bit on my thoughts.

You said: So you think the sight of folk begging on the streets has no adverse impact on those in the city centre who live or work there?

You fair rustled my jimmies with that one! It sounds a bit snowflake-y Smurf. I mean, the sight of homeless people? Oh lord, protect the poor office workers eyes from the sight of these people! Really?

There shouldn't be any homeless people on the street; I think we'll be in agreement on that. Where it looks like we differ is on what should be done about it - although if you say exactly what you think the best course of action is that would be a good starter for ten?

The second thing you said: And no adverse impact on the reputation of our city on tourism?

Well I think someone already mentioned that homeless folk on the streets is pretty universal among the capital cities (regrettably) and so yes, I highly doubt there's many souls out there who look at places to visit and rule out Edinburgh due to there being a few folk sitting on Princes Street. That's my opinion mind, and I can see you think otherwise. All good.
 
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