Re: A sign of our times : Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:12 pm  

Dally wrote:

For those of you not familiar with it, Old Street tube station in London is located on the fringe of the City in a traditionally poor part of time which is increasingly fashionable. More relevantly to this post it is effectively underneath a large road roundabout and surrounded by underpasses for pedestrians. So alot of people crossing major roads and entering / leaving the tube use it. There is quite a few exits - I am guessing about 12. At one or two you often have people sat begging.

This week on the floor near each exit "Please do not give to beggars" has appeared in the yellow paint that is used for road markings,

What are your feelings? Typical Tory contempt for the vulnerable? A sign of the demise of Christian values? A great idea?

I seem to recall that there's a certain 'Establishment' just down the road from Old Street, called Browns, where certain Femails still beg coinage (or noteage!) from discreet Gentlemen

Re: A sign of our times : Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:28 pm  

tedglen wrote:

I seem to recall that there's a certain 'Establishment' just down the road from Old Street, called Browns, where certain Femails still beg coinage (or noteage!) from discreet Gentlemen

Gentlemen? The people going in and out of there are not gentlemen.

Re: A sign of our times : Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:16 pm  

tedglen wrote:

I seem to recall that there's a certain 'Establishment' just down the road from Old Street, called Browns, where certain Femails still beg coinage (or noteage!) from discreet Gentlemen

There's a far better one on Hackney Road proper.

Re: A sign of our times : Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:47 pm  

Mintball wrote:

There's a far better one on Hackney Road proper.

What constitutes "far better" in this context?

Re: A sign of our times : Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:32 pm  

Similar in Blackburn, a very friendly young lady tried to pick my pocket the same way. I just grabbed her wrist and said a hand job would do.

Re: A sign of our times : Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:54 pm  

tedglen wrote:

I seem to recall that there's a certain 'Establishment' just down the road from Old Street, called Browns, where certain Femails still beg coinage (or noteage!) from discreet Gentlemen

There used to be one called The Spread Eagle near that locality that also offered a similar form of entertainment IIRC.

Re: A sign of our times : Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:13 am  

A bloke stood in a carpark by his car with bonnet open asked my Grandad to loan him £20 for a taxi home/some petrol/whatever. My Grandad said no and he asked a few more people walking through the carpark, after he'd been rejected by everyone in a large group he put his bonnet down, got in, and drove off.

Also had the "I've lost my train tickets..." off a kid in Hull station claiming to be from York, he didn't even bother finishing his special brew before approaching us. As we were leaving the car park he was walking back across to his block of flats.

Re: A sign of our times : Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:50 am  

Good they should get them off our streets, they are a right nuisance coming up to you with their stories about their crappy charity and will you spare just £6 a month to pay by direct debit.....the sooner their kind are out of our faces to leave us in peace the better.

Re: A sign of our times : Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:48 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

Good they should get them off our streets, they are a right nuisance coming up to you with their stories about their crappy charity and will you spare just £6 a month to pay by direct debit.....the sooner their kind are out of our faces to leave us in peace the better.

I was pestered so much by someone from the RSPCA once (I was very tired after just getting back from holiday and didn't have the energy to argue) that I signed up for direct debit. I then cancelled it as soon as I could.