A sign of our times : Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:17 pm  

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?

Re: A sign of our times : Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:29 pm  

Boris had some yellow paint spare that needed using before the new fiscal year

Re: A sign of our times : Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:32 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?

Isn't begging illegal? I might be wrong.

If there is a down and out sitting there quietly with a paper cup infront of him I wouldn't say it was begging. I wouldn't begrudge anyone giving them their spare change.

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:37 am  

I recall many years ago getting off the tube at Kensington and being asked if I had change for a cuppa by a chap in a wheelchair, I checked my pockets and confirmed to him that I did. I thanked him for his concern and started to walk away as I looked around this guy jumped out of his wheelchair and began to run towards me. Luckily only the year before I had won the Lancashire schools 800 metre running event and the guy gave up. Nowadays I do lots of voluntary work for disabled children but I would never give a penny to anybody begging on the streets. Sadly in London many people especially women are controlled and coerced by gangs

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:18 am  

Dally wrote:

... A sign of the demise of Christian values? ...

We should return to the days of the workhouse.

Those were properly Christian times.

[John_D]

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:18 am  

Dally wrote:

"Please do not give to beggars"

That, in the City, is quite ironic when we've been hosing hundreds of billions on QE, guarantees, insurance etc in the vain hope that the City won't just hoard it.

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:20 am  

peggy wrote:

... Sadly in London many people especially women are controlled and coerced by gangs

It's not just London. There was an investigative prog on recently trailing gangs of Romanian criminals. They operate widely across the country and whilst they are notorious they are not alone.

They come over for 4 - 5 months at a time. The women and children are posted outside mosques, shopping centres, stations, etc. which are judged an easy bet and forced to beg all day until picked up. They make thousands, but are essentially slave labour and see none of it.

The men drive their plush 4x4s around the country, claiming and signing on in as many identities as they can manage.

Then they go back home for the rest of the year to their million pound mansion houses built by begged moneys and UK benefits.

There are many truly destitute and in need but there are many and an increasing number of thieves gangs and professionals. And worse still, by giving to the gangs, you're actually doing your bit to perpetuate that particular slave trade. If you want to salve your conscience or do something to help, then I think it's better to seek out the local homeless charities and give them your money or your time or both.

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:33 am  

I'll mention it first ... I never ever saw a beggar (except the very occasional drunk) until Thatcher's time.
"Care in the community" they called it.
I guess Northern Line stations don't count as being in the community.

There we go, straight into the usual arguments.

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:56 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

It's not just London...

Not just the UK either.

The worst instance I had was arriving at Gard du Nord in Paris and being targeted while getting out of a taxi and paying the driver. The woman actually made a grab for the cash when I told her 'non'.

Re: A sign of our times : Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:10 am  

Mintball wrote:

The worst instance I had was arriving at Gard du Nord in Paris and being targeted while getting out of a taxi and paying the driver. The woman actually made a grab for the cash when I told her 'non'.

How true, working there (stealing their jobs and women) in the early '90s i used the Gare du Nord at all times of the day and night, the metro trains and stations were full of beggars. Had my passport stolen whilst at GdN it is quite an intimidating place.