10 April 2013

Beggar's Belief

| Thevoiceofchoice
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I am a regular consumer at Woolworths in Dickson and besides fighting with traffic I have found there to be an even greater threat.. the beggars!

It is getting out of control. I think there is at least 5 who have taken up residence and continue to badger me going in and coming out. I was even accosted at my vehicle by a scruffy looking gentleman before I could turn off my ignition. Don’t get me wrong, I am one who gives to charity or even a beggar on a one off type scenario when I can, but when I see the same faces day in and day out shows me they are not remotely interested in looking for work.. hell there are guys out there cleaning car windows!. No doubt they are collecting a government handout and this just happens to supplement their income.

In essence, I want the police to make use of their “move on” powers and stop this from developing. I am surprised Woolworths have not done anything, but then again, I have noticed them buying their cigarettes from them with their “donations”

Anyone else fed up or do I wear it like a bad suit?

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devils_advocate said :

Solidarity said :

RAGD said :

Last week I was in Dickson having just gotten a pie from Elaines. I bought a drink too and literally didn’t have any change. I walked past the guy with his hat on the floor and my bleeding heart got the best of me. I said ” Mate, I don’t have any change, but do you want this pie”? He looked at me in disgust and I said, ” I don’t like Pies mate I don’t eat them”. I was a bit shocked and thought ok, fair enough, not everyone has to like pies. Then he carried on ” I also don’t like cigarettes , I can’t stand the filters on them “. Then I looked at his ear and tucked in behind it was a ciggie with a filter on it. I went back to work and ate my pie and I thought well if the guy was really desperate he would have taken my pie and probably anything else anyone else offered him, so I didn’t feel that sorry for him anymore.

I’m calling shenanigans… nobody doesn’t like pies!

Did you put sauce on it? because I can understand if it was missing sauce, offering a pie without sauce is a crime against humanity according to the UN, and rightly so.

Wait, that’s ridiculous. This is Australia, no commercial pie shop would let a pie leave their shop unsauced, they’d be summarily executed.

Guilty as charged. No sauce was offered. Although in my defence we have sauce at work so I didn’t think I needed it at the time of purchase. Lesson learnt.

devils_advocate said :

Solidarity said :

RAGD said :

Last week I was in Dickson having just gotten a pie from Elaines. I bought a drink too and literally didn’t have any change. I walked past the guy with his hat on the floor and my bleeding heart got the best of me. I said ” Mate, I don’t have any change, but do you want this pie”? He looked at me in disgust and I said, ” I don’t like Pies mate I don’t eat them”. I was a bit shocked and thought ok, fair enough, not everyone has to like pies. Then he carried on ” I also don’t like cigarettes , I can’t stand the filters on them “. Then I looked at his ear and tucked in behind it was a ciggie with a filter on it. I went back to work and ate my pie and I thought well if the guy was really desperate he would have taken my pie and probably anything else anyone else offered him, so I didn’t feel that sorry for him anymore.

I’m calling shenanigans… nobody doesn’t like pies!

Did you put sauce on it? because I can understand if it was missing sauce, offering a pie without sauce is a crime against humanity according to the UN, and rightly so.

Wait, that’s ridiculous. This is Australia, no commercial pie shop would let a pie leave their shop unsauced, they’d be summarily executed.

My bad, I should have known. It was obviously my fault for offering a free pie to someone without any sauce. Guilty as charged.

Although in my defence I did have sauce at work, so I didn’t think I need it at the time of purchase. Lesson learnt.

devils_advocate11:34 am 09 Jul 13

Solidarity said :

RAGD said :

Last week I was in Dickson having just gotten a pie from Elaines. I bought a drink too and literally didn’t have any change. I walked past the guy with his hat on the floor and my bleeding heart got the best of me. I said ” Mate, I don’t have any change, but do you want this pie”? He looked at me in disgust and I said, ” I don’t like Pies mate I don’t eat them”. I was a bit shocked and thought ok, fair enough, not everyone has to like pies. Then he carried on ” I also don’t like cigarettes , I can’t stand the filters on them “. Then I looked at his ear and tucked in behind it was a ciggie with a filter on it. I went back to work and ate my pie and I thought well if the guy was really desperate he would have taken my pie and probably anything else anyone else offered him, so I didn’t feel that sorry for him anymore.

I’m calling shenanigans… nobody doesn’t like pies!

Did you put sauce on it? because I can understand if it was missing sauce, offering a pie without sauce is a crime against humanity according to the UN, and rightly so.

Wait, that’s ridiculous. This is Australia, no commercial pie shop would let a pie leave their shop unsauced, they’d be summarily executed.

RAGD said :

Last week I was in Dickson having just gotten a pie from Elaines. I bought a drink too and literally didn’t have any change. I walked past the guy with his hat on the floor and my bleeding heart got the best of me. I said ” Mate, I don’t have any change, but do you want this pie”? He looked at me in disgust and I said, ” I don’t like Pies mate I don’t eat them”. I was a bit shocked and thought ok, fair enough, not everyone has to like pies. Then he carried on ” I also don’t like cigarettes , I can’t stand the filters on them “. Then I looked at his ear and tucked in behind it was a ciggie with a filter on it. I went back to work and ate my pie and I thought well if the guy was really desperate he would have taken my pie and probably anything else anyone else offered him, so I didn’t feel that sorry for him anymore.

I’m calling shenanigans… nobody doesn’t like pies!

“Got a dolla mate?”

“Nah, sorry mate. I only have 2.”

SheepGroper said :

tim_c said :

Evidently it wasn’t coffee he wanted afterall, and he was obviously (and rightly) ashamed because you’d quite effectively called his bluff and exposed his dishonesty.

I thought he was obviously angry that he didn’t get the drug or gambling money he wanted, feeling bad about having his dishonesty exposed might have been beyond him.

People don’t like having their bluff exposed, but I suspect you’ve summed it up better than I did.

RAGD said :

… I thought well if the guy was really desperate he would have taken my pie and probably anything else anyone else offered him, so I didn’t feel that sorry for him anymore.

Yes, there’s a saying “Beggars can’t be choosers” – obviously these guys are not really in as much need as they pretend to be.

Last week I was in Dickson having just gotten a pie from Elaines. I bought a drink too and literally didn’t have any change. I walked past the guy with his hat on the floor and my bleeding heart got the best of me. I said ” Mate, I don’t have any change, but do you want this pie”? He looked at me in disgust and I said, ” I don’t like Pies mate I don’t eat them”. I was a bit shocked and thought ok, fair enough, not everyone has to like pies. Then he carried on ” I also don’t like cigarettes , I can’t stand the filters on them “. Then I looked at his ear and tucked in behind it was a ciggie with a filter on it. I went back to work and ate my pie and I thought well if the guy was really desperate he would have taken my pie and probably anything else anyone else offered him, so I didn’t feel that sorry for him anymore.

tim_c said :

Evidently it wasn’t coffee he wanted afterall, and he was obviously (and rightly) ashamed because you’d quite effectively called his bluff and exposed his dishonesty.

I thought he was obviously angry that he didn’t get the drug or gambling money he wanted, feeling bad about having his dishonesty exposed might have been beyond him.

There’s a bloke who doorknocks around Watson asking for change. He’s visited my place at least five times over the past year or so, meaning it’s not an isolated incident. He starts on a spiel as if he’s trying to sell something and doesn’t take a simple ‘no’ lightly, though since he had the hide to ask for $7 last time and was offended when I offered the $1 in my pocket I think I’ll be quicker to shut the door on him.

BerraBoy68 said :

…Many years ago I was approach by an elderly man in London who asked me for a few pounds to buy a coffee. I told him I couldn’t given him any change then went to the local cafe and bought him a drink. On presenting this bloke with a fresh cup of coffee, I copped a mouthful of abuse and had the drink thrown all over my pants and shoes….

Evidently it wasn’t coffee he wanted afterall, and he was obviously (and rightly) ashamed because you’d quite effectively called his bluff and exposed his dishonesty.

I find it handy just to say “sorry mate, I save my change to buy a copy of the Big Issue”. Of course, it helps if you actually do buy a copy from a regular merchant. I buy mine from a rather cheerful looking woman outside Woollies at Kambah Village. I’ve often seen her dropping into the BWS afterwards for whatever she wants, but at least she’s making the money herself and not just begging for it.

Asking beggars what they want and buying that instead is, in my experience, just a waste and doesn’t end well. Many years ago I was approach by an elderly man in London who asked me for a few pounds to buy a coffee. I told him I couldn’t given him any change then went to the local cafe and bought him a drink. On presenting this bloke with a fresh cup of coffee, I copped a mouthful of abuse and had the drink thrown all over my pants and shoes. I won’t be repeating that approach.

I think the bigger problem, though, isn’t just the fact that beggars are asking for money, but its the way they are asking. People who are easily intimidated may well feel that they ‘have’ to give something.

Was there tonight when I saw two blokes come out of Woolies and kick the guys begging hat, sending it and the few coins flying and yelling “get a job”. That angered me and I almost said something, but didn’t want to get into an altercation. The guy is not hurting anyone. If you don’t want to give anything, fine, but that was uncalled for.

What worries me here is that someone who would go by the name Thevoiceofchoice would shop at woolies to begin with. The only choices the big supermarkets offer are for all of the things you don’t need.

bundah said :

One can find them congregating out the front of Coles Manuka on occasion as well.They don’t bother asking me,maybe they think i’m one of them?

They don’t usually hassle the locals. They generally try to make friends instead. I’ve had some of them ask me for a job and I’d be happy to try them out if they got off drugs long enough to organise a resume or at least a phone number.

Well meaning but no life skills. No wonder their choices end up limited to criminal activity or begging.

Pitchka said :

Dilandach said :

Ignore them or if you’re going to give them anything, give them the item that they’re asking money for.

Dilandach – what is it you desire begger

Begger – a Porchse

Dilandach – dont go anywhere, i shall be back..

Am I a hobo-genie now? Polish the Jim Beam bottle and out I come to grant three hobo wishes.

Rudy’s poems are awesome! If you have no money, he often gives them away for free.

But on a more serious note, most of the beggars around Dickson have serious mental health problems.
And once you’re homeless and scruffy looking, it’s extremely difficult to get a job.
Telling people to move on doesn’t solve anything.
And as for the idea that you shouldn’t ever give them money – I’d rather they begged to support drug/alcohol addictions than felt compelled to steal.
Ignoring them works if you don’t want to give them anything.
If you want to get rid of them, volunteers are needed to work with the homeless: http://the-riotact.com/volunteers-needed-to-work-with-the-homeless/99900?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook – Go on. Solve Canberra’s homelessness.

KB1971 said :

Has anybody ever bought a poem of tall Rudy who hangs around outside RA HQ?

They are interesting thats for sure….. 🙂

I’ve bought a poem or two off him in the past, before my mum told me about the time he tried to grope her when she was a teenager, now I tell him to bugger off.

Ahhhh…I’m very large and not really all that pleasing to look at. Every now and then I find a reason to give thanks for what usually seems rather unfortunate, and this is one of those occasions.

I haven’t been approached by a chugger, beggar, panhandler et al for over 30 years. I walk past them, they look at me and then they look away and hassle some other poor chump. Even the windscreen washers steer clear of me, which pisses of Mrs LSWCHP no end, because they tend to hassle lone women.

I’ll call it a genetic blessing. 🙂

ArthurianFish7:30 pm 10 Apr 13

There’s one lady in civic who asks me for $2 for the bus whenever I catch a bus to work, and then buys her smokes off me with a whole lot of $2 coins.

Has anybody ever bought a poem of tall Rudy who hangs around outside RA HQ?

They are interesting thats for sure….. 🙂

I used to hate how all the beggars in Nimbin would try to hit me up to buy some shit bush crap. I hunted high and low for anything that smelt like the Serpentine (smelt good, looked good, but was in the end crap). Usually they would show and let me smell some top shelf gear, only to sell me the same old bush every other beggar had. That is why I hate begars and Nimbin.. always leave a bad taste of bush in me mouth. HAHAHHAHAHAHA, Canberra should get their hydropinc gear in order, surely u can get seeds from Amsterdam houses.

Got any change for the bus mate?

No, but I have free advice.

Uh?

Give up smoking and you won’t need so much.

Uh?

Yep, they breed em bright in Dickson. What a dump!

Woolworths can’t do anything if they aren’t on their property which stops pretty much at their front door.

A simple “No sorry” works. Although if they start confronting people in their cars or late at night that scares people, I’m sure a call to the police ops would get then to come check them out.. Eventually..

Tetranitrate5:35 pm 10 Apr 13

arescarti42 said :

Between the pay parking, beggars and long lines at what has to be Australia’s s***tiest Woolworths, I’m not sure why a lot of people bother shopping at Dickson.

This 1000 times. I avoid it whenever I possible. It really is the worst.

They literally never have a sufficient number of staff on and the lines always stupidly long.
It’s not at all well priced compared to the the Coles in Belconnen, Macquarie or Gungahlin either. Premium prices and long lines to shop in what feels like the middle of a slum.

They should be flogged from county to county and then transported for the term of their natural life.

Or else nuked from orbit. Its the only way to be sure.

Some of them seem to size you up as you approach them so anyone who appears to have sucker tattoed on their forehead gets pounced on.

arescarti42 said :

Between the pay parking, beggars and long lines at what has to be Australia’s s***tiest Woolworths, I’m not sure why a lot of people bother shopping at Dickson.

Dickson Woolies is the most profitable supermarket in the southern hemisphere, if [user]LostInBias[/user] knows what he’s talking about, they must be doing something right. I think the main problem is that Dicko is a hub for some (frankly) fairly shitty neighbourhoods, which is why I’m not sure that gentrifying Dickson itself (which appears to be currently in the works) will be much help in making the shops a nicer area.

One can find them congregating out the front of Coles Manuka on occasion as well.They don’t bother asking me,maybe they think i’m one of them?

The golden ratio is distance to a bottle shop v. punters carrying unwanted change.

poptop said :

Frankly if I was homeless and probably with one of the other issues that goes with it (substance abuse, mental health, some sort of disability, etc, etc) I’d certainly spend my begged money on smokes, alcohol and drugs too. It is easy enough to get a cheap or free meal, getting money for cigarettes is much harder.

The rest of my life looks pretty bleak and so anything that makes it more bearable sounds like a reasonable course of action.

Criminalising homelessness behaviours [like begging and loitering] doesn’t solve anything much.

As the beggars are described as ‘scruffy’ I am wondering what employer you would suggest they approach? Certainly research shows that getting employed is effectively impossible without stable housing and some sort of support to address the reasons people have ended up in the situation.

Having beggers around is inconvenient and untidy; but getting the police to “move them on” only begs the question – move them to where?

In Bleak House the road sweeper (that is, he has a broom and clears horse poo out of the way of people wanting to cross the road, hoping for a coin) called Jo is continually ‘moved on’ by the police. Dickens calls a chapter ‘Moving On’:

‘”My instructions don’t go to that,” replies the constable. “My instructions are that this boy is to move on.”

Do you hear, Jo? It is nothing to you or to any one else that the great lights of the parliamentary sky have failed for some few years in this business to set you the example of moving on. The one grand recipe remains for you–the profound philosophical prescription–the be-all and the end-all of your strange existence upon earth. Move on! You are by no means to move off, Jo, for the great lights can’t at all agree about that. Move on!’

(Jo ends up dying.) I know we have social security now, and poverty means something different, but it’s interesting that some people still want the poor moved on, out of their sight.

SmileOnTrial4:56 pm 10 Apr 13

poptop said :

Having beggers around is inconvenient and untidy; but getting the police to “move them on” only begs the question – move them to where?

Sri Lanka

poptop said :

…but getting the police to “move them on” only begs the question – move them to where?

Yarralumla.

Frankly if I was homeless and probably with one of the other issues that goes with it (substance abuse, mental health, some sort of disability, etc, etc) I’d certainly spend my begged money on smokes, alcohol and drugs too. It is easy enough to get a cheap or free meal, getting money for cigarettes is much harder.

The rest of my life looks pretty bleak and so anything that makes it more bearable sounds like a reasonable course of action.

Criminalising homelessness behaviours [like begging and loitering] doesn’t solve anything much. As the beggars are described as ‘scruffy’ I am wondering what employer you would suggest they approach? Certainly research shows that getting employed is effectively impossible without stable housing and some sort of support to address the reasons people have ended up in the situation.

Having beggers around is inconvenient and untidy; but getting the police to “move them on” only begs the question – move them to where?

Between the pay parking, beggars and long lines at what has to be Australia’s s***tiest Woolworths, I’m not sure why a lot of people bother shopping at Dickson.

Pitchka said :

I usually ask them for money before they get the chance to ask me… Confusion follows soon afterwards…

Lol – I had someone ask me for money at Woden Plaza a couple of years back. “I don’t get paid until next week” he moaned. It wasn’t until later I realised I should have said “I don’t get paid until the end of the month so perhaps you could help me out…”

Dilandach said :

Ignore them or if you’re going to give them anything, give them the item that they’re asking money for.

Dilandach – what is it you desire begger

Begger – a Porchse

Dilandach – dont go anywhere, i shall be back..

Ignore them or if you’re going to give them anything, give them the item that they’re asking money for.

Don’t ever give them money.

I usually ask them for money before they get the chance to ask me… Confusion follows soon afterwards…

Felix the Cat2:30 pm 10 Apr 13

Just ignore them or politely but firmly say “no thanks”, preferably before they even ask you for anything. Or perhaps wear earphones and pretend (or don’t pretend) you are listening to music and can’t hear them.

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