17 September 2008

Civic Beggars

| phototext
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Anyone else getting jack of some of the Civic Beggars ?

ipods, mobile phones and good clothes…. real hard up.

Some of them are just scrounging scammers.

I’m sick of getting abused and intimidated by the same few a-holes for not giving them money but tonight two of them where well out of order.

One of the regulars, had good clothes on, a mobile phone and three shopping bags from Myers etc. She must have forgotten to put on her “Beggars outfit”. Her and one of the guys where begging off people, they targeted a teenage girl and when she wouldn’t or possibly couldn’t, give them any money, started yelling abuse at her, effin this and effin that. Very nasty stuff. The poor girl was very scared and upset.

There are some genuinely hard up people in Canberra, but there is a crew who work Civic who are leaches.

I’m sure I’m not the only one sick of them.

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Granny said :

Overheard said :

‘Last night I did six keys in the one verse!’

That is quite an achievement!!

*chuckle*

I can only hope you will post the recording!

Um, no. I shot the sound man and group-hypnotised the remaining audience to wipe all memory of it. Semi-redeemed myself a cappella style at Kangaroo Valley last weekend AND watch this space for a big night of singing at the Merry Muse on Friday 17 October featuring two choirs I sing with, plus headliners the fabulous Shiny Bum Singers.

Back OT, a colleague told me that he’d read that James (I’m pretty sure that’s his name) the guy with long hair, long coat and guitar who begs outside DJs in the city had shuffled off the mortal coil. Was glad to find out that’s not the case and he’s still with us.

He’s an example of someone who will probably never be able to make a quid that doesn’t come from welfare or spare change, so I never mind dropping some money into his cap. His guitar work actually used to be quite worth listening to, though the same colleague told me he seems to be struggling of late.

“Oh the beggar by the side of the road
Says, ‘Brother, give me shelter’.
Sit down, wish him well
And share your meal
After all, aren’t we all God’s beggars?”

(cf. above. Oh, and I’m agnostic, just for the record!)

Overheard said :

‘Last night I did six keys in the one verse!’

That is quite an achievement!!

*chuckle*

I can only hope you will post the recording!

Er, that was by way of illumination of a point, btw; I’m not prone to bursting into song on the streets. Well, sometimes if it’s late and I’m over 0.10…

^^ Once as I was walkking past her, I overheard her tell someone that she was tryng to get some money together, ‘enough to get out of this sh!thole’ or something like that and it was all I could do to not stop and wish her the best of British and could I coordinate the appeal.

(I guess this is where one of her bestest friends for ever jumps and and starts with the block capital defence. BCD — it’s a syndrome.)

I don’t give to every beggar, but there are some people who just seem beyond hope and I don’t mind throwing some coin their way. *Bursting into song*

“Oh, the beggar by the side of the road
Says, ‘Brother, any spare change?’
You glare straight ahead,
‘Don’t encourage them’, you said
And walk up that progress hill.

Shall we walk up the progress hill, dear friend
Where the rules are all that matters?
Is your heart as cold as winter snow?
We will walk, we will walk together.”

‘All God’s Beggars’ by Kavisha Mazella from ‘Silver Hook Tango’
(Superb album, brilliant song — might have muffed a word or two)

I’m not so much bothered by them begging as I am by the ones that let fly with a torrent of abuse when you decline to part with funds. You sort of brace for it though after a while.

Which leads me to a story about last time I was in Sydney (about a month ago). I was walking the streets of Central Sydney alone at about 11pm (as I like to do) when a bloke asked me for a dollar for the train (something about losing his wallet). I hate the ‘I don’t have any change’ lie, it’s just such transparent bullshit, so I simply said to him:

“I’m not going to give you any money.”

With such a blunt response I fully expected a torrent of abuse to come my way. To my surprise he simply said “fair enough mate, have a good evening”.

I was flabbergasted. Here I was a country boy from Canberra, fully expecting to be stabbed, and I receive the nicest response I’ve ever had from a beggar. I walked 10 steps and decided I could not leave such behaviour unrewarded. I called him back and gave him 60c for taking my rejection so well. I figured that’s one small step in incentivising a polite society.

I was discussing this incident with a Sydney mate of mine who notoriously refuses to give any money to anyone, when some feckless piece of life asks as for change. I burst out laughing and say “we were just talking about people like you, what a coincidence”. My friend proceeds to give the worst ‘I don’t have any change’ lie I have ever seen. We were of course hurled with abuse.

It was a nice exclamation of the point I was trying to make to my mate, but in retrospect it was again probably very lucky that I didn’t get stabbed.

phototext said :

I always give money to the Salvation Army gentleman, the old guy, he’s a Canberra institution. He’s been around since I was a kid, which was a long time ago.

I used to give him money but not anymore. Not because I don’t like the guy or the Salvation Army, but just because I give one annual donation and get the tax receipt. What can I say? I like to give, except to the Government.

Overheard said :

The converse of that is that woman who used to stand at the corner of Centrepoint across from the merry-go-round and if I was having lunch with colleagues anywhere in a 500m radius I seriously considered offering her $5 to NOT sing for abour half an hour.

That woman was horrendous. Then one day she disappeared and somebody put signs up ‘No busking’. I wonder whatever happened to her.

phototext said :

I always give money to the Salvation Army gentleman, the old guy, he’s a Canberra institution. He’s been around since I was a kid, which was a long time ago.

After reading ‘Down And Out in Paris and London’, I got very anti-Salvos for a long time and I still don’t get their whole military naming structure thing. But I’ve softened over the years and just about all of my usable stuff goes to their stores. And yes, I try to give that bloke in the Canberra Centre some coin every time I can. I gave him a copy of my magazine once (I had a bundle of them to do some promo stuff). Lord knows (no pun intended) what we made of Australian/World folk, blues and roots music. Possibly a nice bin-liner!

tylersmayhem said :

If only there were more like you out there Pesty. What kind of tradie work do you do?

I’m a pesty LOL! (Pest management technician)I can’t say which company I run or i will get moderated. I work on the principal if I can’t make an honest living, I would rather not bother. In fact, one of the major deciding factors for me going it alone was seeing how much some companies charged for virtually nothing! One time, a very elderly and frail lady had a mouse in her kitchen, as an employee I had to place a bait box and present her with a bill for 170 bucks, I felt so bad I vowed there and then to quit. I can’t tell you which company obviouisly, but it was one of a number now bought out by Rentokil.

mdme workalot said :

@Ant – gold! I need a new fridge – do you think that would work if I walked into Hardly Normal in some holey trackies??

Well, wearing holes doesn’t work at expensive shoe shops in Manuka, they’re on to that one. (darn it). But I bet it would work at Hardly’s. Use holes while negotiating the price, then clinch it by waving a bag of cash and ask “how much for REAL cash”. The sugarbag of notes gets them every time.

Remember the old bloke with the card table collecting for the Salvos at Manuka? he’d sit out the front of the Downtown Milkbar. I think it was bad luck to not give him a few dubloons.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy8:59 am 18 Sep 08

Whenever I get quotes from tradies I always dress down.

Why the f**k should I/we have to. I certainly don’t go round thinking they’re poor or outta cash because they get around in dirty paint covered King Gee’s.

I hear you, and agree. I wear a full suit to work everyday also. But, I tend to negotiate on most things I buy (other than groceries), and anything I can do to help myself, well…

On another note, a couple of years ago I bought a good friend a T shirt for Xmas that said “Yes, I have plenty of change you homeless piece of shit, but thanks for asking”.

tylersmayhem8:53 am 18 Sep 08

If only there were more like you out there Pesty. What kind of tradie work do you do?

mdme workalot8:52 am 18 Sep 08

@Ant – gold! I need a new fridge – do you think that would work if I walked into Hardly Normal in some holey trackies???

I’ve got to admit – if I’m making a major purchase, I have been known to do the old ‘use what God gave you’ trick. Not because I’m particularly good-looking, but blokes are just too easy to distract. Biggest bargain was $10k off a new car.

It makes me feel a bit ashamed of it now though, it seems oddly dirty and a real setback for the feminist cause….

Back OT, I’m going to use the suggestion earlier and ask some beggars for change from now on…

gargamel said :

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Whenever I get quotes from tradies I always dress down.

Of course we shouldn’t *have* to dress down as possibly the bloke (or woman) we’re talking to is on more than us! Tradies earn serious coin these days.

But heck – if that’s the way to get a better deal I’m all for it.

It is logical though – if the person you’re selling something to, whether you’re a tradie, a professional or whatever, is ‘flashing’ their my money around would you be inclined to do a deal or would you go for top dollar?

Well, I’m a tradie, I would never over-charge anyone in a suit. As Mrs Pesty is a public servant I know how hard she works, how stressed she gets and how much BS she cops at work for her bucks, and I reckon she is not alone! People in suits may not get there hands dirty, but it doesn’t mean they don’t work just as hard.

I always give money to the Salvation Army gentleman, the old guy, he’s a Canberra institution. He’s been around since I was a kid, which was a long time ago.

bd84 said :

than the tourists trying to harrass you into sponsoring a 3rd world child/lining executives pockets.

see other thread, they are paid collectors trained to extract money.

Can’t say i’ve ever been harrassed by any of them, I get the “got some spare change” as I walk past, a “no” or ignoring them works so does “get off the booze and drugs and get a fking job”.

What’s more annoying are those bloody charity sellers who get in your face walking out a door asking “can I ask you a question?” “NO!” I’m more likely to give money to the salvo gentleman sitting there quietly than the tourists trying to harrass you into sponsoring a 3rd world child/lining executives pockets.

tylersmayhem said :

While someone who is expected to wear a suit to work, I detest the s**t I sometimes get for it by the back dock monkeys at Harvey Norman (yeah, I know it serves me right for buying anything from them), or even the electrician who recently did work at my house once. For the fist day when he quoted me the work I had trackys and a t-shirt on. The next day he saw me in my suit on the way to work and made a big deal about my suit. 3 hours later after finishing the job, the quote went up by a couple of hundred for “unforseen” complications.

Funny that?!

Heh. I always wear my best holey tracky dacks and smart-arse t-shirt on weekends because I LIKE them! Back in the early 90s when I was shopping for my car, it was usually on weekends so there I was in my holes. Eventually there was a bloke at national capital who was determined to sell me a car and eventually came down to my price. Pick-up day was in the week, so I left a management meeting early to head out and get it. The look on the bloke’s face was priceless, it fell about a foot.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Whenever I get quotes from tradies I always dress down.

Of course we shouldn’t *have* to dress down as possibly the bloke (or woman) we’re talking to is on more than us! Tradies earn serious coin these days.

But heck – if that’s the way to get a better deal I’m all for it.

It is logical though – if the person you’re selling something to, whether you’re a tradie, a professional or whatever, is ‘flashing’ their my money around would you be inclined to do a deal or would you go for top dollar?

Felix the Cat8:38 pm 17 Sep 08

[IMG]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg102/dragonsfire1968/beggar.jpg[/IMG]

I shouldn’t be so harsh. I did a version of ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ in Sydney a couple of weeks ago with an eight piece band. I swear I didn’t have any foldback (noise coming out of the speaker pointing at you so you can hear the sound you’re making).

The next night at the pub, the guitarist was telling me about this u-beaut guitar Joni Mitchell’s got that she plugs into a computer that will let her change keys and tunings during the song — six times or whatever in the one song, if she feels the need.

‘That’s nothing,’ I told her — the guitarist, not Joni Mitchell. ‘Last night I did six keys in the one verse!’

But it was the last song, it was ‘Kariefolkie’, and (wait for it) beggars can’t be choosers. (Back OT sort of kind of in the end.)

But seriously, the singer in Civic I was talking about was like fingernails down a chalkboard.

Overheard said :

The converse of that is that woman who used to stand at the corner of Centrepoint across from the merry-go-round and if I was having lunch with colleagues anywhere in a 500m radius I seriously considered offering her $5 to NOT sing for abour half an hour.

You would offer me a lot more than that, Overheard!

; )

Hercsie said :

Had one charity beggar approach me for some cash. An interesting pitch: ” scuse me sir if I sing you a song will you give me some money?” When I asked for Scene one of Act two from La Traviata she told me to f*&k off

The converse of that is that woman who used to stand at the corner of Centrepoint across from the merry-go-round and if I was having lunch with colleagues anywhere in a 500m radius I seriously considered offering her $5 to NOT sing for abour half an hour.

Had one charity beggar approach me for some cash. An interesting pitch: ” scuse me sir if I sing you a song will you give me some money?” When I asked for Scene one of Act two from La Traviata she told me to f*&k off

tylersmayhem said :

As far as charity muggers go, I still lament the time I was approached by one on my way to an interview. On being asked to stop and talk to them, I told them I didn’t have time. To that they shouted back “Yeah…nice suit mate”.

This really pisses me off! Us suit wearers often cop flak about being “rich” or “stingy” or just plain “public servants”. I wish I had walked back to that charity mugger and said “oh thanks, and it only cost me $100 in Vietnam. Hopefully it does the trick because I’m just on my way to A JOB INTERVIEW – you C**K”!

While someone who is expected to wear a suit to work, I detest the s**t I sometimes get for it by the back dock monkeys at Harvey Norman (yeah, I know it serves me right for buying anything from them), or even the electrician who recently did work at my house once. For the fist day when he quoted me the work I had trackys and a t-shirt on. The next day he saw me in my suit on the way to work and made a big deal about my suit. 3 hours later after finishing the job, the quote went up by a couple of hundred for “unforseen” complications.

Funny that?!

Why do you let it upset you? Put it into perspective, you’ll probably go on a nice holiday once you’ve racked up some leave in your new job and he’ll still be there scamming change.

They can yell at me all they want, what really p*sses me off is the fact I go to work every day to pay taxes which are funnelled into keeping these people alive. Where is the justice in that?

“If I see someone not in genuine need approaching to ask me for money, I always try to ask them for change first.”

Genius !

If I see someone not in genuine need approaching to ask me for money, I always try to ask them for change first. The reactions are always priceless!

tylersmayhem3:46 pm 17 Sep 08

Whenever I get quotes from tradies I always dress down.

Why the f**k should I/we have to. I certainly don’t go round thinking they’re poor or outta cash because they get around in dirty paint covered King Gee’s.

I had one chick make up a story asking for money which I listened to then said “no way”, then on the way back from the shop I was visiting she balied me up again but this time with a different story. I told her she’d just spouted a different story ten minutes ago, and did she really expect this crap to fly, and she looked at me in this strange way then marched off.

Sounds like a charity mugger on a coffee break to me.

For some reason they stay away from me. Tall, scary looking male? or maybe from my clothes they think I’m short on cash too. Oh well.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:46 pm 17 Sep 08

Whenever I get quotes from tradies I always dress down.

As far as beggars go, I had one chick make up a story asking for money which I listened to then said “no way”, then on the way back from the shop I was visiting she balied me up again but this time with a different story. I told her she’d just spouted a different story ten minutes ago, and did she really expect this crap to fly, and she looked at me in this strange way then marched off. I let it go – it must suck having so little dignity. This was in Civic, BTW.

TyersMayhem – I’m sure the lords of RiotAct would like a thread on …. well… threads. I’d agree with everything you said – and it accounts for so much of my personal slovenliness and the general air that surrounds me of menswear from a shop advertised by retired rugby league footballers. More than that, it’s difficult to get upset about tearing a $10 shirt. And it contributes to the general capacity to to face down chuggers and beggars.

The suits are there, in the wardrobe. They stay there unless there is a reason. If you have to wear one, you have my sympathy.

tylersmayhem2:38 pm 17 Sep 08

I had nothing smaller so i gave him a 20 and laughed all the way to bondi junction at his most honest approach.

@Piratemonkey: when you say “20” I desperately hope you are referring to 20 cents. If it was actually 20 bucks – way to go for encouraging this s**t behavior!

tylersmayhem1:41 pm 17 Sep 08

As far as charity muggers go, I still lament the time I was approached by one on my way to an interview. On being asked to stop and talk to them, I told them I didn’t have time. To that they shouted back “Yeah…nice suit mate”.

This really pisses me off! Us suit wearers often cop flak about being “rich” or “stingy” or just plain “public servants”. I wish I had walked back to that charity mugger and said “oh thanks, and it only cost me $100 in Vietnam. Hopefully it does the trick because I’m just on my way to A JOB INTERVIEW – you C**K”!

While someone who is expected to wear a suit to work, I detest the s**t I sometimes get for it by the back dock monkeys at Harvey Norman (yeah, I know it serves me right for buying anything from them), or even the electrician who recently did work at my house once. For the fist day when he quoted me the work I had trackys and a t-shirt on. The next day he saw me in my suit on the way to work and made a big deal about my suit. 3 hours later after finishing the job, the quote went up by a couple of hundred for “unforseen” complications.

Funny that?!

la mente torbida1:38 pm 17 Sep 08

I think it was a Will Anderson gag/story:

Beggar: “Hey bud, can you spare me a couple of bucks for a sandwich?”

Will: “And what sort of sandwich would that be?”

Beggar(caught off guard): “Er, um,…….a heroin sandwich”

a mate of mine said if someone asks you for change, tell them that change comes from within.

Piratemonkey12:06 pm 17 Sep 08

It is always the same ones so they get nothing more then a f off from me. The welfare in this country is more then adequate. The only one in the last few years to win any cash off me was a bloke at a train station in sydney:

Homeless dude: Good afternoon lovely young europeans (to my girlfriend and I)

Me: Ah hi (shocked by his interesting tone)

Homeless dude: Now i could tell you some rubbish story about needing a train ticket or lunch but the truth of the matter is me and my friends here are alcoholics and would love a drink to drown our sorrows if you could spare any change that would be most kind.

I had nothing smaller so i gave him a 20 and laughed all the way to bondi junction at his most honest approach.

TylersMayhem – I responded to one recently in terms suggesting that he should depart my presence immediately, in a copulatory sense. I may also have described him as “chugging backpacker scum”. I certainly said I would prefer to spend my discretionary charity dollars on real causes, rather than on funding English backpackers.

tylersmayhem11:48 am 17 Sep 08

…and don’t get me started on Charity Muggers again!

My standard response to people asking me for spare change is that if i had change to spare i wouldnt need a job.

I was approached by a beggar in Melbourne once at the train station. The bloke claimed that he needed $20 to pay for a country train ticket to get home. I had the time so offered to accompany him to the ticket box and purchase the ticket for him. It wasn’t really a surprise when he declined my offer and requested the cash. I wasn’t willing to contribute to his next hit. I saw him several more times, he remembered me and didn’t come near me again.

Ever tried asking abeggar if they accept mastercard?

As with many things, I have found a ferocious appearance helps. Getting between one of these opportunistic mendicants and a vulnerable target is a particular delight.

On the other hand, the Big Issue folk are always ok.

tylersmayhem11:28 am 17 Sep 08

when some beggar would hassle me for smokes i’d give him a herbal one on the sly – the look on their face after that first drag – priceless!!!

Brilliant!

Loquaciousness10:57 am 17 Sep 08

Mish_Mash said :

and for the record, i never mind helping people who actually need it. if someone actually took me up on my offer of buying them lunch i would. but these people are scum who want everything for free. if i have to work for my change you aint getting it buddy!

+1. Must try that tactic next time 🙂

L

When i smoked cigarettes a few years back lighting up in the civic bus interchange of a morning was always risky because within minutes some kid in smackie trackies would be in my face asking to ‘bludge a dart of yer mate?!’

Then i began to keep a pack of herbal cigarettes in my bag (you think regular cigarettes are awful, the herbal ones are catastrophic!) so when some beggar would hassle me for smokes i’d give him a herbal one on the sly – the look on their face after that first drag – priceless!!!

i always like the response when i offer to buy them what they want instead of giving them the cash. ie, “spare some change for the bus?” “sure! come over to the news-agency and i’ll buy you the bus ticket” or “spare some change for lunch?” “sure! come with me and i’ll buy you a sandwich”.

Ive offered when people ask but yet nobody wants to take me up on the offer? strange… hahaha

and yes @ phototext, ipods and mobile phones draw the line for me. perhaps you should tell them to call someone who cares from the phone. or just start screaming “RAPE” really loudly and see how they re-act. 🙂

and for the record, i never mind helping people who actually need it. if someone actually took me up on my offer of buying them lunch i would. but these people are scum who want everything for free. if i have to work for my change you aint getting it buddy!

Still remember when working in the city there used to be an old grey haired bloke that used to ask for 2-3 bucks for ‘lunch’.. then duck straight into the City T.A.B!!

Loquaciousness10:12 am 17 Sep 08

Not sure if it’s the same mob or not, but back when I worked in Civic (just over a year ago now), the ‘regular’ mob had a baby that they’d share around between them. Whoever had the baby would beg for a few dollars for formula, or nappies whatever. It was never quite clear who’s child it actually was, and I have wondered since what happened to it. Don’t suppose anyone has seen them with a toddler recently?

Interestingly, after a few months of walking past them daily (and never giving them anything, I might add, because I’d been clued in about the baby scam and figured they didn’t deserve anything from me), they started to ignore me. They’d see me coming, start to approach, then realise I was a ‘local’ (for want of a better term) and pick a different target.

L

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