Enterprising young lad.

Jivrashia said :

What happen to the one at the intersection of Akuna St and City Walk, Civic?

It was an elderly gentlemen dressed in decent clothes (no dirt or tear in his jacket) and black shoes, who would approach you and ask for some money.

For someone dressed well it seemed weird, unless he blew it all at the casino just across the street…

This old bloke is still around. Yes, he does just gamble the money away. For the last 5 years, I have watched him ask people for ‘Bus fare’ and head straight to the TAB or casino with it. I walked up to one lady who was about to give him $10 and told her what he does with it….The abuse which flowed from his mouth was what you would expect from a strung out druggie or something!

Sure enough, someone must have given him some cash, because 10 minutes later, there he was walking into the TAB….

What happen to the one at the intersection of Akuna St and City Walk, Civic?

It was an elderly gentlemen dressed in decent clothes (no dirt or tear in his jacket) and black shoes, who would approach you and ask for some money.

For someone dressed well it seemed weird, unless he blew it all at the casino just across the street…

I remember a girl that used to sing near the merry-go-round in Civic. She used to sing like something was stuck up her nose. She was awful.

Just a thought for those enterprising folk, the window washers are making good coin, but my docs could use a polish, bring back shoe polishing guys / girls.
Actually, maybe don’t and I’ll do that in my next unwanted holiday break from contracting.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

If it is the man I think, he sadly died a while ago. He used to sell his poems around Civic and the Gorman House Markets. A bit of a gentle giant.

If that’s true, his very material ghost was haunting the Gorman House Markets last week.

I saw him yesterday in the city.

I got a 2 minute rap from a beggar in Hawaii – I challenged him to a dollar a minute and he accepted…

I felt good that I was contributing to him getting back to the mainland to go to uni (Tongue in cheek)

NickD said :

A middle aged guy in a nice coat asked me for some money out the front of Landspeed Records at lunch yesterday. I hadn’t seen him before, and he didn’t look that hard-up. I guess that the economic downturn is starting to impact on Canberra.

That’s my son Richard.

Oh crap, -s

Anna Key said :

OzChick said :

Who is 55 cent guy?

He used to be 50 cent but then got slugged with the GST

Thats’s cleverer!

OzChick said :

Who is 55 cent guy?

He used to be 50 cent but then got slugged with the GST

Forgot to add: keep an eye for Himyname’sMikeandI’mabakerfromWestonandIneedtwentybuckstogetbacktotheshopbecauseIdon’thavemywalletormykeysandifyougivemeyournumberI’llcallyoulaterandgetyoudoubleyourmoneyback. He does the flustered thing very, very well.

If it is the man I think, he sadly died a while ago. He used to sell his poems around Civic and the Gorman House Markets. A bit of a gentle giant.

If that’s true, his very material ghost was haunting the Gorman House Markets last week.

sorry wraith, just spent me last change.

and addison, thanks but really, no thanks, for that charming image with which you left me…

Ten bucks to buy dinner? Piss off. Pack of instant noodles and can of baked beans and *** off.

If you’ve got time, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soCTtmI9110 .

The tall guy who sells poems is still about, I buy them off him on occasions. I tried just giving him some money once and he insisted I take a poem. They are a bit corny but good on him for making the effort rather than the usual crapola from the Civic beggars.

There was one (two actually) tonight hanging out in front of the Calwell Shops asking for a dollar for a fu%#ing beer. Charming.

A middle aged guy in a nice coat asked me for some money out the front of Landspeed Records at lunch yesterday. I hadn’t seen him before, and he didn’t look that hard-up. I guess that the economic downturn is starting to impact on Canberra.

Oh well, I am saddened to hear that. He was always lovely to sit down with and have a ciggy and chat with. He was a gentle giant of course. But his poetry still stunk!

Hells_Bells74 said :

What about that tall older God-spreading man who sells his poems. I bought one off him once with gusto.. He also gave me a few at a later date (for smokes probably), but whilst it was a great idea about how to get small change off people, they really stunk, not even as good as a small childs work.

If it is the man I think, he sadly died a while ago. He used to sell his poems around Civic and the Gorman House Markets. A bit of a gentle giant.

I like the guy who used to ‘sell’ dirty jokes. Give him a couple fo bucks and you’d hear 3 crackers.

Happy to pay, because I saw the value.

The beggars who hassle me and make up bull$hit can kiss my hairy testicles.

What about that tall older God-spreading man who sells his poems. I bought one off him once with gusto.. He also gave me a few at a later date (for smokes probably), but whilst it was a great idea about how to get small change off people, they really stunk, not even as good as a small childs work.

There’s an older chap in Civic who frequently approaches us looking for ten bucks to buy dinner, because, as he tells it, his pension cheque isn’t due until tomorrow. Sounds dodgy, except that in hindsight we only ever see him on alternate Tuesdays.

ATO

the guy on crutches in the city was a classic, he would pretend to have a disability to attract people to help him then when they were close he would hit them up for cash. he would meet up with a woman and have lunch every day and I guess compare notes. It is sad that people have to do this we need better mental care in this country

There’s a regular young bloke in Civic who looks strong and healthy, but he begs all the time. Yesterday, he tried it on me by saying he needed two dollars to help ‘this lady’ as he vaguely waved his arm in the direction of the bus interchange. It din’t take long before someone succumbed.

The thing is, I work in Civic, and so he must have approached me at least half a dozen times lately, and never seems to comprehend that I’ve heard it before. And he’s not the only one. Between the beggars and the charity-guerillas, it’s sometime hard to eat your sandwich in peace!

Can anyone lend me a dollar??

Need it to pay for this post

There used to be a guy in Dickson who used to yell out
“Hey you…”
“Come over here!”
Then if people were stupid enough to go over to him.
“You got a dollar you can spare?”

WTF? If you are going to scab money off people. At least have the decency to go over to THEM to ask for money. Don’t call them over to YOU!

Anyone seen the Tropfest entry a couple of years ago called “Beggers Belief”?

There is the perenial favourite, Mr “my girlfriend has just been hit by a car/truck/bus in civic and I desperately need $40 to catch a taxi to the hospital to be by her deathbed!”

Typically he operates in Red Hill, Narrabundah area. He lives in Narrabundah. Goes door to door, looking all distraught, sweaty and vaguely druggish. The whole speel is delivered with a fairly believable level of urgency and panic. Presumably makes a fair bit seeing it is $40 a pop…

55 cent guy, what we dubbed him anyway was a skinny young lad, who used to ask for 55 cents to get the bus. No one ever had 55 cents, so he would normally get a dollar. Used to clear around 3-400 a day (he used to come into my shop trying to get notes for his gold coins)

Who is 55 cent guy?

I remember an old guy who walked around Civic with crutches. I think he was an alcoholic.