4 August 2009

Enterprising young lad.

| j from the block
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A new level of enterprising young lad spotted in the bus interchange today.

While his dodgy appearance may turn off the potential donors, he stood back against Dick Smith counting change in his bum bag he had his lady friend front up to passers by for “change for the bus”.

Made a killing from what I watched in the 5 minutes while interested. Anyone else seen any beggars of note lately? Not sure whatever happened to “55 cent guy” , he always did quite well. I always admired the ones that came up with a good story.

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the people that wash your windscreens are actually breaking the law, you should not be on a road for longer than it takes to cross it. but I guess not many laws are inforced in Canberra

Thanks for the remininder and info QbnGal – much appreciated

I always got asked in civic interchange with the chick asking for $5 to catch the bus to queanbeyan whenever I said no I was called a white slut. Hmm sure ill give you $5 bucks you feral.

Woody Mann-Caruso3:30 pm 05 Aug 09

What’s Danny doing now?

Is that a trick question?

CapitalK, you would be thinking of Daniel (Danny) McFadden who used to sell his artwork around Civic. He sadly, like so many, had mental problems for which the system wasn’t able to help adequately as we hear so often. Danny died a year ago this Friday. His mother wrote 2 books about him which were a heart wrenching chronicle of the difficulties experienced by those wiith mental illness, even though many of them have caring, supportive families. Mental illness is an insidious and sad tragedy of our society. The books were called “No Place for A Daniel” and “What’s Danny doing now? (I think).

From memory there used to be a lot of young kids around the Woden interchange all asking for money. At the end of the day they used to go and give it to this lady (perhaps mother?). Not sure but.

One of my mates was a classic whenever she got asked for money, “Do you have a spare dollar”, reply “Yes but i earnt it so you cant have it”. I thought i would get bashed everytime we were walking around the city.

j from the block2:12 pm 05 Aug 09

Was that him in the middle of the bus interchange?

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.

He was out selling poems ten minutes ago. Rumours of his demise and all that. One time he asked me for a kiss! Very polite when I declined.

Sorry – that should probably be Daniel…can’t remember his last name at the moment

fabforty said :

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.

fabforty – you may be thinking of Danny – although he doesn’t quite fit the description

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.

j from the block10:21 am 05 Aug 09

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.

Hells_Bells7411:33 pm 04 Aug 09

Oh crap, -s

Hells_Bells7411:32 pm 04 Aug 09

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

Woody Mann-Caruso9:28 pm 04 Aug 09

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

Woody Mann-Caruso9:26 pm 04 Aug 09

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.

Hells_Bells747:46 pm 04 Aug 09

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.

Hells_Bells746:25 pm 04 Aug 09

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.

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…

j from the block4:26 pm 04 Aug 09

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.

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