This afternoon I was out shopping in Hillsborough Precinct when I was approached by a woman in her 20's, dark hair, who asked me for 20p. She said she needed to use the phone to ask her mum about some shopping. I said I had no change and walked off to pester someone else. My 8 year old son asked me what she wanted so I explained that she was begging for money. I also laughed and said she should get her story right as calls from a phone box cost 30p now not 20p. There was a chavvy looking bloke sat on the bench and he must've heard us. Turns out he was with her. As we walked out of the precinct they followed us and he was pointing and saying "That's her." She then replied "I'm gonna smash her f***ing head in" I wenmt into the fruit shop next to the bus stop as I know them really well and asked if they minded us staying in there for a minute until they'd gone. They followed me to the shop and he stood there staring at me whilst she went into the phone box (obviously to check the price of a call having being found out!!) They stood there for a good 5 minutes, staring and generally looking pretty intimidating. Eventually they left and we went home.

I felt really threatened by them and was sure they would have followed us home if I hadn't gone into the shop.

I was just wondering if this had happened to anyone else around there?

This guy once approached me at the cash machine and asked for some cash for the bus, as he had just come out of hospital, I was working on the moor at the time, he was well known and used to sit outside boots begging with a homeless sign I used to throw some change in his pot, On this occassion I said no as I felt quite vulnerable having just drawn a tidy sum from my account and he started shouting abuse at me. Then one night as I was finishing work I saw him opening the boot of a newish car putting his sign and begging dish in and then getting in to the car and driving off. I have never given to a homeless person since,

I know that there are people who will say you can't judge them all on that one experience, but I gave money to this guy everyday for over a year, Now I make sure I give to registered charity's only!!


I have been told to f*** off or to have a nice day sarcastically, when I have said no to them, most of them are just idiots, if push had come to shove they are usually so tanked up on special brew to do anything, but they can be pretty menacing. I can fully understand and think that you did the right thing to get out of the way.

What makes me sick is the guy who hangs out around Tesco on West Street and Division Street. He used to walk around with a single copy of the Big Issue pretending he was going to sell it, but would then say its his last copy and he didn't necessarily want to sell it but did you have any spare change? The Big Issue people obviously realised there were bogus sellers out there and issued the genuine ones with orange tabards and ID badges. This guy has now got hold of an orange tabard and still rattles off the same old spiel, the scumbag. I'm fairly sure he's not even homeless. People who regularly walk down the West/Division street area will know who I'm talking about.

On the occassions i've been asked I tend to say 'no, sorry' and carry on walking. I hate being pestered by people like this. I always buy the Big Issue and if these other 'beggars' don't like it, well they can lump it as far as i'm concerned.

The only time i've given to beggars on the streets is in London where there are a lot of people genuinely homeless and living on the streets.

I do really feel for genuine people who are homeless etc, but I get the impression that the majority of these 'beggars' in Sheffield are druggies and I will not support their habit.

if you give em money they will only spend it on contraband, offer em a sarnie instead, then run quickly as he hurls it in your face cos he wants a fix

"SIRDRINKALOT".... u are right. I live in the centre of town, and see these people at it all the time. I've even said " clean my car and i'll provide all the cleaning gear etc....pay you £20.......i get laughed at and they say they can "earn" that in 15 minutes.

I saw a documentary about police training.
The trainees were explained what "assault" was.
If a person says they are going to do you some harm and they can actually do it there and then, that's assault. They don't have to hit you, they just have to give a threat.
So the first post, by the person who says she was told would be hit, was a description of assault. I think she should have called the police.

Originally posted by FetishFairy
I also laughed and said she should get her story right as calls from a phone box cost 30p now not 20p.

Sorry not got time to comment on the post. By really I thought phone boxes were 10p, you can tell the last time I went in one. :blush:

Originally posted by mrchinnery
I think she should have called the police.

It's a bit early for these kind of jokes, isn't it?

The police couldn't give a flying fig. (Send us a piccie should you find one, but don't bother if it's on the motorway.)

Anyone who gives money to these, scrounging, workshy, filthy, boozed up, drug taking, parasites is not only stupid but also is asking for trouble.

They should be exterminated by lethal injection, as they are neither use nor ornament, what good are they to themselves or to society? decent people should not have to put up with being pestered by these animals.

I have been threatened by these individuals, on more than one occasion, once when I had just left hospital after a triple operation and he was abusing me with obscene language in Fargate.

If he had attacked me I would have stuck my commando knife in him and then finished up in jail, through no fault of my own, when is the law and the judiciary going to get the message and take this filth out of society for good.

If you think my views are extreme, I would like you tell me what you think and how you you would solve this menace.
And no, I do not carry a weapon normally, just when I think I might need it to defend myself in extreme circumstances!!!

Originally posted by FetishFairy
I also laughed and said she should get her story right as calls from a phone box cost 30p now not 20p.

just one point...........how do you know she didnt already have 10p?

m8s at work always ask for 10 / 20 p etc for the coke / coffee machines......they dont have the full money but have a bit of it

Originally posted by halevan
Anyone who gives money to these, scrounging, workshy, filthy, boozed up, drug taking, parasites is not only stupid but also is asking for trouble.

They should be exterminated by lethal injection, as they are neither use nor ornament, what good are they to themselves or to society? decent people should not have to put up with being pestered by these animals.

I have been threatened by these individuals, on more than one occasion, once when I had just left hospital after a triple operation and he was abusing me with obscene language in Fargate.

If he had attacked me I would have stuck my commando knife in him and then finished up in jail, through no fault of my own, when is the law and the judiciary going to get the message and take this filth out of society for good.

If you think my views are extreme, I would like you tell me what you think and how you you would solve this menace.
And no, I do not carry a weapon normally, just when I think I might need it to defend myself in extreme circumstances!!!

HAHA nice to see the liberal views on the forum........and those beggars are supposed to be the skum? lol

with views like those mate we dont need enemies

nice to see some right wing intolerant views about ..............jk

thoght id better clarify my situation.

yes some beggars are violent and dodgy...........but NOT ALL as with everything there is bandwagon jumpers and idiots..........dont tar everybody with the same brush.

ive known beggars, ive done it a bit myself.
so what if they buy booze or drugs with it............you tried living on the streets? it is a hard life.............obviously there is people in houses who beg for drugs but they come into my first sentence.
its easy to sit there in a nice cosy lifestyle and moan about begging, till youve ben there and lived the life you really dont have a clue.

and its not only 1 set of people so dont generalise.........theres the ucnts yes, but theres also the travellers, the ex servicemen who get left in the cold after serving thier country, theres people with mental health problems, theres women and girls who have been abused, raped, hit, youngsters who have run away from home because of problems, theres the drinkers, the druggies, criminals, people who have lost their homes, jobs, family, friends etc etc

Originally posted by melthebell
HAHA nice to see the liberal views on the forum........and those beggars are supposed to be the skum? lol

with views like those mate we dont need enemies

nice to see some right wing intolerant views about ..............jk
Search the forum about beggars if you don't believe halevan. They are either drug users who earn hundreds a week by begging or highly organised carreer fraudsters. Giving them money just encourages them to carry on.

There have been many cases of people travelling down on the train from leeds to beg in sheffield.

Originally posted by muddycoffee
Search the forum about beggars if you don't believe halevan. They are either drug users who earn hundreds a week by begging or highly organised carreer fraudsters. Giving them money just encourages them to carry on.

There have been many cases of people travelling down on the train from leeds to beg in sheffield.

read my other post............dont generalise....... NOT ALL beggars are.........there is some scumbags yes.

ive known hundreds of beggars over the years, some good, some dodgy

i just dont like the vitriol against ALL beggars it seems, on this forum............as they everyone of ems a bus it in fraudster

and i really take offense to halevans attitude about actually talking about stabbing em.............that makes him no better than they are tbh.

if he was physically attacked ok you need to defend yourself, im all for that.
but a bit of swearing.........oh come on........they are only words, we are adults...........sticks and stones and all that

Originally posted by FetishFairy
.....they followed us and he was pointing and saying "That's her." She then replied "I'm gonna smash her f***ing head in" I wenmt into the fruit shop next to the bus stop as I know them really well and asked if they minded us staying in there for a minute until they'd gone. They followed me to the shop ...

Right it's about time that we started up a Sheffield Forum Vigilante Hit Squad.
But seriously I'm glad that you felt safer in the fruit shop. If I were you I would report this to the fuzz.

i cant believe you people..............sometimes

i get called sick and disgusting for posting an amusing richard whitely piccy which even he'd laugh at

and then theres all you lot calling for stabbing beggars and forming vigilante squads??

your just as bad as they are.

dont you think all those views are in the slightest bit......dodgy?

Originally posted by Skatiechik
By really I thought phone boxes were 10p, you can tell the last time I went in one. :blush: I thought that they had a 2p slot next to the 5p one? :blush:



It is possible that the one outside Tesco is a genuine BI seller, but has cottoned onto a new trick. Perhaps a call to BI?

Originally posted by sirdrinkalot
if you give em money they will only spend it on contraband, offer em a sarnie instead, then run quickly as he hurls it in your face cos he wants a fix

most of the beggars I have offered food to have readily taken me up on the offer. Some don't because, as you say, they aren't actually interested in anything apart from their next bevvy.

Likewise, if someone asks me for cash to buy a train ticket or bus ticket, I offer, there and then, to buy the ticket for them. Some are grateful, cause thats what they wanted. Others get angry and hurl abuse.

One guy who tapped me for 'a tube fare' actually went into a long and embarassed explanation about how he was 'an alky' and he needed another £2 to score a 4 pack of Tennents Stupor. He almost kissed me when I gave him £2 (avoided that one).

As for stabbing them - big talk on a forum. No more.

If half the people who professed a fondness for vigilantism on this forum actually stepped away from their computers and formed one, we might have a cause for worry, but thankfully the people from this forum who do go out in the world have far more reasonable views.

How long, after starting a vigilante group, will you have to wait before an anti-vigilante groups starts roaming the streets with brickbats and knobkerries?

wtf's a knobkerrie ??

Halevan

Why did you have your Commando Knife with you in fargate?

Why was Fargate extreme circumstances.?

Just wondered why you felt threatened.


melthebelt

A knobkerrie is an African walking stick with the knob of the roots for a handle, pretty lethal if hit on the head with it.

Hazel

Originally posted by hazel
Halevan

Why did you have your Commando Knife with you in fargate?

Why was Fargate extreme circumstances.?

Just wondered why you felt threatened.


melthebelt

A knobkerrie is an African walking stick with the knob of the roots for a handle, pretty lethal if hit on the head with it.

Hazel

ah ta...........never needed an african walking stick tbh ..............or a commando knife on fargate for that matter either :P

it might have a couple of dodgy characters but its not quite iraq

The problem appears to be that there are 3 main types or people asking for your money in Sheffield.

1) Genuine homeless people who will sit on the street busking or asking for your spare change but will not approach or harass you (I haven't seen many in Sheffield, mainly other towns)

2) Genuine Big Issue sellers who again are harmless and will ask if you want to buy a Big Issue, but again, not harass you.

3) The other scum who are not homeless but have learned they can make a quick buck to feed their drinking/drug habit by approaching and harassing people in the street, at bank machines, or anywhere they feel vulnerable even late at night, or, pretend to be selling the Big Issue when they are not.

The third group of people are all familiar faces to City Centre dwellers and this is why people have taken such offence to them. People have come to recognise their faces and even their names as they are approached for money by them every day, if not several times a day. These are the people who I assume are being talked about in this thread, not the genuine homeless who won't 'bully' people and hurl abuse at them in broad daylight for not giving them £1.

yeah but the way people go on on here, they seem to lump all beggrs together, they dont make a distinction .........apart from the thieving scumbag bit which COULD be related to whichever.......depending on how right wing the speaker is

anybody'd think every beggar was upto no good, harrassing etc....but its just the same few time and again, all over the place.

Originally posted by melthebell
just one point...........how do you know she didnt already have 10p?

m8s at work always ask for 10 / 20 p etc for the coke / coffee machines......they dont have the full money but have a bit of it

Cos she told me she had no money!

Originally posted by FetishFairy
Cos she told me she had no money! don't talk about people behind their backs and you won't get hassle is the message here... Quite an unnecessariy and foolish thing to do FF:nono:

Originally posted by miniminch
don't talk about people behind their backs and you won't get hassle is the message here... Quite an unnecessariy and foolish thing to do FF:nono:

innit

Originally posted by miniminch
don't talk about people behind their backs and you won't get hassle is the message here... Quite an unnecessariy and foolish thing to do FF:nono:

So I have no right to talk to my son about something that has just happened? He asked me what she wanted so I told him. What's wrong with that?

Do you never make comment on things that happen? I was talking to my son and no-one else.

Don't make me out to be the bad one in this. I wasn't the one following a mother and child and threarening to smash their face in was I?

Originally posted by FetishFairy
So I have no right to talk to my son about something that has just happened? He asked me what she wanted so I told him. What's wrong with that?

Do you never make comment on things that happen? I was talking to my son and no-one else.

Don't make me out to be the bad one in this. I wasn't the one following a mother and child and threarening to smash their face in was I?

Quite right FF.

I'm glad everyone's been so sympathetic :rolleyes: But I am glad you and your son are OK.

At the end of the day behaviour like that is not on. Bloke is a bully plain and simple.

most beggers I come across are pretty harmless.

if I walk under the underpass from Moorfoot to London Rd there is a lad there who asks you for money, I always say "no, sorry mate", and he says "thanks anyway, have a nice day"

no bother , no hassle.

I have a lot more time for beggers who are polite,

However, I hardly ever give money to them nowardays. Hull was awful for beggers when I was there. They used to wander around town all day asking for money to get to Leeds (why anyone would want to go there I don't know:D ). There were a lot of violent begging smackheads around who would think nothing about threatening you with a knife.

It seems to be a lot better here. However, the ones who walk about hassling people really get on my goat.

why do I occasionally give money to beggers? Compassion.

I know it will most probably go on smack or wine but sometimes I let my guard down.

my mate always goes into Spar and buys them a sausage roll. Half the beggers are very thankful the other half look in shock :D

Originally posted by FetishFairy
So I have no right to talk to my son about something that has just happened? He asked me what she wanted so I told him. What's wrong with that?

They **** you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

I once bought a beggar a Mars Bar.. He didn't appreciate it though the mardy arse, cost me 40 bloody P from Smiths did that! :loopy:

When i was walking down the moor at about 9pm, a couple of chavs approached me asking for a pound so they could get home. I didn't have a pound on me (actually, I had a fiver but I doubt he had £4 in change) so I told him sorry and went on my way... Or tried to.

Anyway, this wasn't good enough.

"Everyone has a pound on them" He said. Err, oddly enough I'm guessing this didn't apply to him as he didn't. "So you're telling me right now if I search you I'm not going to find any money on you?"

WTF? Since when did he have the right to anything of mine, let alone to search me. I Pointed out quite politely that he wasn't going to search me. He said I couldn't stop him. I figure being 6 foot odd and 20 stone I could give it a go. Anyway....

He was getting a bit aggressive, and apparently I had two choices - either I give him or some money or, well....

"How about I give you a choice?" I said. "Leave me a alone or I'll just walk into McDonalds and call the police?"

"I haven't done nothing. It'll be your word against mine. The police won't do anything. They won't care"

Well, that's as maybe, but I went into McDonalds anyway.

Downside is I missed the bus home... Wasn't a very nice half hour wait for the next one.

Oh, and last night a "homeless" person asked me for a fiver. That's inflation for you...

Yep after reading all these I agree I would give them all at least £50.00 and so should we all :o Then they can all go out and buy a p.c ( lol ) register on to the sf and comment on this thread...................I dont think so people keep your hard earned moolah in you pocket, purse, wallet, whatever
Regards
Tony
A citizen who works for a living :clap:

i pass these digusting begging types everyday on my way to and from work. these people are not worthy of any help. they choose to beg rather than get out and get a job. it astounds me that some people must give them money what a waste!

Originally posted by wayne2440
i pass these digusting begging types everyday on my way to and from work. these people are not worthy of any help. they choose to beg rather than get out and get a job. it astounds me that some people must give them money what a waste!

there goes the stereotype again :)

NOT ALL beggars do it instead of getting a job, believe it or not SOME beggars cant get jobs.
Some people cant get jobs for that matter


it took me 18 years to get my first ever full time job........been there 2 and a half months now :)
i found i couldnt get a job cos i had never had a job and so couldnt get work experience.........obviously all my qualifications and training schemes id done dont count...they wont give you a chance to prove you can do it...........but then somebody with a job that theyd take on instead of say me might have just sat on their arse for 2 years and not actually done any work?

obviously being a REAL beggar / homeless person it does make it harder........no job, NO HOME in fact

I have to work 45 hours every week to pay bills, put food on the table etc. Why should someone sit on the street and expect to be given money for free when they have no intention of doing anything productive with it. As for those people who threaten when they are not given any money they are clearly the scum of the earth. Apart from extreme circumstances people should work. I have had jobs since I was 15 years old and cannot stand being hassled by these workshy morons who expect me to part with my hard earned cash to feed their drug addiction. No thanks!!

whether beggars are scumbags are not surely is irrelevant. we don't have to give money to anyone , tell them no & walk off. don't look at them as you approach them & they usually ignore you anyway.
most earn benefits ,pay no tax & generally offer no services to the community or the state.

What a compassionate lot you all are. I hope you never fall on hard times and have to rely on the kindness of strangers, cause judging by most of you there aren't any kind strangers left out there.

These people are all thieving scumbags and I have ZERO sympathy or support for any of them. Town is full of these losers.....EXTERMINATE THEM, I agree

Originally posted by willman
whether beggars are scumbags are not surely is irrelevant. we don't have to give money to anyone , tell them no & walk off. don't look at them as you approach them & they usually ignore you anyway.
most earn benefits ,pay no tax & generally offer no services to the community or the state.


not sure they "earn" benefits exactly....

I feel that giving money to people begging on the streets - even the genuinely homeless - is a waste of time in the long-run. That person is still there the following day, asking the same people for more money. Yes, they may have been able to buy a drink or some food in the meantime, but what about the long-term, does it really make a difference to them?

If you want to help the homeless then give your money to Shelter, or other reputable homelessness projects/charities who will work with the genuine homeless and really help them to find somewhere to live and then a job. I believe even the charities themselves advise you do this rather than giving to beggers.

I do like to make the distinction between beggers (those who sit and politely ask for money and don't hassle you if you don't give anything) and aggressive beggers. I would really like to see the police do something about these agressive beggers. I used to live in Cambridge and the place is full of them (I think they are attracted because it is full of tourists who are seen as an easy target) and I had to change my route home from work because the same beggers would hassle me every day - sometimes walking up the street constantly talking to me as I refused to give them money. These agressive beggers are making a lot of assumptions about the people they are asking for money - how do they know that you are not in huge financial problems yourself? Just because you are not homeless does not mean you can afford to go around giving your money away to anyone who asks.

Originally posted by ultracynic
not sure they "earn" benefits exactly....

sorry sarcasm is lost on some people.

My stance on beggar related issues has changed quite drastically in recent years. I used to be quite generous with my cash even when I was a bit hard up, I've bought people food, gloves on a cold day and given God knows how much money.
Nowadays not even the regular "any spare change mate?" bums will get a penny let alone some verminous scrote who aggressively demands money.

My logic is as follows:

I work like a lunatic. I regularly do 12 hour days, I am in the office sometimes at 5am and don't think about staying late. A previous girlfriend actually chucked me because of the amount of time I spent at work. To sum up, I earn my money.

I resent the premise that some deadbeat bum thinks that I am going to hand over the money which I have worked damned hard so he/she can buy smack or booze. They sit there with their hands out expecting people to give them money just because they're incapable of holding down a job, taking care of themselves or their health. What have they done to warrant me handing over MY money to them? Answer: The grand sum of naff all.

It really irritates me when a grown man comes up to me and say"Can you spare any change? I'm living on the streets, I've not eaten today and I'm really hungry" - Whose damn fault is that? You're an adult. Take care of yourself, stop spending it on booze and stop asking me to help you out you degenerate, habitual screw up. Sort yourself out and get clean and then you might actually have a chance of being treated as an equal.

In short, I work hard for what I have and they're getting nowt. I know that a lot of these people have a variety of serious issues but that's not my problem. I pay my tax, let the social services sort 'em out.

Originally posted by aNTAcid
What a compassionate lot you all are. I hope you never fall on hard times and have to rely on the kindness of strangers, cause judging by most of you there aren't any kind strangers left out there.
aNTAcid, there are plenty of kind strangers out there, they're just not willing to give out money at the drop of a hat (or drop of a threat). There are plenty of mechanisms to help people out in this country and whilst they are not perfect people are not really in such desperate straights as to need to beg to live.

A freind of mine got threatened by a guy on saturday morning who said he'd been beating people up to get money all week. Was a big bloke with a pretty desperate stare (obviously after drug money) and my mate had to run into a petrol station for safety. There's no difference between that and the implied threats experienced by people on this board. Or the rubbish stories spun by beggars, or the bloke with the everlasting big issue.

If it wasn't for these people maybe there would be more compassion, but as it is I would save my money for something like the Sheffield Archer Project which gives practical help and support, rather than hand it out to become someone's earnings for the day. Also in my experience the most desperate people rarely ask for help as they are too busy getting by (or not) in life.