Respect the Big Issue

[t020 11]

Originally posted by Escafeld1889

If the Big Issue sellers put as much effort into finding somewhere to live or getting a job as they do in selling their poxy magazine then they wouldn't have to sell it would they.

 

Also i think it's fair to assume that any money they earn from selling the Big Issue is classed as income. I wonder how many declare it when they sign on?

 

Agreed. These scum litter the streets and should instead get proper jobs and properly contributing to the economy, not the drugs black market.

[will_ 10]

Oh dear...I fear for human kind.

[Spacehopper 10]

Nah Den Ace......

 

Originally posted by t020

Agreed. These scum litter the streets and should instead get proper jobs and properly contributing to the economy, not the drugs black market.

 

Student

Conservative

Upper Class

Moron

 

Instead of slagging people off who are less fortunate than yourself, maybe if you let go of your mummy's apron strings and got a proper job you would be properly contributing to the economy!!!

 

Regards,

 

Spacehopper.

[Zamo 10]

I think street licensing laws should be inforced to stop them hassling people and they should go and get a proper job. Get their a*ses along to just about any McDonalds or supermarket and they will find vacancies... just have a wash first.

 

Why would anyone "fear for humanity" because some of us (perhaps most) don't like being hassled walking along the street? Us "more fortunates" pay taxes which are used to support a welfare system, which in turn provides support to those "less fortunates" (and rightly so). With a welfare system in place I don't see why I should have to put up with street sellers and beggars and reserve the right not to like them!

[Hodge 10]

I can only hope that those who see the less fortunate as "scum" never find themselves in the same position. It can happen to anyone. Even though I have a job, I still fear it could happen to me.

 

The hypothetical situation: I'm an IT professional, and I'm made redundant with little notice. The IT job market is pretty stagnant, and I find it difficult to find a new job. The small amount of redundancy pay is still paying for rent, bills, council tax, food and so on, but is almost running out. So, I apply for jobs at supermarkets, fast food outlets - anything to tie me over until finding another IT job, only to be told I'm "over qualified" for the position. I have no job, I have no money. The landlord won't accept housing benefits, so I'm evicted. I'm on a housing list with the council, but it may take up to three months to find a house/flat for me. What do I do? I now have no home - I need shelter, I need food, I need money from somewhere to get me back on my feet, so, I turn to organisations such as Shelter, and the Big Issue.

 

I'm desperately trying to sort my life out - I'm unemployable because I have not permanent address, and I can't find a permanent place to live because I have no job, and thus no money, and the little money I earn from selling the Big Issue is spent on food, and buying the next issues to sell. It's catch 22, it's a viscious circle, which may take months or even years to escape.

 

The question: If you saw me, would you view me as "Scum"?

[Zamo 10]

Hodge, most people selling the Big Issue are nothing like what you have described. Most are not even homeless i.e. a street sleeper.

 

If your landlord threw you out because he didn't take DSS then move to somewhere that does. There are lots, just look in the local paper. Besides, if someone is truly homeless then the local authority is obliged to provide accommodation, even if it's only B&B. I don't believe that there are genuine cases of people in the catch 22 situation of can't get a job without somewhere to live and can't get somewhere to live without a job.

 

In terms of employment, most supermarkets would not turn you down for being over-qualified. Training requirements are minimal as are wages. They therefore accept that most people aren't looking for careers and expect high staff turnover. Same for fast-food outlets, petrol stations etc. etc.

 

There are some people on the street because they have mental health problems that I feel sorry for because they will not all have received the help they needed. Other than this minority, most are people who have shunned help or are drug addicts, drunks, dealers or plain and simply lazy. Some are scum, some are just a pain in the a*se and some are no really bother but make the place look untidy. Which of these categories would you fall into? I wouldn't like to say... hypothetical stereotyping doesn't work!

[Hodge 10]

Fair enough Zamo, but I'm not saying that most people are the way I described, I'm saying that it could happen to anyone - in fact, the situation I described was quite similar to a vendor I spoke to a couple of years back. The council may very well be obliged to accomodate people, and idealy this would happen instantly, but unfortunately in this instance it took weeks. I'm also saying that it's far from fair to simply put them all in the "scum" bucket, if you'll parden the pun - which was the point I was trying to make. It's possible to go from riches to rags, as well as the other way round.

 

I also know of a couple of people who have been made redundent over the past couple of years, have found difficulty finding a job in their profession (because of the lack of them), and have even been turned down for temp work due to over qualification (thanfully, they're sorted now).