rod taylor wrote:Harassing people on the street is an effective way to build a small business. I'd like to see all the Cafe and Restaurant owners on Sydenham Road out on the pavement carrying menus like they do in the tourist spots of Southern Europe.
The only place I ever saw touting being done here in the UK was in Brick Lane, it's now illegal as some clearly took it too far.
I used to ignore the ones where they were desperately touting to get customers into their empty places and head for the one or two where they never had to tout because the standard of food was so good their restaurants were always busy.
Recently when I was walking up Sydenham High Rd a beggar was asking for money and he said to me, 'Sir,I
have Asked for money, I have Begged for money, I have Cried 4 money, I have also Danced for money'.
I asked him, 'young man why pray tell haven't you Worked for money?' and he replied, 'I am doing it alphabetically. I have not yet reached W’…I gave him 50p for the pure cheek of it.
Eagle wrote:I believe by offloading some of their dubious publications their income made up by tax credits.
Oooh Eagle - Such disrespect would have got you hung drawn and quartered. Shouldn't you be tug'n yer forelock to the Sydenham representative of the Tory Peer of the Realm anointed by your very own Her Maj: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bird,_Baron_Bird
Not Sydenham area, but there is a young guy with a didgeridoo who 'camps out' in the entrance to the old M & Co in Forest Hill, and on two separate occasions this week, people have offered him a pack of sandwiches they had just bought in Sainsbury's and he said he didn't want them. Today he said to the person "I won't eat them, but I'd like a steak".
se23.life..............yes, that's the guy. So he's got a job as a chef..........hmm.... hope he doesn't eat too many steaks. I see that posting is 3 Aug so he hasn't started his job yet......maybe he didn't want to do it.
Going through that same page, I saw a few comments about the bike man - he stopped me outside Sainsbury's at Bell Green a few weeks ago, told me his bike had a puncture and could I give him money to put on his Oyster. I said no and he looked really annoyed, walked a few paces then got on his bike and rode off. No sign of any puncture.
Seeing the two women beggars on the street is both upsetting and frustrating. I don't buy the wailing with the hands clasped as not but 30 seconds after walking past them one way, they were smoking and chatting on mobile phones. I saw several people give them money in the space of a few minutes. Whether this is a way of life to make a living or they are being exploited, I really am uneasy with it and not sure what can be done?
I find it difficult to walk by the hands and wailing but I do because I don't believe the apparent situation they are in is accurate! Mobile phones and cigarettes suggest I'm right!!
Eagle
Agree , it's hard to see how they would fare under any future labour market needs points system .
As well as a mild nuisance factor I always get an uneasy sense of exploitation . I remember once seeing a German-registered white Mercedes dropping of 3 or 4 such women to beg outside Waitrose in Newmarket - I doubt their employer was overly hampered by EU working hours directives or Health and Safety regulation .its more worrying still when they have 6 year old "interns" shadowing them for work experience .
This is exactly how the beggars purveying The Big Issue arrive at their designated spot
The Guy who founded , with best intentions this alleged publication should be ashamed. What was a good way of homeless Britons of getting some cash , now a way of Romanian immigrants sponging of out tax credit system.
Pity you can't keep these beggar my neighbour claims to the Pub with your other migrant & benefit bashing posts. Insults? I think you started it with calling all Big Issue sellers 'beggars'.
