Begging on our streets

[Gryph]

Begging on our streets
Sunday, August 05, 2007 -

I refer to recent letters on the level of begging on Irish streets since it was decriminalised by the Supreme Court in March.

The sheer quantum and aggressiveness of begging has increased tremendously in the last number of months, especially in the form of verbal abuse and harassment of smokers outside pubs.

In a modern vibrant economy with more or less full employment, I can only assume that the proliferation of beggars on our streets stems from the fact that these individuals know they can make more than the average industrial wage for a minimum effort.

I am tired of the politically correct brigade claiming we must protect these people’s rights to ‘‘express themselves’’ and their right to ‘‘freedom of speech’’. What about my rights to stand on a street corner and not be harassed continuously?

Dr Jonathon Roth
Clancys Strand,
Limerick

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/200 ... y25623.asp

Anyone take the view that begging is personal expression/freedom of speech?

[Briongloid]

Begging on our streets
Sunday, August 05, 2007 -

I refer to recent letters on the level of begging on Irish streets since it was decriminalised by the Supreme Court in March.

The sheer quantum and aggressiveness of begging has increased tremendously in the last number of months, especially in the form of verbal abuse and harassment of smokers outside pubs.

In a modern vibrant economy with more or less full employment, I can only assume that the proliferation of beggars on our streets stems from the fact that these individuals know they can make more than the average industrial wage for a minimum effort.

I am tired of the politically correct brigade claiming we must protect these people’s rights to ‘‘express themselves’’ and their right to ‘‘freedom of speech’’. What about my rights to stand on a street corner and not be harassed continuously?

Dr Jonathon Roth
Clancys Strand,
Limerick

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/200 ... y25623.asp

Anyone take the view that begging is personal expression/freedom of speech?

beggars have the freedom to ask me for money.

i have the freedom to tell them to f*ck off..

these people are just deadbeats and bums.

[The Lighthouse Keeper]

I gather (from a shopkeeper in the area who changed the coins into notes) that it's possible to make about €300 sitting on the Ha'penny Bridge for an afternoon. That's a nice rate per hour that.

[Gryph]

It is a nice rate per hour. It gets interesing when you break the figures down and evaluate the amount of people/money being handed over per second/minute to give the amounts often quoted.

I take these reports with a pinch of salt. BMWs parked around the corner etc etc. but the figures could well be true. I am not making €300 per afternoon in my job, so who's the fool?!

[Briongloid]

It is a nice rate per hour. It gets interesing when you break the figures down and evaluate the amount of people/money being handed over per second/minute to give the amounts often quoted.

I take these reports with a pinch of salt. BMWs parked around the corner etc etc. but the figures could well be true. I am not making €300 per afternoon in my job, so who's the fool?!

yes but you retain your dignity and self respect.

is your dignity and self respect worth €300?

[Briongloid]

It is a nice rate per hour. It gets interesing when you break the figures down and evaluate the amount of people/money being handed over per second/minute to give the amounts often quoted.

I take these reports with a pinch of salt. BMWs parked around the corner etc etc. but the figures could well be true. I am not making €300 per afternoon in my job, so who's the fool?!

this law was never enforced anyway.

i remember standing at an atm withdrawing cash and there was a beggar sitting right beside it who tried to get money from me. i asked a passing garda that since begging was an offence whether he proposed to arrest the beggar in plain sight of both of us...
his response? he told me to "mind my own f&cking business or i'd be the one who got arrested. i didn't even bother to ask under what statute...

[zakalwe]

I saw the most unbelievable ckeek about 2 years ago on baggot street.

there was a begger (young able bodied irish male) on the corner of baggot street and pembroke street every day begging away. i was especially early one morning and saw him dropped off in a decent car (i think a mid range family car, not a BMW) dressed quite decently (clean clothes, quite well dressed). he headed in through a door between the cafe and i think a pharmacy, i got a coffee and when i walked past again he was in his dirty stained clothes and stank to the high heavens. he knew i saw him earlier and stopped asking for money. i got another job away from there and haven't seen him since. hopefully he got a decent job and made something for himself.

i have been accosted by romanians on grafton street when donating to legitimate charities. as a result i do not give to anyone on the street, even those collecting for proper charities. i donate at shopping tills and places where i know the money is going to legit charities.

has anyone noticed the recent phenomenon of eastern europeans collecting for charities outside shops. do they give generously of their time (entirely possible), do they get a cut of the money raised or are there gangs out there with fake buckets and tshirts? just wondering

[Gryph]

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't there a seemingly 'successful' crackdown on the 'traveller community' in relation to begging and in particular those with children on the streets? Years ago I mean. Anyway - I get asked for money by all kind of races and creeds and wouldnt like to see any one group targeted (travellers, I am sure, were 'targeted' back in the day but long before immigration figures were what they are now. To generalise, with the exception of the Irish beggars, most of the rest don't look like they're going to head to the first boozer/dealer with any cash I hand over.

I suppose begging now has moved on just as the "chuggers" did!

[kerrynorth]

I saw the most unbelievable ckeek about 2 years ago on baggot street.

there was a begger (young able bodied irish male) on the corner of baggot street and pembroke street every day begging away. i was especially early one morning and saw him dropped off in a decent car (i think a mid range family car, not a BMW) dressed quite decently (clean clothes, quite well dressed). he headed in through a door between the cafe and i think a pharmacy, i got a coffee and when i walked past again he was in his dirty stained clothes and stank to the high heavens. he knew i saw him earlier and stopped asking for money. i got another job away from there and haven't seen him since. hopefully he got a decent job and made something for himself.

i have been accosted by romanians on grafton street when donating to legitimate charities. as a result i do not give to anyone on the street, even those collecting for proper charities. i donate at shopping tills and places where i know the money is going to legit charities.

has anyone noticed the recent phenomenon of eastern europeans collecting for charities outside shops. do they give generously of their time (entirely possible), do they get a cut of the money raised or are there gangs out there with fake buckets and tshirts? just wondering

Ask to see a copy of the licence that each one has to have from the local Garda Superintendent, if they don't have one inform the Gardai.

[onthefence]

whats this discussion got to do with politics?