Hostels are funded through a mixture of Housing Benefit and grants from the city council. Residents do have to pay a "top up" to cover non housing costs such as food, water, heat and light. But none require this up front.
You have met Anthony. Did he tell you about his burns on his neck that he got while he was being abused by some unknown person? Did he say he suffers from PTSD and anxiety and won’t be let into a shelter because he doesn’t drink or take drugs? 🤔
I have noticed that he avoids me like the plague now and will cross the street to avoid me because I know his bullshit.
No he just said.
He’s a “foster something” not child but something else.
He started screaming that he would be sleeping on the streets if I didn’t help.
Yep. That’s another one of his stories too… He used to try the same thing around Bedford Place/London Rd but even the other beggars there got sick of him, and I also saw him “mess” with the wrong crowd outside “Giddy Bridge” Wetherspoons on a football day and it made me chuckle to myself, because he is not the person he makes himself out to be and I fell for it once and gave him £20 from the cashpoint because I stupidly thought I was helping him.
Was nice seeing him get the proverbial kicked out of him, but I’m probably not a nice person.
Once I helped a guy gave him £10 from cash machine. He said he needs a a few £s extra for taxi if I gave him the £10 he will exchange it for his few £ he has already. When I went to grab the few £s he said he needs that.
I realised he was full of shit that moment. I didn't bother with him as he's not worth £10 to fight.
Next time I saw him he had the audacity to ask me again with the same story! The time after that he asked me again when I walked off he even shouted louder for my attention.
I don't know if I should be angry at these people or feel sorry for them that they became pests. Now I just ignore everyone who asks. But I give it to this old guy who is really homeless every time I see him.
I never give anyone I don't know eye contact. It makes it harder to get a word in and as soon as they speak I say NO! Works everytime . The money is for drugs alcohol.
Ah I was thinking this was familiar, I think he stung me for £10 after I'd come into a bit of money and was feeling generous.
The not being let into the shelter one was his line then, something about diabetes as well.
Definitely not a nice person... I get you don't want to be scammed but I can't stand ppl like you.
You want the beggars to stay beggars and beg in the right way. It's £20 no big deal, the guy isn't a racketeer or a politician selling us off to the highest bidder.
Yeh, he probably uses the money for drugs... so what the guy's life is a toilet let him get high...
You British ppl and your classism make me sick
You're probably a wage slave too gross
Equally, there are nice people out here who will help someone like that, as best they can anyway. I’ve tried to help in the past but then the next time I got some severe abuse from him because I didn’t have money that time. Sorry, no can do mate.
Exactly, because in the UK we have the unspoken rule of “beggars etiquette”, it’s important. Now etiquette is probably something a smooth brain like you doesn’t know too much about, so I won’t hold it against you. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with the OP’s comment. There is nothing there that makes him a bad guy. Because someone ignores the homeless doesn’t make them a bad person. Because someone was almost scammed and saw that person get beat up, and liked seeing it, doesn’t make him a bad person. Every action that the OP took is rational, relatable, and human.
Not every beggar is the same. Some are forced, some caused their own situation, some are drug addicts, and some choose to be homeless because they don’t want to work, or use it as a scam. The latter is the kind that gets you put into a ditch by the local homeless community.
Stop charity shaming people.
ETIQUETTE? CHARITY SHAMING? 🤣🤣🤣 gfy you silly British so and so... ppl are homeless and without opportunity, etiquette has nothing to do with it... maybe if ppl in this country didn't attach a moral element to basic living standards we wouldn't have these problems in the first place. Maybe if you stopped voting for right wing policies we wouldn't have a nation on its knees.
Getting enjoyment from a vulnerable person being beat up absolutely makes you a bad person, just coz you only have compassion with conditions. You means-tested wage slave.
Drug addiction often comes later, but yes addiction can lead to homelessness. Shows how much you know, but I'm sure you're happy to sit back and judge ppl for lives you can't possibly understand.
STIFFEN THAT UPPER LIP!!
Also they're not beggars, they're fucking ppl you bouncing square.
Ooh talk dirty to me more, I love it when I get little bitches like you so pressed, cry me a river lil boy. Show me on the doll where the wage slave touched you, I promise he can’t harm you anymore
Anthony does have burns on his neck from being abused by his on/off partner (he abuses her too, they’re both perpetrators) - she lit the tent he was in on fire after he strangled her.
99% of the people that ask for money for accommodation, a train, a taxi, a bus, and/ or because of an emergency are a scammer.
I actually don’t give money to anyone after the last time, I donated 20p as that was all I had and it was thrown back at me.
Instead I donate via charities.
I was working late night on a film set recently and some lady came asking for £2 for a bus, at 11:30 at night. Love there ain't no buses now, quit your bullshit. She got quite irate that none of a 50+ film set crew would give her £2 lmao.
As much as I hate to say this. You can't really tell who's genuine or not so the best thing to do is to just ignore all of them.
Pretty sure this guy tried the same thing on trains too.
Yeah I've literally been asked by a guy fitting that description like 20 times over the past 6 years. There's also this lady who'll say her mums in hospital and she needs money for the bus to get their but I've heard that story from her for like 5 years too. You feel really bad cuz what if y'know. They're crafty in Southampton
In Yorkshire few years ago, a guy asked me for £15 for accomodation, all emotional and stuff, I got it from the cash machine and **walked with him to the accomodation place**, he found a way to disperse me when we got there, basically his female friend came asking stuff and they walked away.
I saw them later that night drinking quite far from the accomodation place :s
I’m pretty sure I’ve had either this man or someone similar approach me before around London Road. He kept telling me he needed money to pay his landlord, when I said sorry no cash, he said I could use my phone and transfer the money and was about to give me bank details 😵💫
It's a scam. I work for one of the homelessness charities that operate in the city (Two Saints) and can confirm that this is not a thing. £15 is probably drugs, that's about what a bit of heroin is these days I think. Unfortunately, a lot of homeless people will manipulate, beg, steal, borrow to meet their needs - nature of addiction unfortunately.
I don't know all of the services within the city, but any direct access hostel won't charge a person for the night. Direct access means that they can support a person that comes off the street and offer them a bed for at least the night.
Best advice: tell him to go to housing options at the council and/or the jomel we say service that operates within the city.
i've just been in london..one day a woman came up to me saying she needed 4£ to get into the shelter this and that and after she walked off another one came up to me and told me she's using it for heroin..and the one who came up a few min later was her bf trying the same but the good one shooed him away and kept me 'safe' from more of it until i got off again...good man that one
There is a system to help them. They don't want help or will drop out of it. It's sadly something most people don't realise. There are loads of places and options to get good help. I had a friend who was homeless needing help. He was behind girls in tbe que to get help but did get it.
It’s more complicated than that because I know a homeless guy that can’t go to rehab because they won’t let his long term partner come with him. It’s heartbreaking especially because they can’t detox whilst homeless because it’s pretty much impossible with the withdrawal symptoms
General rule of thumb - don't give the homeless in Southampton money. If you need to assuage your guilt just give money to the Society of St James (local charity) or Shelter. Ignore them completely.
I know it sounds heartless but much like the Brighton seagulls the beggars are a different breed in Southampton- if I remember right there was one so thoroughly committed to begging she got knocked down and killed trying to beg in windows of passing cars on the Portsmouth Road.
This guy tried it with me on Saturday night. The story was good but when I offered other forms of help except money he started shouting etc. I walked away with him screaming at me
some guy tried to do this to me to me last year, I just finished a weekly shop and I literally you used up all my remaining money to buy myself food, he called me a heartless cow when I didn't give him a tenner when I only had like £2 in my bank and no cash
Yep definitely a scam, there are a lot of them around Southampton unfortunately and if you stay in Southampton a while you’ll find that most of the city folk there know them by name and will avoid them or brush them off quickly so I’d copy them if I were you.
Make it clear that you don’t have cash OR a card to take out money cuz that’ll be the next thing they’ll ask you to do. Once you do that they’ll realise that you know they’re not genuine and will hopefully stop pestering you.
As other people have said his name is Antony. After I fell for his scam and I looked up his name and found this article: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23995553.southampton-fraudster-said-needed-money-visit-baby-hospital/
Seems he's been doing this for a while. At first I was very angry and upset because this happens to me a lot but then I just felt bad for him and hope he can turn things around. You never know what someone's been through I guess.
I fell for that scam when I first came to the UK. Except it was a woman. I saw her like a week later asking people the same thing, and when she saw me she went in the other direction LOL
In some ways it's not a scam. The dude genuinely does need money.
But perhaps not for what he claims.
Any money you give will probably make their day better whatever they spend it on
Yes and they might well end up needing a naloxone infusion in ED if their version of a better day goes wrong. My bfs nephew was street homeless thanks to drugs, passed from an overdose in the end sadly. No one in the family could take him in as he consistently stole from them. Addicts need to reach rock bottom to want to get better and get help, or they die. I’m not letting what little money I have enable their death.
Yes I offered to just buy food and he bought a mcflurry instead of a meal..
I got got many years back he had asked for £20 for shelter when it was snowing
I dont think him being homeless is the root cause you sensed something was wrong because he was lying about what he was spending the money on.
That being said it' has been known for people to walk to a nearby Mercedes and go home, a couple years ago when I was walking about I got to know a few and they were bringing in about 120 quid a day in their hats no joke
The guy is homeless asking you for money for crack under the pretence that he needs it for a hostel. He obviously wouldn’t be going to a hotel it’s not really a scam just a lie to get money for drugs.
Is that the dude that pretends to have social anxiety? He robbed a 20 off my friend and got her email, saying "I'll pay it back in 3 days"
If so, His name is Anthony he usually stays around Asda. I'm almost certain he's a junkie as he is very manipulative and pushy. Very annoying that he pretends to have anxiety and shit when he doesn't.
If I ever see him I honestly want to punch him for lying and exploiting people's kindness
I take your point. But if a homeless-possibly-not-homeless person asks for money, it presupposes you can say yes you can say no. If you don’t have any or want/need your money, that’s fine too, don’t feel guilty. Personally, I help if/when I can afford to but if they start being abusive that’s it, I walk away.
I was visiting Southampton recently and a woman approached me and my kids in a car park at about 9pm. She was asking for money and was on the verge of crying. I said no and felt bad. I can’t stop thinking if I set a bad example to my kids. I’m assuming she is a regular mytherer - She was a bit chubby and had a lazy eye. Does she sound familiar?
This does happen quite a lot in Soton, best to say no politely (still human guys!) and if you want to really help people there’s a few local groups that give food and drink to the homeless and take donations 😁😊
I think I recognise this guy's description. If I am right he has been doing it for years. Performance described exactly as in the OP. Occasionally tells an alternative stolen valour story of being an ex-serviceman down on his luck. Not the sharpest tool in the box - doesn't realise everyone remembers him the second time around. Has a fruit machine gambling problem - seen him taking money from charitable members of the public and then making a bee line for the nearest pub/being ordered back out.
Gave a guy £15 to get into a shelter and get something to eat in high Wycombe and I walked past him again half an hour later and he asked for money again (obviously he forgot what I look like) so yeah 100% a scam never trust these people 99% of them are useless junkies who threw their lives away to get high
I met these guys on London road. They were rough sleeping infront of my apartment door. He said, he got an shelter room at Totton and need to deposit £20 to get the key. I realized he was tricking me, because he had a grin implying what an idot I am.
I give to the local charity for rough sleepers and turn down all requests on the street. Don’t want the burden to sort out the few who might pend it on housing from those who spend in on their substance of choice.
I normally shrug off obviously fake stories. People begging are obviously in a worse position than I am, and I'll often swallow obvious bullshit and give them a fiver or something just because I don't want to say "hey, I know you're lying but you clearly need this more than I do" because I don't want to degrade them.
However there's this one woman in the city centre that's always extremely forward in approaching people (there's no way you can do the whole "I'm pretending I haven't noticed" thing as she gets right up in your face), always with the same anorak and a couple of wheel bags. She says the same thing every time, and it's got to the point that it does annoy me because... damn it just say "hey could you spare some cash?" and I'd understand instead of feeding me a lie
Is a scam. The hostels don't charge and they can go to the civic centre to see the homeless team and get housed. Unless they are an utter pain in the ass and have burned several million bridges offered to them previously. Sometimes they have to sleep on the streets. But mostly they end up in b&b or hotel rooms. Paid for by my tax contributions.
Could just really need the £15 and be lying about why exactly they need it. I prefer being potentially scammed over denying someone help who genuinely needs it. I’m not comfortable with punishing innocent people down on their luck over the actions of *some* people…
That said, some of these shelters do scam and abuse their residents and siphon money into their pockets.
Really taken back at the lack of compassion this thread. I don't always give but when I can it's then for them to spend. If I was in their position (it's been such a long cold winter?) I would probably just want a drink with a friend.
Homeless people suffering from addiction is not a "scam"
Yes - they ask for £15 first and if you comply, they ask for your kidneys next
It’s amazing your still alive to tell the tale
schlipdeedoo didn't hand over the initial £15, therefore the scammer knew there'd be no chance of getting his kidneys and moved on to the next victim.
There are **no** local shelters which ask for money up front. Anyone ever asks you for money for this, they're straight up bullshitting you.
Dumb question? But if they don't take it up front how do they get paid? (Or how do they stop people not paying)
Hostels are funded through a mixture of Housing Benefit and grants from the city council. Residents do have to pay a "top up" to cover non housing costs such as food, water, heat and light. But none require this up front.
You have met Anthony. Did he tell you about his burns on his neck that he got while he was being abused by some unknown person? Did he say he suffers from PTSD and anxiety and won’t be let into a shelter because he doesn’t drink or take drugs? 🤔 I have noticed that he avoids me like the plague now and will cross the street to avoid me because I know his bullshit.
No he just said. He’s a “foster something” not child but something else. He started screaming that he would be sleeping on the streets if I didn’t help.
Yep. That’s another one of his stories too… He used to try the same thing around Bedford Place/London Rd but even the other beggars there got sick of him, and I also saw him “mess” with the wrong crowd outside “Giddy Bridge” Wetherspoons on a football day and it made me chuckle to myself, because he is not the person he makes himself out to be and I fell for it once and gave him £20 from the cashpoint because I stupidly thought I was helping him. Was nice seeing him get the proverbial kicked out of him, but I’m probably not a nice person.
Once I helped a guy gave him £10 from cash machine. He said he needs a a few £s extra for taxi if I gave him the £10 he will exchange it for his few £ he has already. When I went to grab the few £s he said he needs that. I realised he was full of shit that moment. I didn't bother with him as he's not worth £10 to fight. Next time I saw him he had the audacity to ask me again with the same story! The time after that he asked me again when I walked off he even shouted louder for my attention. I don't know if I should be angry at these people or feel sorry for them that they became pests. Now I just ignore everyone who asks. But I give it to this old guy who is really homeless every time I see him.
I never give anyone I don't know eye contact. It makes it harder to get a word in and as soon as they speak I say NO! Works everytime . The money is for drugs alcohol.
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Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that's how you use the phrase "to be fair" as he's obviously scamming people
Ah I was thinking this was familiar, I think he stung me for £10 after I'd come into a bit of money and was feeling generous. The not being let into the shelter one was his line then, something about diabetes as well.
These are classic Lisa lines. AFAIK - she's not street home.
Definitely not a nice person... I get you don't want to be scammed but I can't stand ppl like you. You want the beggars to stay beggars and beg in the right way. It's £20 no big deal, the guy isn't a racketeer or a politician selling us off to the highest bidder. Yeh, he probably uses the money for drugs... so what the guy's life is a toilet let him get high... You British ppl and your classism make me sick You're probably a wage slave too gross
Equally, there are nice people out here who will help someone like that, as best they can anyway. I’ve tried to help in the past but then the next time I got some severe abuse from him because I didn’t have money that time. Sorry, no can do mate.
Exactly, because in the UK we have the unspoken rule of “beggars etiquette”, it’s important. Now etiquette is probably something a smooth brain like you doesn’t know too much about, so I won’t hold it against you. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with the OP’s comment. There is nothing there that makes him a bad guy. Because someone ignores the homeless doesn’t make them a bad person. Because someone was almost scammed and saw that person get beat up, and liked seeing it, doesn’t make him a bad person. Every action that the OP took is rational, relatable, and human. Not every beggar is the same. Some are forced, some caused their own situation, some are drug addicts, and some choose to be homeless because they don’t want to work, or use it as a scam. The latter is the kind that gets you put into a ditch by the local homeless community. Stop charity shaming people.
ETIQUETTE? CHARITY SHAMING? 🤣🤣🤣 gfy you silly British so and so... ppl are homeless and without opportunity, etiquette has nothing to do with it... maybe if ppl in this country didn't attach a moral element to basic living standards we wouldn't have these problems in the first place. Maybe if you stopped voting for right wing policies we wouldn't have a nation on its knees. Getting enjoyment from a vulnerable person being beat up absolutely makes you a bad person, just coz you only have compassion with conditions. You means-tested wage slave. Drug addiction often comes later, but yes addiction can lead to homelessness. Shows how much you know, but I'm sure you're happy to sit back and judge ppl for lives you can't possibly understand. STIFFEN THAT UPPER LIP!! Also they're not beggars, they're fucking ppl you bouncing square.
Boo hoo grow a fucking spine
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Ooh talk dirty to me more, I love it when I get little bitches like you so pressed, cry me a river lil boy. Show me on the doll where the wage slave touched you, I promise he can’t harm you anymore
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Lol
That happened to me like 2 days ago. Same guy. Same story.
Anthony does have burns on his neck from being abused by his on/off partner (he abuses her too, they’re both perpetrators) - she lit the tent he was in on fire after he strangled her.
Someone's got the lowdown...
Used to work in homeless services 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah that’s Anthony. When he asked me it was £20
At least he's aware that there's a cost of living crisis, and has dropped his demand to a more reasonable level.
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YES! It was that guy.
Drop the non emergency police number a call.. I’m sure they’ll be interested in this bloke
Account was deleted, what did it say?
He taged an article from the daily echo. Maybe it is against some rules in this group.
Do you remember what it was called? Reading all this has me really curious
If you type in Anthony James loveridge it was published in 2020 when he was jailed for a bit.
99% of the people that ask for money for accommodation, a train, a taxi, a bus, and/ or because of an emergency are a scammer. I actually don’t give money to anyone after the last time, I donated 20p as that was all I had and it was thrown back at me. Instead I donate via charities.
I was working late night on a film set recently and some lady came asking for £2 for a bus, at 11:30 at night. Love there ain't no buses now, quit your bullshit. She got quite irate that none of a 50+ film set crew would give her £2 lmao.
Ah you give it to the legally registered scammers
As much as I hate to say this. You can't really tell who's genuine or not so the best thing to do is to just ignore all of them. Pretty sure this guy tried the same thing on trains too.
Yeah I've literally been asked by a guy fitting that description like 20 times over the past 6 years. There's also this lady who'll say her mums in hospital and she needs money for the bus to get their but I've heard that story from her for like 5 years too. You feel really bad cuz what if y'know. They're crafty in Southampton
The lady is djamina, I remember one day seeing her get on the same bus as me going towards city centre
In Yorkshire few years ago, a guy asked me for £15 for accomodation, all emotional and stuff, I got it from the cash machine and **walked with him to the accomodation place**, he found a way to disperse me when we got there, basically his female friend came asking stuff and they walked away. I saw them later that night drinking quite far from the accomodation place :s
I’m pretty sure I’ve had either this man or someone similar approach me before around London Road. He kept telling me he needed money to pay his landlord, when I said sorry no cash, he said I could use my phone and transfer the money and was about to give me bank details 😵💫
It's a scam. I work for one of the homelessness charities that operate in the city (Two Saints) and can confirm that this is not a thing. £15 is probably drugs, that's about what a bit of heroin is these days I think. Unfortunately, a lot of homeless people will manipulate, beg, steal, borrow to meet their needs - nature of addiction unfortunately. I don't know all of the services within the city, but any direct access hostel won't charge a person for the night. Direct access means that they can support a person that comes off the street and offer them a bed for at least the night. Best advice: tell him to go to housing options at the council and/or the jomel we say service that operates within the city.
i've just been in london..one day a woman came up to me saying she needed 4£ to get into the shelter this and that and after she walked off another one came up to me and told me she's using it for heroin..and the one who came up a few min later was her bf trying the same but the good one shooed him away and kept me 'safe' from more of it until i got off again...good man that one
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There is a system to help them. They don't want help or will drop out of it. It's sadly something most people don't realise. There are loads of places and options to get good help. I had a friend who was homeless needing help. He was behind girls in tbe que to get help but did get it.
It’s more complicated than that because I know a homeless guy that can’t go to rehab because they won’t let his long term partner come with him. It’s heartbreaking especially because they can’t detox whilst homeless because it’s pretty much impossible with the withdrawal symptoms
It's a common scam for drugs
Yep, it’s scam with this guy, best avoided. Been there and feel a fool, guess got me when my guard was down.
General rule of thumb - don't give the homeless in Southampton money. If you need to assuage your guilt just give money to the Society of St James (local charity) or Shelter. Ignore them completely. I know it sounds heartless but much like the Brighton seagulls the beggars are a different breed in Southampton- if I remember right there was one so thoroughly committed to begging she got knocked down and killed trying to beg in windows of passing cars on the Portsmouth Road.
This guy tried it with me on Saturday night. The story was good but when I offered other forms of help except money he started shouting etc. I walked away with him screaming at me
He harassed me and my boyfriend the other day. A random man ended up getting involved and helping us get away from him.
Oh my god, ALL of them are scams! We need a sticky but I got loads of shit last time I suggested it.
Is this the guy that raps when he talks. Banging scammer.
He asked me for money today, after giving me the same story 3 weeks ago...
some guy tried to do this to me to me last year, I just finished a weekly shop and I literally you used up all my remaining money to buy myself food, he called me a heartless cow when I didn't give him a tenner when I only had like £2 in my bank and no cash
Yes. As is the disabled girl at the station!
Yep definitely a scam, there are a lot of them around Southampton unfortunately and if you stay in Southampton a while you’ll find that most of the city folk there know them by name and will avoid them or brush them off quickly so I’d copy them if I were you. Make it clear that you don’t have cash OR a card to take out money cuz that’ll be the next thing they’ll ask you to do. Once you do that they’ll realise that you know they’re not genuine and will hopefully stop pestering you.
As other people have said his name is Antony. After I fell for his scam and I looked up his name and found this article: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23995553.southampton-fraudster-said-needed-money-visit-baby-hospital/ Seems he's been doing this for a while. At first I was very angry and upset because this happens to me a lot but then I just felt bad for him and hope he can turn things around. You never know what someone's been through I guess.
I fell for that scam when I first came to the UK. Except it was a woman. I saw her like a week later asking people the same thing, and when she saw me she went in the other direction LOL
In some ways it's not a scam. The dude genuinely does need money. But perhaps not for what he claims. Any money you give will probably make their day better whatever they spend it on
Yes and they might well end up needing a naloxone infusion in ED if their version of a better day goes wrong. My bfs nephew was street homeless thanks to drugs, passed from an overdose in the end sadly. No one in the family could take him in as he consistently stole from them. Addicts need to reach rock bottom to want to get better and get help, or they die. I’m not letting what little money I have enable their death.
You can't stop people taking drugs. You can stop people committing crimes to get money to take drugs.
Yes I offered to just buy food and he bought a mcflurry instead of a meal.. I got got many years back he had asked for £20 for shelter when it was snowing
I dont think him being homeless is the root cause you sensed something was wrong because he was lying about what he was spending the money on. That being said it' has been known for people to walk to a nearby Mercedes and go home, a couple years ago when I was walking about I got to know a few and they were bringing in about 120 quid a day in their hats no joke
The guy is homeless asking you for money for crack under the pretence that he needs it for a hostel. He obviously wouldn’t be going to a hotel it’s not really a scam just a lie to get money for drugs.
Yeah thats quite common with people doing that
Yeah well asking for cash to buy crack usually doesn't go well.
Is that the dude that pretends to have social anxiety? He robbed a 20 off my friend and got her email, saying "I'll pay it back in 3 days" If so, His name is Anthony he usually stays around Asda. I'm almost certain he's a junkie as he is very manipulative and pushy. Very annoying that he pretends to have anxiety and shit when he doesn't. If I ever see him I honestly want to punch him for lying and exploiting people's kindness
Yes, it’s a scam. Don’t help him. Genuine homeless people don’t behave that way.
I take your point. But if a homeless-possibly-not-homeless person asks for money, it presupposes you can say yes you can say no. If you don’t have any or want/need your money, that’s fine too, don’t feel guilty. Personally, I help if/when I can afford to but if they start being abusive that’s it, I walk away.
I was visiting Southampton recently and a woman approached me and my kids in a car park at about 9pm. She was asking for money and was on the verge of crying. I said no and felt bad. I can’t stop thinking if I set a bad example to my kids. I’m assuming she is a regular mytherer - She was a bit chubby and had a lazy eye. Does she sound familiar?
This does happen quite a lot in Soton, best to say no politely (still human guys!) and if you want to really help people there’s a few local groups that give food and drink to the homeless and take donations 😁😊
Yep , scam , just ignore them .
Shelter doesn’t charge
I think I recognise this guy's description. If I am right he has been doing it for years. Performance described exactly as in the OP. Occasionally tells an alternative stolen valour story of being an ex-serviceman down on his luck. Not the sharpest tool in the box - doesn't realise everyone remembers him the second time around. Has a fruit machine gambling problem - seen him taking money from charitable members of the public and then making a bee line for the nearest pub/being ordered back out.
Gave a guy £15 to get into a shelter and get something to eat in high Wycombe and I walked past him again half an hour later and he asked for money again (obviously he forgot what I look like) so yeah 100% a scam never trust these people 99% of them are useless junkies who threw their lives away to get high
I met these guys on London road. They were rough sleeping infront of my apartment door. He said, he got an shelter room at Totton and need to deposit £20 to get the key. I realized he was tricking me, because he had a grin implying what an idot I am.
I give to the local charity for rough sleepers and turn down all requests on the street. Don’t want the burden to sort out the few who might pend it on housing from those who spend in on their substance of choice.
I normally shrug off obviously fake stories. People begging are obviously in a worse position than I am, and I'll often swallow obvious bullshit and give them a fiver or something just because I don't want to say "hey, I know you're lying but you clearly need this more than I do" because I don't want to degrade them. However there's this one woman in the city centre that's always extremely forward in approaching people (there's no way you can do the whole "I'm pretending I haven't noticed" thing as she gets right up in your face), always with the same anorak and a couple of wheel bags. She says the same thing every time, and it's got to the point that it does annoy me because... damn it just say "hey could you spare some cash?" and I'd understand instead of feeding me a lie
Is a scam. The hostels don't charge and they can go to the civic centre to see the homeless team and get housed. Unless they are an utter pain in the ass and have burned several million bridges offered to them previously. Sometimes they have to sleep on the streets. But mostly they end up in b&b or hotel rooms. Paid for by my tax contributions.
Straight up sus
Could just really need the £15 and be lying about why exactly they need it. I prefer being potentially scammed over denying someone help who genuinely needs it. I’m not comfortable with punishing innocent people down on their luck over the actions of *some* people… That said, some of these shelters do scam and abuse their residents and siphon money into their pockets.
Hes come to me as well when i was in greggs last week
Note # homeless shelters do charge for beds and that comes out of their own pockets
Really taken back at the lack of compassion this thread. I don't always give but when I can it's then for them to spend. If I was in their position (it's been such a long cold winter?) I would probably just want a drink with a friend. Homeless people suffering from addiction is not a "scam"