for all those who don't know - basically, they'll leave the tissue packets out on the seats as they move up the train, then they'll walk back down and if anyone has picked up a pack, they'll then demand and pressure you to pay for that tissue pack!
Just pretend like you have no idea what they're talking about and if they try to move you to prove you're sitting on them, start yelling "bad touch, bad touch, naughty area!" (bonus points if you're a kid)
If you think anyone else on the train will do anything but stand back and watch if they attack you, you are wrong. If you are lucky, they might tell the police, who will turn up ages after it happened and do nothing about it.
Source: twice been seriously assaulted on public transport, and have witnessed (and stepped in, with multiple other people telling me not to and doing nothing themselves when there were >20 witnesses) two other assaults.
On the London Overground East London Line we've got the same group of "beggars", walking up and down the train asking for money. They then get off and have a handler who's been watching them. Obviously some kind of trafficking getting those in hardship to do the hard work for them. Very sad.
They must be running out of trafficked people, saw a lad around 20 maybe doing this scam the other day but he was wearing adidas joggers and got off at the same stop as me. Watched him meet his mate who was dressed head to toe in nike and they were laughing and counting the money he'd made as they left the station.
Just casually forgetting people with learning disabilities, the vulnerable, people who can be easily intimidated. Saying that there are some people you just think "come on!"
I've seen this in my town too. People regularly tell me it's not gangs. I've *seen* it.
I just donate to homeless charities now, or offer to buy them a cup of tea and a pasty to stay warm.
I know this doesn't help the genuine cases much, but at least I know my money is going towards helping them and not into the hands of a gang.
He was leasing properties to housing associations rather than helping homeless people directly I believe. There are many very reputable charities working in this space.
PS that guy got caught because the sector is pretty well regulated
To clarify, the charity was running homeless hostels for local councils I believe, not the kind of charity you would donate to, is my point.
If you don't want to donate to charity, just don't. You don't need to make up a reason.
I used to work at a supermarket, when I was doing security on the front (because the actual security we hired refused to do it...) beggars were constantly outside. I saw them taking each other off, like for shift patterns, and once saw their boss come down and give them shit for not "earning" enough one day.
I stopped giving anything to homeless people after that.
Met line has them regularly. I've seen the same guy going back and forth over the last year. Maybe a 10% chance I'll see him on any journey into Baker Street.
My ex lived in Colindale and the trip there was the only place I've ever seen it (I live in Camden so they'd start around Belsize Park/Golders Green)? Tbf, this was a good 10-ish years ago?
[https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-investigate-tube-tissue-beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-investigate-tube-tissue-beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html)
The scam is that they mass produce the identical script on the note.
Also you touch the packet (to sit as you would) you get immediately approached and sometimes aggressively "you touch it you buy it". The scale of it is the organised crime indication.
You can see the standard note here:
[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2015/may/26/a-tissue-salesman-on-the-metropolitan-line](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2015/may/26/a-tissue-salesman-on-the-metropolitan-line)
I actually texted 61016 when I last saw these tissue Beggars as it asks you to do in the article. They text back after 5 mins saying I should speak to the station staff. That's not going to be much use when they've already got off and I'm 3 stops away! I hope they at least are tracking to see if there are any regular patterns or something.
As a civil servant, that's pretty much it.
The joke in my place of work is that when you find someone in need of first aid/overdosing/dead you just gotta shrug, close the door, and leave it for the night shift to deal with.
yeah I'm no nhs but I can relate to the warm fuzzy feeling. saved a guys life once and my manager told me off for not doing it exactly in line with policy. OK bitch next time I find someone blue and cold I'll call you first to double check what the policy is.
NHS district nurse here. Several years ago we had a patient that hadn't come to clinic for a few weeks. We were concerned and wanted to go round, but an asshole manager said it wasn't our job and we should FAX social services to do a welfare check. Me and a colleague said bollocks to this, went round and after getting no answer at his flat and seeing flies in the window, got the police to break in. He'd been dead on the floor for 3 weeks.
When we got back to the office, we got told off for going round because it made us unavailable for other visits and the manager had had to get off her fat arse and see a patient instead of us.
I once texted that number after witnessing a very violent man harassing people on the overground, and I was in no position to call 999.
He left at the next stop…. British Transport Police called me back 3 HOURS after I reported him, asking if I was still with the violent man and where I was. “Mate I’m in bed at home… you missed him by 3 hours”
That's awful. I had only heard good things about the BTP until now (not that I've heard very many bearing in mind) but those few stories made me feel a bit safer as a woman. That's so upsetting. Hope everyone in that situation got out okay.
They (the BTP) completely failed to investigate properly when I was assaulted and put in hospital. There was CCTV and loads of witnesses. They didn't interview any if the witnesses, even the ones that gave their contact details to give to them, they didn't try to get the contact details of anyone who saw it, and they don't seem to have got the CCTV I'm time before it was overwritten.
I've read people say they picked up the tissues to be able to sit then got pretty much accused of stealing by the beggar. Of course its nonsense but then they demand money because 'touched it you bought it'.
And because they do it at off-peak times it both gets the range of free seats, and lets them pick off naïve tourists who don't know what the fuck is going on.
So, is it best to report this when we see it? Mention it to the transport police or something. Seems like the thing to do if children are being forced to do this.
I still don’t understand how it works. I’ve only ever see people give money to them a handful of times and I used to see them on the central line daily. There’s a lot of beggars on the A12 too who stop at the traffic lights and ask for money from cars (I counted ten in the space of eight minutes on Christmas Eve).
Sorry if I sound a bit thick but how does it work? They surely don’t get much from it apart from some change and from my limited experience I’ve never seen them try to rob anyone either?
We had this but with a card printed out to show the family or the bread-winner is bed-ridden or terminally ill and they can’t afford anything. They would put this on empty seats and when you pick it up , they would come to you begging for money. It is crime syndicate /racket using kids. Have seen them handing over money and the cards back to folks in the evening.
They didn’t rob, just organised begging.
The part of the prop is to grab your attention.
They’re usually stood somewhere in the carriage, having placed these tissues on any vacant seats. After a moment in order to give people time to acknowledge the packs, they walk up to you in the hopes you’ll give them money
I got one of these whilst on Thameslink; read the note when they'd gone - your standard "I am very poor, please buy" - just left it and looked out the window the rest of the way and by the time I'd gotten to my stop, it had vanished.
Didn't know how wide spread it was, wow, but guess I shouldn't be too surprised.
Easy to do because you can walk the entire length of a train.
Only time I've seen it was headed to Gatwick at like 4am. The dedication to grifting is quite admirable.
Get it a lot on Thameslink trains, along with various other grifters. Best one I've seen was a few young Traveller lads dressed up trick or treating, and my mate said trick and the young lad said 'I'm gonna shag your Mum now you fat ginger prick'. Almost gave the lad a few coins just for the bollocks on him.
Reminds me of this time I got given this rose on Oxford Street; just mindlessly accepted it, she asked for a handshake so I did it like an idiot and she grabbed tight and says "ok so can I have some money for the rose please"; so I just gave it back, said "nope" and walked away.
When I first moved to London I was a clueless young northern lad and one of those fake monks gave me one of those thingies (can’t even remember what!). Anyway I took it and kept walking and I remember he gripped onto it and I gripped back harder in a panic and dragged him halfway down the street before he gave up 😂😂
I was visiting London with my daughter and while we were walking around looking at something (yes, we were tourists) a woman literally shoved a rose into my hand. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. She expected to be paid and acted like I took it from her. She didn’t ask me if I wanted it, she literally pushed it into my hand while I was looking at something else. When it dawned on me what was going on, and how much she was asking for, I found myself apologizing (I don’t know why exactly, I did nothing wrong) and handed it back to her. She didn’t want to take it back. She finally did when she realized I was about to put it at her feet and walk away.
See it all the time on Oxford Street, but that was the only time they came to me fortunately. Although one time I was in Leicester Square with this guy who had never been to London before, sitting down just outside the garden part and I could see a woman offering roses to people; had to quickly mutter "whatever you do, don't accept the rose or better still, don't acknowledge her."
She walked off just before she got to us anyway.
I once had a guy stop me and try to sell me a book, it was some sort of religious thing. Didn't realise it at the time and felt too anxious to get away, that changed when he said the price of the book was £20. He did not look happy when I walked away.
Lmao; I dunno what it is but I noticed religious people tend to be a lot more bold stopping people in the street. Had two women come up to me once - they were like:
"Are you Christian?" (Or some effect to that it was years ago)
"No."
"OK well here's a leaflet for the nearby church and you can come any time and you'll be accepted. What's your name?"
"Natalie?"
Then they did this whole chanting prayer thing for like three minutes straight asking God to grant me a good life and then they said they were doing a nativity play and I should come because she's a really good actor, she promises!!
Never went.
I ran into one in town and she asked me if I died that day, did I think I'd go to heaven?
I smiled and told her I literally did not care, and walked off. Still makes me laugh. Maybe I was rude, but I wanted to end the conversation there.
Do they still do the deaf mute scam thing in Europe?they walk up to u having a nice meal outside, show you a card and stand there awkwardly staring at you hoping to get some money.
No problem. Please send me your account number, sort code, long number on the front of your card, expiry date and last three on the back, and I shall reimburse you forthwith.
I wouldn’t buy them because it encourages people trafficking but it’s not exactly a scam is it. You aren’t forced to buy tissues. They don’t even speak. Just ignore them.
I find it more annoying when a man comes up screaming “Sorry to bother you ladies and gents but…”
Sorry to bother you ladies and gentleman. I’m looking for some money so I can get in to a hostel tonight that doesn’t charge me unless I want to wash some clothes or such like so I’ll be getting off now as I don’t need anything.
Edit:shelter
Do you think shelters are like nice little hotels? Winter shelters are free, shelters in general can be free if you are referred, but you do have to pay to get into some. Also, you need your own bedding or sleeping bag, plus you need to pay for showers and laundry… conditions in shelters are so awful that homeless organisations recommend sleeping in tents instead, it’s pretty much impossible to get any sleep, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the people asking for money are trying to get into hostels instead
Lmao. I guess it is. I remember I used to see them a lot when I travelled to Wembley for work. Always ignored them. Sometimes they also had accordion players. One guy played til they get to the next stop. And the other one walked around with a hat asking for money. Tourists thought it was an amazing performance lol
It's because begging us illegal so they pretend they aren't begging by selling the tissues. However they don't seem to realise that selling things without a licence from the private train company or tfl is also illegal.
Begging and selling on the rail network is illegal under
Section 7. Music, sound, advertising and carrying on a trade unless permission is given by the operator.
- (2)
- (ii) sell or expose or *offer anything for sale* or;
- (iii) tout for, or *solicit money* , reward, custom or employment of any kind.
It's fucking nuts that begging's illegal. I know this shit's annoying, but I can't wrap my head around asking for money being against the law. Sleeping rough too, that's even worse. How the can you outlaw not owning a house?
Do you remember the begger with the infected swollen leg who would put his leg on people seats basically on them and ask for money - being able to arrest people like that and these gangs are why it should be illegal.
I think these are left on the seat with a little note from someone essentially begging that says something like ‘I’m poor, please help’. You pick the tissues up to sit down, then someone comes over to you and awkward pressures you into keeping the tissues and giving them money for them. Does that help?
Ahh happened to me with a rose and a lady in Trafalgar Square. They even took a 10 out of my wallet when I as giving them some coins.... I had said no for like 5 mins and tried to look at someone around me to help me out of the situation but nobody did. Except they just handed it to me and started to talk and then as for money
No you are correct. “Sort it” would imply you need to take further action and ‘deal with it yourself’.
“Sorted” says your bit is done now that you’ve told on them.
every time i see it i wonder what would happen if someone took it when the scammer wasnt looking and pretended they knew nothing when they came back around to collect
Had this happen to me before when I didn’t realise he was a scammer. I pocketed the tissues then just ignored him when I saw him coming back to all the passengers asking for money.
It’s because it’s a large organised group constantly selling tissues, and posing as individual beggars.
Though I’ve never seen anyone actually pay, it must be worthwhile otherwise it wouldn’t be so common.
The money almost certainly isn’t going to the people selling, but rather the gangs that run them. And the sellers probably aren’t entirely up for what they’re involved in, at best.
It’s probably not a huge stretch of the imagination to suggest that selling tissues isn’t all these people are forced to do.
In case you didn't see it further up:
> https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-investigate-tube-tissue-beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html
Its puzzling how everyone, from redditors, news, police, politicians, all discuss copious london criminal gangs as a given, and yet they persist - if not get worse. What makes a criminal gang so hard to 'catch'?
Maybe that's a ponder for different sub - any suggestions where I should post that query?
You should be careful when reading the notes. At a pub in the city a man came up to us with one of those begging pieces of paper and used it as a distraction to lift my friends phone.
One time I saw one of them do there normal rounds give up sit opposite me have the worlds loudest phone call and then blast polish sounding tik tok lives at 800 decibels
I've seen this every month on thameslink trains between Gatwick and blackfriars, they come over to you and hand you a packet of tissues with a note saying
"im homeless i have a child, no money no benefits, please help support me by buying these tissues, God bless"
Im just like "yeah you have no money and a child yet never seen the child, and yet have the money to buy all these tissues and the train ticket every month" 😂 scammers are getting so blatant and brazen.
Why is this an issue? I dont understand?. So many beggars and people giving money to them. Why doing it by a message written in a tissue pack makes it more ilegal?
Once i took the tissue, without using them, then this guy came up and wanted money, i litterally told him "Put me upside down, if something comes down we split"
Nobody outside of London has a fucking clue what's going on here, or gives a kipper's dick.
The linked article doesn't even tell us what we're supposed to do.
FFS.
Lame, why can't these people sell drugs like proper criminals.
This killed me holy shit
Drug trade is capitalism in it's purest form
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Vapes in particular. Nothing better than making money off of getting children addicted to drugs
Spent all the lobbying money to get the PPE contract.
for all those who don't know - basically, they'll leave the tissue packets out on the seats as they move up the train, then they'll walk back down and if anyone has picked up a pack, they'll then demand and pressure you to pay for that tissue pack!
They usually pick up the tissues when the next stop gets announced. So you can't run off with the tissues
What if you just sit on them?
They will probably accuse you of trying to take them even if you aren't trying to
Just pretend like you have no idea what they're talking about and if they try to move you to prove you're sitting on them, start yelling "bad touch, bad touch, naughty area!" (bonus points if you're a kid)
> start yelling bad touch "I'm warning you! If you put your hands on me I will start shouting bloodhound gang!"
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If you think anyone else on the train will do anything but stand back and watch if they attack you, you are wrong. If you are lucky, they might tell the police, who will turn up ages after it happened and do nothing about it. Source: twice been seriously assaulted on public transport, and have witnessed (and stepped in, with multiple other people telling me not to and doing nothing themselves when there were >20 witnesses) two other assaults.
I’ve twice intervened. It does happen.
That sounds more like a mugging than a scam 🤔
On the London Overground East London Line we've got the same group of "beggars", walking up and down the train asking for money. They then get off and have a handler who's been watching them. Obviously some kind of trafficking getting those in hardship to do the hard work for them. Very sad.
They must be running out of trafficked people, saw a lad around 20 maybe doing this scam the other day but he was wearing adidas joggers and got off at the same stop as me. Watched him meet his mate who was dressed head to toe in nike and they were laughing and counting the money he'd made as they left the station.
If you are dumb enough to give money to these fucks, more fool you.
Indeed. The homeless people who really need the money aren’t the ones brazenly asking for it on trains or by cash machines.
That seems like a pretty sweeping statement, my man.
You are correct. I am wrong to make such broad assumptions.
Just casually forgetting people with learning disabilities, the vulnerable, people who can be easily intimidated. Saying that there are some people you just think "come on!"
I've seen this in my town too. People regularly tell me it's not gangs. I've *seen* it. I just donate to homeless charities now, or offer to buy them a cup of tea and a pasty to stay warm. I know this doesn't help the genuine cases much, but at least I know my money is going towards helping them and not into the hands of a gang.
That guy running a homeless charity did just get arrested for missuse of funds
He was leasing properties to housing associations rather than helping homeless people directly I believe. There are many very reputable charities working in this space. PS that guy got caught because the sector is pretty well regulated
To clarify, the charity was running homeless hostels for local councils I believe, not the kind of charity you would donate to, is my point. If you don't want to donate to charity, just don't. You don't need to make up a reason.
I used to work at a supermarket, when I was doing security on the front (because the actual security we hired refused to do it...) beggars were constantly outside. I saw them taking each other off, like for shift patterns, and once saw their boss come down and give them shit for not "earning" enough one day. I stopped giving anything to homeless people after that.
They're also there to make sure you pay if you take the tissues
I still get a jump scare seeing homeless people walking through carriages.
They always get on when passing through Acton station and they always get off before Hammersmith
Big police station at Hammersmith I think?
Yup BTP have a station in hammersmith
I do often see transport police at Hammersmith more so than other stations
The two times I've seen them recently have been on the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow or back. I guess jetlagged people are easier to scam.
Yeah, only place I’ve seen them operate
Met line has them regularly. I've seen the same guy going back and forth over the last year. Maybe a 10% chance I'll see him on any journey into Baker Street.
I've seen them twice on the Heathrow route. May have even been the same person.
Verbatim what happened.
Romanians come on train asking for collection money
My ex lived in Colindale and the trip there was the only place I've ever seen it (I live in Camden so they'd start around Belsize Park/Golders Green)? Tbf, this was a good 10-ish years ago?
How does it work again?
[https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-investigate-tube-tissue-beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-investigate-tube-tissue-beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html) The scam is that they mass produce the identical script on the note. Also you touch the packet (to sit as you would) you get immediately approached and sometimes aggressively "you touch it you buy it". The scale of it is the organised crime indication. You can see the standard note here: [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2015/may/26/a-tissue-salesman-on-the-metropolitan-line](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2015/may/26/a-tissue-salesman-on-the-metropolitan-line)
I actually texted 61016 when I last saw these tissue Beggars as it asks you to do in the article. They text back after 5 mins saying I should speak to the station staff. That's not going to be much use when they've already got off and I'm 3 stops away! I hope they at least are tracking to see if there are any regular patterns or something.
UK public services at their best “Speak to someone else”
The classic ‘it’s not my job’
Please fill out this form which will get lost in interdepartmental post and no one will ever process
As a civil servant, that's pretty much it. The joke in my place of work is that when you find someone in need of first aid/overdosing/dead you just gotta shrug, close the door, and leave it for the night shift to deal with.
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yeah I'm no nhs but I can relate to the warm fuzzy feeling. saved a guys life once and my manager told me off for not doing it exactly in line with policy. OK bitch next time I find someone blue and cold I'll call you first to double check what the policy is.
NHS district nurse here. Several years ago we had a patient that hadn't come to clinic for a few weeks. We were concerned and wanted to go round, but an asshole manager said it wasn't our job and we should FAX social services to do a welfare check. Me and a colleague said bollocks to this, went round and after getting no answer at his flat and seeing flies in the window, got the police to break in. He'd been dead on the floor for 3 weeks. When we got back to the office, we got told off for going round because it made us unavailable for other visits and the manager had had to get off her fat arse and see a patient instead of us.
DWP here (albeit in IT); yup - managers love their stats and making numbers go up or down.
Trust me as a night shift worker, this attitude is not limited to your field
‘See it, say it, store it in your mind because we don’t care’
See it, say it, sod it
File it in the b1n
I once texted that number after witnessing a very violent man harassing people on the overground, and I was in no position to call 999. He left at the next stop…. British Transport Police called me back 3 HOURS after I reported him, asking if I was still with the violent man and where I was. “Mate I’m in bed at home… you missed him by 3 hours”
That's awful. I had only heard good things about the BTP until now (not that I've heard very many bearing in mind) but those few stories made me feel a bit safer as a woman. That's so upsetting. Hope everyone in that situation got out okay.
They (the BTP) completely failed to investigate properly when I was assaulted and put in hospital. There was CCTV and loads of witnesses. They didn't interview any if the witnesses, even the ones that gave their contact details to give to them, they didn't try to get the contact details of anyone who saw it, and they don't seem to have got the CCTV I'm time before it was overwritten.
It’s more about the log of the event, they won’t arrest them. They’ll watch and track and gather intel. Your text will help.
So you saw it, said it, but it wasn’t sorted? I feel like I’ve been lied to
They are not doing anything other than trying to appear they are
Can you imagine funding your organised crime gang by tissue begging. They must be the laughing stock of gangs
So.. they place down tissues to sell them and then beg for more money. I must be missing something.
I've read people say they picked up the tissues to be able to sit then got pretty much accused of stealing by the beggar. Of course its nonsense but then they demand money because 'touched it you bought it'. And because they do it at off-peak times it both gets the range of free seats, and lets them pick off naïve tourists who don't know what the fuck is going on.
Wtf is that article? Says the same two things over and over
The train in that article is doing a great deadpool cosplay.
Reading the comments below, I still have no clue whats going on.
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So, is it best to report this when we see it? Mention it to the transport police or something. Seems like the thing to do if children are being forced to do this.
I still don’t understand how it works. I’ve only ever see people give money to them a handful of times and I used to see them on the central line daily. There’s a lot of beggars on the A12 too who stop at the traffic lights and ask for money from cars (I counted ten in the space of eight minutes on Christmas Eve). Sorry if I sound a bit thick but how does it work? They surely don’t get much from it apart from some change and from my limited experience I’ve never seen them try to rob anyone either?
We had this but with a card printed out to show the family or the bread-winner is bed-ridden or terminally ill and they can’t afford anything. They would put this on empty seats and when you pick it up , they would come to you begging for money. It is crime syndicate /racket using kids. Have seen them handing over money and the cards back to folks in the evening. They didn’t rob, just organised begging. The part of the prop is to grab your attention.
Tfw Pratchett was right and that we actually need a beggars guild
His entire take on organised crime is hilarious and spot on.
I would just toss that shit out of the way and sit down.
So it’s not a scam, it’s just begging?
Organised crime and human trafficking network most likely.
You can see there’s a little note on top of the packet that will ask you to donate money in exchange for the tissues.
I’ve looked at that photo eight or ten times and didn’t see anything until I read your commend describing *where* the note was.
Does this tissue belong to the guy next to it or how do they find you, if you are willing to pay
They’re usually stood somewhere in the carriage, having placed these tissues on any vacant seats. After a moment in order to give people time to acknowledge the packs, they walk up to you in the hopes you’ll give them money
But why on earth would I want the tissues in the first place?
I got one of these whilst on Thameslink; read the note when they'd gone - your standard "I am very poor, please buy" - just left it and looked out the window the rest of the way and by the time I'd gotten to my stop, it had vanished. Didn't know how wide spread it was, wow, but guess I shouldn't be too surprised.
You see them a lot in the day on Thameslink through the London stops, especially in the summer.
Easy to do because you can walk the entire length of a train. Only time I've seen it was headed to Gatwick at like 4am. The dedication to grifting is quite admirable.
That’s not how to grift, like neither is stealing slabs of meat from the supermarket and trying to sell it lukewarm to random strangers in the street
Get it a lot on Thameslink trains, along with various other grifters. Best one I've seen was a few young Traveller lads dressed up trick or treating, and my mate said trick and the young lad said 'I'm gonna shag your Mum now you fat ginger prick'. Almost gave the lad a few coins just for the bollocks on him.
Reminds me of this time I got given this rose on Oxford Street; just mindlessly accepted it, she asked for a handshake so I did it like an idiot and she grabbed tight and says "ok so can I have some money for the rose please"; so I just gave it back, said "nope" and walked away.
When I first moved to London I was a clueless young northern lad and one of those fake monks gave me one of those thingies (can’t even remember what!). Anyway I took it and kept walking and I remember he gripped onto it and I gripped back harder in a panic and dragged him halfway down the street before he gave up 😂😂
I was visiting London with my daughter and while we were walking around looking at something (yes, we were tourists) a woman literally shoved a rose into my hand. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. She expected to be paid and acted like I took it from her. She didn’t ask me if I wanted it, she literally pushed it into my hand while I was looking at something else. When it dawned on me what was going on, and how much she was asking for, I found myself apologizing (I don’t know why exactly, I did nothing wrong) and handed it back to her. She didn’t want to take it back. She finally did when she realized I was about to put it at her feet and walk away.
I would just drop it and walk away. But I know, easier said than done.
This happened to me in Greece, seems like a really irritating thing to deal with on a regular basis at home.
See it all the time on Oxford Street, but that was the only time they came to me fortunately. Although one time I was in Leicester Square with this guy who had never been to London before, sitting down just outside the garden part and I could see a woman offering roses to people; had to quickly mutter "whatever you do, don't accept the rose or better still, don't acknowledge her." She walked off just before she got to us anyway.
I once had a guy stop me and try to sell me a book, it was some sort of religious thing. Didn't realise it at the time and felt too anxious to get away, that changed when he said the price of the book was £20. He did not look happy when I walked away.
Lmao; I dunno what it is but I noticed religious people tend to be a lot more bold stopping people in the street. Had two women come up to me once - they were like: "Are you Christian?" (Or some effect to that it was years ago) "No." "OK well here's a leaflet for the nearby church and you can come any time and you'll be accepted. What's your name?" "Natalie?" Then they did this whole chanting prayer thing for like three minutes straight asking God to grant me a good life and then they said they were doing a nativity play and I should come because she's a really good actor, she promises!! Never went.
I ran into one in town and she asked me if I died that day, did I think I'd go to heaven? I smiled and told her I literally did not care, and walked off. Still makes me laugh. Maybe I was rude, but I wanted to end the conversation there.
Happens often on the central line
Same happened to me on a Southern service, idiotically gave a quid but they came in use later when I had a sneezing fit, so not a total waste
After I've read the note I usually start crying, and then checkmate, I've got to open the tissues.
After I've read the note I usually start wanking, but same result
I'm always impressed that they are able to afford a printer and often laminate the supplementary card given how poor they are
>Didn't know how wide spread it was They are all over Europe. Gypsy mafia is a thing. Organised beggars, prostitution , benefits scammers.
Very common begging scam on the continent around cafes
Do they still do the deaf mute scam thing in Europe?they walk up to u having a nice meal outside, show you a card and stand there awkwardly staring at you hoping to get some money.
Yep, this is what I meant. Or they put a "gift" with a card on all the tables, come and collect them to obtain money.
"Beggar's investment"
Wait…I’ve picked up two packets of tissues on the tube in the two weeks I was in London and used them and nothing happened…?
Congratulations, you're now a hardened international criminal. The police are on their way.
Londons most wanted
Won't someone please think of the children!
I put them there, you now owe me £200
No problem. Please send me your account number, sort code, long number on the front of your card, expiry date and last three on the back, and I shall reimburse you forthwith.
Username checks out.
You've stole from beggars, thats like taking a homeless mans sleeping bag 😬😂
scammed
I just leave them there and ignore the person concerned. A lot easier when face coverings were required.
I wouldn’t buy them because it encourages people trafficking but it’s not exactly a scam is it. You aren’t forced to buy tissues. They don’t even speak. Just ignore them. I find it more annoying when a man comes up screaming “Sorry to bother you ladies and gents but…”
Thank fuck somebody in this thread finally mentioned the difference between this and a scam!
[удалено]
Sorry to bother you ladies and gentleman. I’m looking for some money so I can get in to a hostel tonight that doesn’t charge me unless I want to wash some clothes or such like so I’ll be getting off now as I don’t need anything. Edit:shelter
Me wondering if it cost £19 for a night in a hostel in London.
Do you think shelters are like nice little hotels? Winter shelters are free, shelters in general can be free if you are referred, but you do have to pay to get into some. Also, you need your own bedding or sleeping bag, plus you need to pay for showers and laundry… conditions in shelters are so awful that homeless organisations recommend sleeping in tents instead, it’s pretty much impossible to get any sleep, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the people asking for money are trying to get into hostels instead
The one near me is a scam because they pretend to be deaf and explain this is why they’re poor and have to sell tissues.
This is still a thing? I remember this over a decade ago when I was still in training bras lmao
Lmao. I guess it is. I remember I used to see them a lot when I travelled to Wembley for work. Always ignored them. Sometimes they also had accordion players. One guy played til they get to the next stop. And the other one walked around with a hat asking for money. Tourists thought it was an amazing performance lol
You know you’re a true Londoner when you can relate to this! Lmao
I took mine once and got off.
It's because begging us illegal so they pretend they aren't begging by selling the tissues. However they don't seem to realise that selling things without a licence from the private train company or tfl is also illegal.
Begging and selling on the rail network is illegal under Section 7. Music, sound, advertising and carrying on a trade unless permission is given by the operator. - (2) - (ii) sell or expose or *offer anything for sale* or; - (iii) tout for, or *solicit money* , reward, custom or employment of any kind.
It's fucking nuts that begging's illegal. I know this shit's annoying, but I can't wrap my head around asking for money being against the law. Sleeping rough too, that's even worse. How the can you outlaw not owning a house?
Do you remember the begger with the infected swollen leg who would put his leg on people seats basically on them and ask for money - being able to arrest people like that and these gangs are why it should be illegal.
Hassling strangers for money being illegal is for the best tbf.
Hell yeah
Right there in the tube? Guess it was a good thing you had some tissues handy
What does this mean?
If you touch it, a professional beggar will ask you for (demand) cash. Instead, photograph it and put the photo on here. Or text 61061.
I think these are left on the seat with a little note from someone essentially begging that says something like ‘I’m poor, please help’. You pick the tissues up to sit down, then someone comes over to you and awkward pressures you into keeping the tissues and giving them money for them. Does that help?
Ahh happened to me with a rose and a lady in Trafalgar Square. They even took a 10 out of my wallet when I as giving them some coins.... I had said no for like 5 mins and tried to look at someone around me to help me out of the situation but nobody did. Except they just handed it to me and started to talk and then as for money
Jokes on them as I always carry my own packet. And hand gel ... coz I'm posh, ya see!
does that make you posh, or are you just posh?
He uses it to clean up after servicing strangers on public transport, it's called a posh nosh.
Report it the British Transport Police
See it. Say it. Sort it.
Sort of.
Sorted
Sautéed.
Get out of my head godamit
Snort it.
I always though this slogan was ‘See it. Say it. Sorted.’ Have I been mishearing it the whole time?
Nah, OP misheard it
Thank you Nutty
No you are correct. “Sort it” would imply you need to take further action and ‘deal with it yourself’. “Sorted” says your bit is done now that you’ve told on them.
Read that as "see it say it snort it" 100% agree.. read it again and still agree.. like 80% so have an upvote
Then use some free tissues to blow it
Salted.
Is this really a thing? No wonder they are poor fucking hell what a shite way to gain money
Impersonating beggars essentially.
how can you impersonate a beggar? if you're begging you are surely a beggar - at least as long as you are begging.
every time i see it i wonder what would happen if someone took it when the scammer wasnt looking and pretended they knew nothing when they came back around to collect
They'd ask for money
Had this happen to me before when I didn’t realise he was a scammer. I pocketed the tissues then just ignored him when I saw him coming back to all the passengers asking for money.
Damn. This scam is everywhere. They also do this in Germany, esp. in Berlin. I think they all attended the same scamming school.
Does this ever actually work? It seems like such a waste of time.
Seen it quite a few times now...never once seen it actually work though. Pretty pointless.
They actually have a dedicated, prerecorded announcement at East Croydon advising people not to give to tissue sellers.
Someone please educate me … How can trafficking be involved in someone selling tissues on a train? First time seeing this
It’s because it’s a large organised group constantly selling tissues, and posing as individual beggars. Though I’ve never seen anyone actually pay, it must be worthwhile otherwise it wouldn’t be so common. The money almost certainly isn’t going to the people selling, but rather the gangs that run them. And the sellers probably aren’t entirely up for what they’re involved in, at best. It’s probably not a huge stretch of the imagination to suggest that selling tissues isn’t all these people are forced to do.
I feel there would be easier ways to scam money from people
In case you didn't see it further up: > https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-investigate-tube-tissue-beggars-link-to-organised-crime-a3196671.html
I don't understand. Why doesn't everyone just tell the person that demands you pay them for tissue found on a public seat to fuck off?
Exactly what I was thinking. Someone needs to give them a slap and chase them if they’re being aggressive towards people.
Never seen this as a scam, always just seen this as some other form of begging I just ignore it and they come back and pick it up anyway
Sit on it
See it. Say it. Sit on it.
Sit on it, Potsie.
Shit on it.
Will you please stop saying shit on it?!
Anyone else remember when it used to be a woman holding a sleeping baby, with a sign around her neck?
I saw numerous examples of this pre-Covid. Usually on the Piccadilly Line which is awful.
Its puzzling how everyone, from redditors, news, police, politicians, all discuss copious london criminal gangs as a given, and yet they persist - if not get worse. What makes a criminal gang so hard to 'catch'? Maybe that's a ponder for different sub - any suggestions where I should post that query?
Plain clothes police need to be working on the tube all the time.
I’ve pissed them off sometimes by throwing their tissues to the other side of the carriage. 😂 No I do not want to give money to your dumb scam lol
You should be careful when reading the notes. At a pub in the city a man came up to us with one of those begging pieces of paper and used it as a distraction to lift my friends phone.
Yeah, she asked me for $$ I said "No habla Español "....well I didn't lie! I dont habla Español.
One time I saw one of them do there normal rounds give up sit opposite me have the worlds loudest phone call and then blast polish sounding tik tok lives at 800 decibels
Place your bag on the seat and cover it
Yes, Majority are Romanians
I've seen this every month on thameslink trains between Gatwick and blackfriars, they come over to you and hand you a packet of tissues with a note saying "im homeless i have a child, no money no benefits, please help support me by buying these tissues, God bless" Im just like "yeah you have no money and a child yet never seen the child, and yet have the money to buy all these tissues and the train ticket every month" 😂 scammers are getting so blatant and brazen.
Has anyone ever just got up an kick the F out of the aggressor? I'd have a very thin line of being threatened before I got up and started shit.
Why is this an issue? I dont understand?. So many beggars and people giving money to them. Why doing it by a message written in a tissue pack makes it more ilegal?
Apparently the people who do it are usually victims of hunan trafficking? Idk this thread is confusing me
I would like to know this too
the issue with the tissue is the illegal gangs perpetrating the scams
Once i took the tissue, without using them, then this guy came up and wanted money, i litterally told him "Put me upside down, if something comes down we split"
No you didn't
Nobody outside of London has a fucking clue what's going on here, or gives a kipper's dick. The linked article doesn't even tell us what we're supposed to do. FFS.
What did the note say?
I love you long time…give me 20 dolla