Sob story Beggars in supermarket car parks

[taffs travels]

Originally Posted by snowbelle

Cardiff is really bad , they have tents all over the place about four in a row outside Miller and Carter, don’t bother sitting outside Tim hortons or Greggs they prey on you all the time.
I was going to a job interview last year and sat out Tim Horton’s in the sun with a coffee , was asked three times for ten pence, madam ... the last time two men came over identified themselves as undercover police and arrested the guy for aggressive begging.
I’ve also seen spice addicts near the railway station.
I used to love Cardiff but can’t stand the beggars now it’s overun.

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I agree, Can't even walk down Queens street now as the amount of tents make me feel I am intruding in their lives/homes

[IBEX23]

Originally Posted by scooby99

Spice; an increasingly common occurrence on UK streets in certain areas over the last couple of years too.

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It’s generally not spice... which is shredded plant based and produces mind altering effects

The powerful opiate the post is referring to that makes users appear ‘dead’ is actually fentanyl. Which is seeing a rise in abuse due to the fact it is around 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

[IBEX23]

Originally Posted by norfmancblue

spice has been rife in Manchester for a couple of years now, turns people into the walking dead
the opiate abuse in the usa at the moment is the painkiller called fentanyl

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Spot on. There was a really good documentary about this on BBC3

[landandword17]

Originally Posted by scouse_minx

Spot on. There was a really good documentary about this on BBC3

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Louis Theroux did a doc on it in the USA but we had a scandal here last year where someone in our town was getting fentanyl for his terminally ill mother and selling the (used) patches on to addicts who can somehow still use the substance. Disgusting and eye opening because I wasn’t aware fentanyl abuse was common in our area. Heroin and hash yes. We have a lakeside park in our town and when I go for an early walk before work there’s always a few guys passed out on the benches.

I just find it all so sad tbh.

I think some “begging” isn’t begging it’s scams. Like in Paris where they show you a ring and ask if you dropped it. Someone well dressed with an iPhone approaching me with a sob story about a flat tyre is a scam imo and I firmly state not interested and keep going. We don’t give money to individuals but we donated all our leftover camping gear to a homeless outreach centre in California last year. Two exceptions - one was when we were eating pizza out on a patio and a woman in rags was going through the trash can down the path and trying to find something to eat. I grabbed two slices of our pizza and one of our sodas and gave them to her and it broke my heart to see her sitting on the path and wolfing them down.
The second was staying at Caribbean Beach and there was an employee who swept the area outside the food court every morning. She was wearing shoes about 4 sizes too big with soles hanging off. I made some small talk and found out she a bit about her life. The morning we were leaving we had $80 and I handed it to her in an envelope. We would have just wasted it at the airport anyway.

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by landandword17

Louis Theroux did a doc on it in the USA but we had a scandal here last year where someone in our town was getting fentanyl for his terminally ill mother and selling the (used) patches on to addicts who can somehow still use the substance. Disgusting and eye opening because I wasn’t aware fentanyl abuse was common in our area. Heroin and hash yes. We have a lakeside park in our town and when I go for an early walk before work there’s always a few guys passed out on the benches.

I just find it all so sad tbh.

I think some “begging” isn’t begging it’s scams. Like in Paris where they show you a ring and ask if you dropped it. Someone well dressed with an iPhone approaching me with a sob story about a flat tyre is a scam imo and I firmly state not interested and keep going. We don’t give money to individuals but we donated all our leftover camping gear to a homeless outreach centre in California last year. Two exceptions - one was when we were eating pizza out on a patio and a woman in rags was going through the trash can down the path and trying to find something to eat. I grabbed two slices of our pizza and one of our sodas and gave them to her and it broke my heart to see her sitting on the path and wolfing them down.
The second was staying at Caribbean Beach and there was an employee who swept the area outside the food court every morning. She was wearing shoes about 4 sizes too big with soles hanging off. I made some small talk and found out she a bit about her life. The morning we were leaving we had $80 and I handed it to her in an envelope. We would have just wasted it at the airport anyway.

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just made my eyes water... what an absolutely lovely thing to do - on both occasions...

[LadyFromage]

The homeless in Las Vegas are something else. I had read about it but it doesn't hit you until you've seen it.

The daytime you dont see so much (its HOT) but once the sun comes out everyone comes out to play.

We continuously saw this mixed race couple on the bridge between Caesars and the Bellagio
with their possibly 4 or 5 year old twins.
EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT

Now that pulled on my heart strings but id. leave my kids with family members / friends if I were destitute.

Now I obviously know that they take their kids out to help them make more money but is diabolical.

[snowbelle]

Originally Posted by LadyFromage

The homeless in Las Vegas are something else. I had read about it but it doesn't hit you until you've seen it.

The daytime you dont see so much (its HOT) but once the sun comes out everyone comes out to play.

We continuously saw this mixed race couple on the bridge between Caesars and the Bellagio
with their possibly 4 or 5 year old twins.
EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT

Now that pulled on my heart strings but id. leave my kids with family members / friends if I were destitute.

Now I obviously know that they take their kids out to help them make more money but is diabolical.

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The problem is many people have run away from abusive family or lost all their friends due to life choices or unfortunate events.
They may literally have no one to leave their kids with, they may not be from anywhere near Las Vegas.
Desperation is so very real for many, people are actually sending their children unaccompanied across borders in the USA as young as four years old .
Using children to beg is not unusual but it is so very sad that desperation has got to this level.

[Ryles]

There’s usually one in our local aldi’s car park. It’s always the same story. His girlfriend is in hospital about to give birth and his car has broken down so do I have any change to give him for the bus 🙄 Last time he asked me I said how many pregnant girlfriends have you got then as you asked me the same thing 2 weeks ago? He soon walked away! Annoys me though when I see people give him money. 😡

[glenandem]

I had yet again last night in Walmart on the 192, 4 times in 6 I’ve had them.
I just told him not interested but he still mumbled on so told him to pi@@ off, can’t be doing with them now.
I’m with my wife and kids having a holiday and every time it feels like they’re praying us lol
Feel sorry for the genuine ones who have issues but i was homeless at 17 and never once hung around car parks asking for hand outs, I got myself into a homeless place got a job and worked my way out!
20 odd years later I have my own home,car,van,family and my own business that I’ve built all through my own hard work!

[7SeasSailor]

Originally Posted by Wooden Top

Had it at Florida Mall car park a few times which isn't surprising as it's in a dodgy area rife with prostitution and drugs. Just got to to be polite but firm.

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Really? What evidence is there of that taking place?