Sob story Beggars in supermarket car parks

[glenandem]

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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Yeah I’ve had it there too at the Florida mall.
Don’t know why but it always feels abit more scary in the us!
Maybe it’s the gun crime you see every day on the tv over there or the things going on just seems to be abit more violent then what we get in the UK sometimes.
You never know if these beggars are genuine or meth heads etc.
Remember driving around Miami a few years ago and every other traffic light they’re walking up and down the cars asking for money with cardboard signs, very sad.

[Ridersmom]

People beg in the US (and I assume UK, too) because they make a good living doing so. I beggar can make several hundred dollars in a shortened workday. And they don't pay silly things like taxes. So long as the "job" is fairly lucrative, has flexible hours and no hiring requirements, begging will continue.

[BufordT]

Originally Posted by Ridersmom

People beg in the US (and I assume UK, too) because they make a good living doing so. I beggar can make several hundred dollars in a shortened workday. And they don't pay silly things like taxes. So long as the "job" is fairly lucrative, has flexible hours and no hiring requirements, begging will continue.

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They May also be homeless, poverty stricken, under an addiction, have mental health problems, broken home etc etc. I am guessing those numbers outweigh the ones doing it as a lucrative street venture.

[glenandem]

Seen them again on two occasions near 192 lights near the rv sales place and further down near the buena vista outlet, they’re walking down the lanes of traffic asking for money for food!
Yes it’s nothing new and we have it in the UK too but I’ve never seen it so bad here in the us before!
Sometimes I do wonder in the supermarket though if we have something about us that makes us stand out as visitors and that’s maybe why they approach us so much.

[JAF]

Other sob tales are: have run out of petrol, got a puncture and not quite got enough to get the tyre repaired. When we were in Costa Rica earlier this year they are a lot of beggars and we had one trying to give us a sob tale how she was out on the streets but she had a perfect pedicure and manicure in a very fetching shade of purple! In our area the homeless charities are saying not to give money to beggars but to homeless charities who will work out how best to help them. Also warning about those who are purely professional beggars who arrive with a sleeping bag earlyish in the morning and then sit on the streets all day and go home to their own property in the evening.

[scooby99]

Originally Posted by glenandem

Seen them again on two occasions near 192 lights near the rv sales place and further down near the buena vista outlet, they’re walking down the lanes of traffic asking for money for food!
Yes it’s nothing new and we have it in the UK too but I’ve never seen it so bad here in the us before!
Sometimes I do wonder in the supermarket though if we have something about us that makes us stand out as visitors and that’s maybe why they approach us so much.

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The answer is that yes, you stand out as a visitor!

It is incredibly easy to work out who is British/Irish, who is American etc.

Brits have a ‘look’ that is recognised in the likes of Orlando.

Just like in London, you can just tell by looking at someone without hearing them speak if they’re a Brit/Irish or if they’re German/Scandi or if they’re Italian/Spanish or if they’re American etc.

It’s the same all over the world; it can’t easily be explained but it can often be easy to pinpoint visitors & the region of the world that they come from.

I think a lot of it is the manner in which different nationalities wear their clothes; a Brit & an American could stand beside each other both wearing shorts, t-shirt & trainers but you can just tell which is which!

[Nicksgirl]

We have a beggar/homeless man who sits outside our Vet.
Considering our bill this week to have our poor dogs teeth out was nearly Ł600... I think he's definitely in the wrong place.

[Powlay]

Originally Posted by scooby99

The answer is that yes, you stand out as a visitor!

It is incredibly easy to work out who is British/Irish, who is American etc.

Brits have a ‘look’ that is recognised in the likes of Orlando.

Just like in London, you can just tell by looking at someone without hearing them speak if they’re a Brit/Irish or if they’re German/Scandi or if they’re Italian/Spanish or if they’re American etc.

It’s the same all over the world; it can’t easily be explained but it can often be easy to pinpoint visitors & the region of the world that they come from.

I think a lot of it is the manner in which different nationalities wear their clothes; a Brit & an American could stand beside each other both wearing shorts, t-shirt & trainers but you can just tell which is which!

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Whilst this is true its also a bit generalistic.

I mean i can sit at the mall and play guess then english family and do quite well.

But ive been mistaken for just about every nationality going when out there except for british!

The Florida Mall is full of tourists, be them american, be them british, mexican, russian etc etc. Its an odds game thats stacked in the favour of the begger guessing youre a tourist! Same with the outlets, same with people in the holiday areas. After all its a tourist area isnt it.

[KK_Cat]

It happens me every time I go up to Dublin. If it happens abroad I start talking in Irish, that usually solves that problem, doesn't work for Dublin though.

[Persnicketty]

Originally Posted by JAF

In our area the homeless charities are saying not to give money to beggars but to homeless charities who will work out how best to help them.

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For me, this nails it. Here or the US. No point in any of us trying to work out if individual beggars are "deserving" or "undeserving". Passing judgement either way is anecdotal and says more about our personal worldview than the reality of any given situation.

Leave it to the pros and channel any donations to those who know best how to aid those in legitimate need.