This has got me thinking and I'd like to see others opinions.

[ofimart]

I have two questions for you to consider that has set me thinking. The first is about the beggars we see daily sitting or standing outside all the supermarkets these days holding a hand written piece of card saying I am unemployed, have 2 kids to feed and no money etc .

I quite often see a man outside hiperdino with a card and one day I was outside for a while waiting for some one to come out. I saw many people give to this man, a lady even came out loaded up her car ran back inside and bought a bag full of groceries and gave them to this man on her way out again.
Now if he was genuine and needy he would be so happy for a bag of food to feed his family, but the look on his face as she turned away told me he was disapointed it wasn't money.

Another day I saw him at the post office walking out looking quite different and then untying 2 large dogs and walking off smoking. It's made me think really how can you afford 2 large dogs, smoke etc if you are truly THAT needy ? This experience has tarnished my feelings somewhat to be honest. My son buys food and takes to the Red cross he feels that way it really gets to the needy and I think he is right. He works in a large hotel and is trying to change how at the end of each day they throw a huge amount of fresh food in the bins. This really bothers him there are so many people who could be fed. The charities are willing to collect the food but the hotels won't/can't give it to them. He told me the Mare Nostrum (where he also had worked) are the only ones who have an arrangement with the charities to collect the food and distribute it to the very needy at the end of each day.

My other thing is I found a wallet stuffed with cards, money etc . I looked through it and there was no address , phone number or any thing I could ring them up to say I had their wallet safely. I knew from the name on the cards it was spanish person that's all. I went out of my way to go to the police station and handed it in. There was a medical card with an NIE number and I mentioned this to the policeman it should be easy for them to trace him but he didn't sound too confident.

Since then many people have said I was stupid to leave the money in there. I must say I never thought to take it out at all but every one has said they would have, this shocked me. (I really hope the man got his wallet back intact with the money as well . )

My question is 1) what would you have done , answer honestly now ha ha . 2) what are your thoughts on the supermarket beggars.

Jacquie . (sorry for such a long one !).

[Malteser Monkey]

Honestly I would have just walked past him/her, if they are begging at supermarkets and if I really believed them I too would have given a food gift

I have never given to a begger - doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for them but you just don't know where the money goes, you could just be funding a drug habit.

I am and will give to any charity and friends for sponsorships.....always !

[Tom & Sharon]

I never give money to beggars, I'm always a bit sceptical. There's a woman outside Mercadona sometimes whose placard says she's got 5 kids to feed. Judging by how old she is, the youngest of those must be about 35!

Tom was in the loo in the airport in Barcelona, and a young guy came in well dressed and changed into his beggars clothes, presumably getting ready for "work".

I once did feel sorry for a guy begging for money outside Asda saying he was starving. I said to him "I'm not giving you money, but I'll go back inside and buy you a nice hot pie" his answer was "thanks but I really wanted money to buy some chips" yeah right!

[TOTO 99]

I regularly see a guy on the bridge between the Aguamar and the Apollo centre begging with a dog and the usual little cardboard sign. I also regularly see him having a pint later on in the day.

With regard to the wallet. Nobody would have been any the wiser if you'd taken the cash before handing it in.....until you got to bed that night.................................could you ever forgive yourself?

[Malteser Monkey]

I regularly see a guy on the bridge between the Aguamar and the Apollo centre begging with a dog and the usual little cardboard sign. I also regularly see him having a pint later on in the day.

With regard to the wallet. Nobody would have been any the wiser if you'd taken the cash before handing it in.....until you got to bed that night.................................could you ever forgive yourself?

Could have put it in a charity box I suppose ?

[TOTO 99]

Could have put it in a charity box I suppose ?

Yeah but it wasn't yours to put in was it?..........You stole it..............:eek:

[who-r-ya]

Cheeky monkey...

[ofimart]

I never give money to beggars, I'm always a bit sceptical. There's a woman outside Mercadona sometimes whose placard says she's got 5 kids to feed. Judging by how old she is, the youngest of those must be about 35!

Tom was in the loo in the airport in Barcelona, and a young guy came in well dressed and changed into his beggars clothes, presumably getting ready for "work".

I once did feel sorry for a guy begging for money outside Asda saying he was starving. I said to him "I'm not giving you money, but I'll go back inside and buy you a nice hot pie" his answer was "thanks but I really wanted money to buy some chips" yeah right!

Perhaps she's just had a hard life Sharon lol !!! They say beggars can't be choosers don't they but to refuse a hot pie because he wanted chips....I'm lost for words ! (that doesn't happen very often to me!) .
When I was coming out of mercadona last week with my daughter a man came up to us asking for some money to top up his mobile phone !!!!!!!!.

Jacquie .

- - - - - - - - - - merged double post - - - - - - - - - -


I regularly see a guy on the bridge between the Aguamar and the Apollo centre begging with a dog and the usual little cardboard sign. I also regularly see him having a pint later on in the day.

With regard to the wallet. Nobody would have been any the wiser if you'd taken the cash before handing it in.....until you got to bed that night.................................could you ever forgive yourself?

No I always like to treat some one how I'd like to be treated but sad to say some people aren't like that these days. I like my sleep too much as well !

Jacquie.

- - - - - - - - - - merged double post - - - - - - - - - -

yep I would have felt like a thief .I even felt like I was being watched when I looked inside it to see if I could find out who the owner was !!! Theres no hope for me as a criminal, I'd be pathetic !! :ashamed:

Jacquie.

[chifleta]

I never give money to beggars.... the one that sits near INEM at the valdes, with his piece of card, sat under the trees!? well he, and his wife (who is sometimes outside LIDL in Chafiras) both live in Fraile and look quite smart when they want to. I think, not sure, that they are Romanians. Also, the man that has the deformed leg that usually is around the Safari commerical centre (he usually puts his leg up on the top of his crutch, well i've seen him dressed nice and smart with his mobile phone, minus his crutch... yes, he does have a disability, but I have this feeling he gets Ayuda, and he walks with a limp obviously, but he doesn't need his crutch from what i've seen....

I prefer to make food or clothing donations.

[warbey]

I have quite strong Feelings on this.

If No-one gave to Beggars, there wouldn't be any..?

I remember a Student travelling back to Dover with Us, She said she knew a Lad (or two) who begged on the Paris Metro.

Paid better than most Jobs, and flexible Hours.

Organised Charities. More than a Few charge around 90% expenses

WHO IS ROBBING WHO..?

Find one or Two genuine ones and give to those Only, I Believe..

Point two....The Wallet..

If it were Brithish Law, If the Wallet wasn't claimed after a certain Period,

You would be entitled to have it returned to YOU as unclaimed...

Is it too Late. Could You enquire, and did You get a ref No or receipt..???

[Malteser Monkey]

Yeah but it wasn't yours to put in was it?..........You stole it..............:eek:

Ahhh but if the Old bill were gonna nick it anyway.......I rest my case Señor:whistle:

[Belinda]

The issue of begging is something that I feel quite strongly about too. In fact, it was one of the things that most annoyed me about the UK - the fact that in my home town, there were more beggars on the streets than in many much poorer countries I have been to. What annoyed me is that fact that I was working 7 days a week (and two evenings as well), paying all my taxes part of which were supposed to go to help the homeless. And there we are with beggars sat on the street asking me for more money. Grrr.
On the other hand, we don't know their true story - perhaps they have had the most dreadful life or run of bad luck and need all the help they can get. BUT - sorry - sitting on the streets .... ? I blame the government for allowing it (I think it's to do with people's rights though), although I notice there are definitely less beggars about these days.
So my opinion, if you didn't already guess it, is don't give. Find some other way to help or give them a can of soup.
re the money, I thought you were going to say that the reason someone suggested keeping the money was so that you could give it to the person, when found, directly. Which I thought was a slightly dubious idea. But for anyone to just take the money out and pocket it, is basically being a common thief.
Gosh, I'm being a bit blunt tonight!

[YOUNG GOLFER]

The issue of begging is something that I feel quite strongly about too. In fact, it was one of the things that most annoyed me about the UK - the fact that in my home town, there were more beggars on the streets than in many much poorer countries I have been to. What annoyed me is that fact that I was working 7 days a week (and two evenings as well), paying all my taxes part of which were supposed to go to help the homeless. And there we are with beggars sat on the street asking me for more money. Grrr.
On the other hand, we don't know their true story - perhaps they have had the most dreadful life or run of bad luck and need all the help they can get. BUT - sorry - sitting on the streets .... ? I blame the government for allowing it (I think it's to do with people's rights though), although I notice there are definitely less beggars about these days.
So my opinion, if you didn't already guess it, is don't give. Find some other way to help or give them a can of soup.
re the money, I thought you were going to say that the reason someone suggested keeping the money was so that you could give it to the person, when found, directly. Which I thought was a slightly dubious idea. But for anyone to just take the money out and pocket it, is basically being a common thief.
Gosh, I'm being a bit blunt tonight!

Blunt or not .......good post.

Where I work the supermarkets have a few .......most recently the guy with the pram with dogs and kittens........ I do think most are just trying it on to make money. What really winds me up is the ones with a can of beer on a cartoon of cheap wine.

[Megaloo]

A friend of mine (who has not much herself) took a beggar into the supermarket the other day bought her a chicken and the girl behind the counter told my friend that is the second one she has had bought her today.:yum:
I certainly would not give them money, but have given them the odd tin of soup or packet of pasta.

[Leam_Lin]

Along the Geranium Walk from Peurto Colon to around Wolfies area there has been a beggar for a few years with a deformed face with a card asking for money for an operation. As one of the PR's said if he had the operation his income would be finito.
I do not give to anyone with a collecting box other than poppies & lifeboats, their collectors are doing it voluntary, most of the collectors are on a wage & percentage of what they have collected. I give directly to the charities of my choice.

[trevorife2]

I
I never give money to beggars.... the one that sits near INEM at the valdes, with his piece of card, sat under the trees!? well he, and his wife (who is sometimes outside LIDL in Chafiras) both live in Fraile and look quite smart when they want to. I think, not sure, that they are Romanians. Also, the man that has the deformed leg that usually is around the Safari commerical centre (he usually puts his leg up on the top of his crutch, well i've seen him dressed nice and smart with his mobile phone, minus his crutch... yes, he does have a disability, but I have this feeling he gets Ayuda, and he walks with a limp obviously, but he doesn't need his crutch from what i've seen....

I prefer to make food or clothing donations.

The bloke with tge deformed leg ... Lastyr one evening i saw him with a brand new disability scooter ..

[atlantico]

at the end of the day, all beggars can say this

' do you have any odd-jobs that I could do for you for a little food spending money?'

simples. I just think that most of them are lazy so and so's that have fallen on hard times due to their laziness !

'Wash your car while you're in Iceland Missus ? I'll do it for free if you're not happy'

who WOULDN'T give a beggar €5 if he washed your car, or €10 if he did a really good job on your 4x4 ?

[essexeddie]

I give them sweet FA

I've seen so many smoking, drinking beer, with mobile phones and dogs. I'm not paying for all that.


.

[sunnytenerife]

I have to admit its not nice to see people begging outside of Supermarkets - it shows how things have got quite tough for alot of people on the Island over the last few years, its so sad.

I have helped by giving to those that I KNOW do NOT have any food - I have bought, Milk, Bread, Eggs, & Butter - I do NOT give out CASH - it can cause problems.

There should definately be more HELP out there & for X- Pats too .


I have two questions for you to consider that has set me thinking. The first is about the beggars we see daily sitting or standing outside all the supermarkets these days holding a hand written piece of card saying I am unemployed, have 2 kids to feed and no money etc .

I quite often see a man outside hiperdino with a card and one day I was outside for a while waiting for some one to come out. I saw many people give to this man, a lady even came out loaded up her car ran back inside and bought a bag full of groceries and gave them to this man on her way out again.
Now if he was genuine and needy he would be so happy for a bag of food to feed his family, but the look on his face as she turned away told me he was disapointed it wasn't money.

Another day I saw him at the post office walking out looking quite different and then untying 2 large dogs and walking off smoking. It's made me think really how can you afford 2 large dogs, smoke etc if you are truly THAT needy ? This experience has tarnished my feelings somewhat to be honest. My son buys food and takes to the Red cross he feels that way it really gets to the needy and I think he is right. He works in a large hotel and is trying to change how at the end of each day they throw a huge amount of fresh food in the bins. This really bothers him there are so many people who could be fed. The charities are willing to collect the food but the hotels won't/can't give it to them. He told me the Mare Nostrum (where he also had worked) are the only ones who have an arrangement with the charities to collect the food and distribute it to the very needy at the end of each day.

My other thing is I found a wallet stuffed with cards, money etc . I looked through it and there was no address , phone number or any thing I could ring them up to say I had their wallet safely. I knew from the name on the cards it was spanish person that's all. I went out of my way to go to the police station and handed it in. There was a medical card with an NIE number and I mentioned this to the policeman it should be easy for them to trace him but he didn't sound too confident.

Since then many people have said I was stupid to leave the money in there. I must say I never thought to take it out at all but every one has said they would have, this shocked me. (I really hope the man got his wallet back intact with the money as well . )

My question is 1) what would you have done , answer honestly now ha ha . 2) what are your thoughts on the supermarket beggars.

Jacquie . (sorry for such a long one !).