Junkies

[mouldy_bread]

Today when I was waiting at the train station to go home, a guy came up to me asking for spare change so he could get a room at one of the local backpackers hotels for tonight. I asked a few questions and apparently he came over from New Zealand and he wasn't allowed to get the dole until he had lived here for two years, and he started going on about how it was a joke and what was he supposed to do, sleep on the streets for 2 years, etc etc.

Anyway I gave him fifteen dollars and he was pretty grateful, said thank you about five million times. After he and his mate had walked off I immediately regretted giving him the money, thinking that he scammed me to go and buy his next hit, even though he didn't look like a junkie, then I felt guilty for doubting what he had told me.
I don't really mind giving money to junkies or homeless people as long as they tell me the truth, which many of them do.

My question - Is it bad to support their habit/s (most homeless people have some sort of addiction too) and should I stop giving them money?
Does anyone here actually give their money to junkies and homeless people or am I the biggest sucker going around?

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Begging in the streets is an organised scam, and the people involved are nothing more than theives and con artists.
Never give them anything, it only encourages them.

 

[RooMatera]

sucker

nah, it's nice what your doing. Would be better giving directly to an organistation like the salvos who buy clothes and shelter for these people and not to fuel the addictions of junkies.

I'm always walking through the city (perth) via the train station everyday, where I have to walk between the train station and myers via a skywalk. At one end usually theres an old lady dressed in the salvos uniform holding a tin. I usually give any spare change of mine to her.

 

[mouldy_bread]

Originally posted by RooMatera
sucker

nah, it's nice what your doing. Would be better giving directly to an organistation like the salvos who buy clothes and shelter for these people and not to fuel the addictions of junkies.

I'm always walking through the city (perth) via the train station everyday, where I have to walk between the train station and myers via a skywalk. At one end usually theres an old lady dressed in the salvos uniform holding a tin. I usually give any spare change of mine to her.

Unless I have no money on me, I always donate my loose change to anyone on the street collecting money for an organisation, especially for AIDS. Plus I buy a lot of stuff from op shops, so I guess that is supporting oranisations like the Salvos, St Vincent's, Brotherhood of St Lawrence etc.

Good on you for giving your spare change to that woman, it's nice to know other people care.

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

Oh don't get me started on these types of things again. Had a fight with a bastard on Sunday night at Flinders Street station. Saw me putting my money back in my wallet and asked for change to 'get back to Traralgon' told him to get a job like me then got sworn at so turned back round looked him in the eye and blasted the crap outta him. His two little girls who were with him then started squeeling to leave him alone as if i was the one who made the initial approach. Anyway i went to the Police who were very efficient and sent 3 others out to find him

 

[P_D]

Ehhhh... the plight of some druggo's is extremely sad... I try not to judge people I don't know, as you never quite know where they've come from...

However I have absolutely no sympathy for those recreation-turned-drug-addicts. My ex-boyfriend was originally a stoner, I became sick and tired of it and broke up with him, and he then went onto harder drugs... dropped out before he even did the year ten School Certificate, dropped out of TAFE doing a computer course, couldn't hold a job at burger king, went back to TAFE to do the HSC and dropped out last week. Needless to say, he is now in a Nirvana Cover Band, and is a member of the ZetaTalk cult headed by 'Nancy Leider'...

He's a f***ing sadcase, and there's just no excuse for this private-school-north-shore-living boy to jump on the bandwagon and expect sympathy because he's had a "hard" life... boo f***ing hoo... a lot of people have it so hard and it just ****es me off...

 

[fabulousphil]

Originally posted by mouldy_bread
. I asked a few questions and apparently he came over from New Zealand and he wasn't allowed to get the dole until he had lived here for two years, and he started going on about how it was a joke and what was he supposed to do, sleep on the streets for 2 years, etc etc.

He could fluck of back the land of the long white cloud, cuddle up with a couple of ewes and collect the dole from the New Zealand government.

Or alternatively he could get a job, if you want one they are there.

Loser (kiwi guy , i mean)

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

They are on the streets for a reason..their habits. Even if you have nothing there are places to help you but if you are beyond wanting to respect and play by the rules then the street is the place for you.

An old friend of mine is a junkie. She used to skip class to go beg at Melbourne Central and would come in a few days later with punch marks in her arms laughing about how they would make 100 bucks in no time of all the business people. Fairly ok girl bout 18 tall blonde hair so its very believable the amount they made and didn't have to do a thing for it!

 

[mouldy_bread]

Originally posted by Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk
They are on the streets for a reason..their habits. Even if you have nothing there are places to help you but if you are beyond wanting to respect and play by the rules then the street is the place for you.

An old friend of mine is a junkie. She used to skip class to go beg at Melbourne Central and would come in a few days later with punch marks in her arms laughing about how they would make 100 bucks in no time of all the business people. Fairly ok girl bout 18 tall blonde hair so its very believable the amount they made and didn't have to do a thing for it!

That is quite sad..

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

Originally posted by mouldy_bread
That is quite sad..

Even sadder is the fact that she used to sleep out in places in the city and to be honest i think she loved it. This was all until and over controlling wog boyfriend came along and claimed her. She now is under lock and key by him as he buys her everything and 'tried' to turn her into a house girl so to speak but she keeps running back to the streets for days to smack up.

 

[bunsen burner]

Originally posted by Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk

An old friend of mine is a junkie. She used to skip class to go beg at Melbourne Central and would come in a few days later with punch marks in her arms laughing about how they would make 100 bucks in no time of all the business people. Fairly ok girl bout 18 tall blonde hair so its very believable the amount they made and didn't have to do a thing for it!

I'm just making an enquiry for a friend of mine.........

 

[Milkman]

Originally posted by Bomber Spirit
Begging in the streets is an organised scam, and the people involved are nothing more than theives and con artists.
Never give them anything, it only encourages them.

That's ridiculous.

 

[ozzult]

I never give people in the street any money.

 

[Tangodown]

Junkies should be rounded up and shipped off Nth to a rehab joint in the sun.....I mean in the middle of nowhere .......

A few months of that and those that live might have a fair chance of rejoining society...those that dont...bad luck....Im not gonna support anyone who plays with needles in this day and age.....

 

[red+black]

offer to buy them a sandwich or some other decent food and they refuse. obviously want drugs, smokes or alcohol.

ignore them. see them in advance and take a wide berth. and never pay window washers. or tin rattlers (give me account numbers for Bali victims and their families, Red Cross can go and get ...).

i do give money to buskers on occasion. i don't mind doing that.

 

[GoEagles]

Originally posted by red+black
offer to buy them a sandwich or some other decent food and they refuse. obviously want drugs, smokes or alcohol.

i do give money to buskers on occasion. i don't mind doing that.

Thats what I do too. If someone comes up to me in the city and wants money I say that I'll buy them a pie - of course they refuse, which means they are only after money for booze.

 

[Mooster7]

When I was about two years old, I walked down town to the store with 'the older guys.' I wanted a piece of bubblegum out of the penny machine, but I didn't have any money. No one would give me a penny. I was all teary.

Someone said, "Hey Moo, turn around." I turned around and there was this old man offering me a penny. I was happy as hell. That example stuck with me. Now, I'm always giving money to people. Mostly kids in stores looking at the candy.

That old man ruined me, and I'll never forgive him.

 

[mouldy_bread]

Originally posted by red+black
offer to buy them a sandwich or some other decent food and they refuse. obviously want drugs, smokes or alcohol.

I'll never ever do that again, the first and only time I did that it cost me 14 bucks for a toasted sandwich and a coffee.. Not happy Jan!!

When I was about two years old, I walked down town to the store with 'the older guys.' I wanted a piece of bubblegum out of the penny machine, but I didn't have any money. No one would give me a penny. I was all teary.

Someone said, "Hey Moo, turn around." I turned around and there was this old man offering me a penny. I was happy as hell. That example stuck with me. Now, I'm always giving money to people. Mostly kids in stores looking at the candy.

That old man ruined me, and I'll never forgive him.

That's pretty cute

 

[evade28]

Originally posted by red+black
or tin rattlers

i reckon those ppl at the lights are bloody annoying, but if its for a worthy cause i actually give money. you might want to do the same, one day you might need their services.

 

[lioness]

I will usually give buskers some change, or if someone asks for a cigarette I will give them one but if people come up and just ask me for money, I will refuse.........or if someone in the supermarket or a shop is a bit short of change I will offer some. If people ask for something specific (such as money for food or a train ticket) and I have the money I will offer to buy it for them, but as others have said, it's usually refused.

 

[mandy]

I give these people jack. I really don't understand them.

I was walking down Chapel Street last Sunday morning to buy the paper. A person approached me and asked if I had spare change. I said "no" and kept walking.

As I was heading towards Shell-Select, it started me thinking. I'm a single mother, raising a child on my own. I have full time employment, because my situation demands it. I can't afford to just give money away to anyone who asks for it.

Who are these people??? Get a ****ing job! I say. WORK!!! Then you won't have to accost strangers in the street for a few cents.

I don't believe this country fails too many people. We have excellent housing, medical and dole opportunities. Anyone who can't work this out belongs on the street.

 

[SydneyBomber]

I don't give em anything.

However if I was rich, I'd buy a ****load of smack and give out to them for free.

After I cut it with ratsak of course.
**** em.

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

Originally posted by red+black
offer to buy them a sandwich or some other decent food and they refuse. obviously want drugs, smokes or alcohol.

Reminds me now of a lovely man i used to sit near at lunch. When we were at college right opposite Flinders Street next door to Maccas (and being with the girl mentioned above) we would always see these types of people most she knew. One man who always hung around Maccas with the street kids was so sweet. He asked for change once and coz i'd told him KFC had already cleaned me out he understood perfectly so i left him some of my food and he said thanks and always said hello since. People like that i never minded as even though he probably had a habit i knew he was just after some food around lunchtime.

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Originally posted by Milkman
That's ridiculous.

Is it ridiculous? Go for a walk down George St past the cinemas and down towards Central - you'll get hassled for money, and they've got these cardboard signs. Come back a couple of hours later, there'll be different beggars there with the same signs. Can you seriously say that's not an organised scam? And they're becoming more and more aggressive when people say no.
I'm willing to donate to charity and to help the poor and disadvantaged. But the people begging on the streets aren't them.

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

Originally posted by Bomber Spirit
Is it ridiculous? Go for a walk down George St past the cinemas and down towards Central - you'll get hassled for money, and they've got these cardboard signs. Come back a couple of hours later, there'll be different beggars there with the same signs. Can you seriously say that's not an organised scam? And they're becoming more and more aggressive when people say no.
I'm willing to donate to charity and to help the poor and disadvantaged. But the people begging on the streets aren't them.

or when they have gorgeous dogs with them to make u feel sorry or the arseh*le with the kids on sunday nite. Dont worry though the police are well onto it when i reported it he took it very seriously taking my details down and sending not one but 3 out to find him describing it as "hassling people and becomming agressive"