I don't give. My grandfather was an immigrant from E.Europe. He played his violin, did his tailoring, married and English woman and brought up a family, as well as learning a new language. You will never see a jew begging.
As far as I am concerned they chose to come here, and they should take there chance like everyone else, no pulling the sleeve and expecting the social services to pick them up.
Sorry I am a bit harsh, but I have seen too many - there is a real refugee (a doctor) in our church, but he has left his wife and family behind, and this makes me ask lots of questions about how they manage back home.
Good for you! I used to live in Bahrain, and when the fuzz picked up an old bag hanging around outside a bank, it turned out that she had more money then they did inside!
I was very excited about your link about how I react to begging on French Streets as I was going to say how good it is at the seaside in the summer and that even if I dont get much in the way of donations , I always get a good tan !!
However when I clicked the link, i found it was a "serious" discussion , and I was hoping to get a few "tips " on some "hot-spot " revenue earning sites .
Guess I'll just have to keep on working and being satisfied with a good tan!!!
We get the gypsies around Thenezay, trying to sell baskets etc;, but everyone is immediately en garde! They are often travelling in a very modern looking van. I have no answers, other than to say: be aware!
I do sometimes give to beggers and when I can also to the charities here, it is difficult sometimes to distinguish between those in genuine need or not. I have not had too much contact with them here unless I go into the main towns. Personally I don’t care too much what they spend it on I have no control over that. Many have alcohol and drug issues and whether I like it or not the have to fuel that need as well as hunger. In Manchester a few years ago on my way home on the tram a young down and out went to the front and appealed for money in return for the very dogeared big issue he had on offer, another young man jumped up and shouted ‘don’t give him any I’m a genuine big issue seller and he will only spend it on drugs, people like him are giving us a bad name’.
Yes, many of the charity organisations here are wonderful.Emmaüs, as mentioned in another posting, the voluntary groups who collect food for the underprivileged - there are so many things one can do to help out, without handing over money to a vagrant who will nip around the corner to the Bar once he's got enough for a pastis or three. It also irks me seeing people smoking, if they are destitute! We used to smoke, but even in middle age gave it up. OK, in our case, to protect our health, but It IS do-able!
There is a whole load of ways to support homeless people here in France apart from handing out coins.
Personally I support the Secour Populaire which was set up in 1926 by Communists as the Secours rouge international .
They provide food and shelter to homeless and poor people in every department, they have around 72,000 members and 400 different associations, they also do a lot of international aid work. http://www.secourspopulaire.fr/
Emmaus the Catholic homeless support scheme run local warehouse sales in most medium and larger towns, great way to support work to get homeless people back in to the world of work- and also pick up low cost second hand bits of kit and furniture.http://www.emmaus-france.org/ Set up by Abbe Pierre- a great man for a God botherer.
Personally I do sometimes give to beggars, its as the mood takes me, particularly if they are an ex-soldier, as too many are in the UK, or clearly have mental health issues., or make me laugh. I was in Cannes a couple of weeks ago and a guy was working the festival crowd, his sign read 'Need money for petrol for my Porsche'- complete with a little toy car attached. I don't give a stuff if he actually had a real Porsche he made me smile and after 4 days at a Cannes Festival you need all the light amusement you can grab.
I also regularly pick up hitch hikers, most are kids but many are just poor folk trying to get from A to B. I'm paying for the diesel anyway, so some company is often welcome and I often have very interesting conversations- that is how I found about about Emmaus from a homeless worker moving between his base and a ski-resort they had found him seasonal work in.
like andrew, i've come across the "i need money for petrol for my car" guys, on the peripherique of Paris. We also offered to take him to a station, but he said he just needed the money, and could walk. We shut the window,and drove off.
There was a guy with a dog I would buy coffeees for, because he seemed clean, didn't drink,or smoke, and washed,and shaved in the park at a fountain.
Then, on the RER on my commute to paris when I used to live there, the kids with the cups. no, sorry, they don't get a penny from me. Their parents are scumbags for letting their children walk around trains, filthy,hungry, and WORKING.
Weren’t these people from Romania? I saw something similar, and apparently these people virtually own entire villages there. They have the most stupendous houses, exotic cars and extravagant lifestyles. The problem though is: how to avoid missing someone truly in need? I too prefer to give food or clothing; I have had the sandwich I offered which was going to be MY lunch, thrown onto the ground in front of me. Another thing is, have you noticed that they are never keen to accept a little job for some cash ?? Like just picking up some leaves outside the house, or helping to carry something. A token job actually, but still below their dignity.
Just seen a documentary on British TV about a mother and child who had been filmed over a prolonged period in London begging and were tracked down to their home country where there were the most amazing "Roma" villas of stupendous OTT proportions, presumably partially financed from begging on the streets of London/Paris etc.
Every case is different, some really do need help, others are just taking the piss abnd don't want to work but want us to do so, pay our taxes - yes a fortune here in France - so they can live off the state or cut out the middle man and ask for money direct.
Best one I had was someone who was stopping cars saying he's run out of petrol and needed money to buy some - i said I'd take him to the nearest garage to get the petrol... he didn't want to which didn't surprise me, or him as i drove off laughing ;-)
I do feel for the really desperate ones though, especially yougnsters used by their parents or other adults to beg or steal.
Granted, some are organised groups conning the public - but some may well be in need. I went to Athens recently and felt quite uncomfortable by people asking for money whist we were eating in street cafes - I felt even worse when I came home and saw a documentary on how most of these people had had a terrible time fighting for their lives to escape war torn countries, or had to sleep with lorry drivers to get lifts to travel hundreds of miles. You can never be completely sure I suppose.
Sorry! I work extremely hard for the pittance I earn in France. There is very little help available to me because I always seem to not qualify for anything. But on the other hand I can really say that I have given to France and not taken a centime. I know life is hard for people on the street, but they do have options to be helped. More often than not they use children or "handicap" props to get through to your sentiments. The money often goes on drugs, cigarettes and booze or given to the person who organises the "appeals". None of these reasons warrants my spare change, I will give a sandwich, offer clothing but never money. Funny thing is they dont want a sandwitch, Ive aleady tried that one (and yes it was bought, unopened and wholesome!!) If you want to help the many said cases that are genuine give your time or money to Resto de Coeur or organisations that help these people. These associations are registered with your local Maire, that's worthwhile.
I have often come across beggars who accost shoppers in supermarkets. A piece of paper in several languages, informs you that they are deaf and dumb and really need your help. I was packing my shopping into the car boot recently, and the three beggars who had been in Intermarché came to the vehicle next to me, having a wonderfully happy, cheerful conversation, laughing their darned heads off. And so they should be laughing, in view of all the money they had just conned out of the shoppers! I will not repeat what I went up to them and said ------
We have a riverfront property. There is a young guy, who with dog and girlfriend, arrive regularly in a pretty nice car, to go fishing and lounging on the water's edge beach for a large part of the day. This is course is while all the suckers who gave them money to support this laid back lifestyle, are out working hard. I know the Assurance Maladie helps with kicking the nicotine habit. Surely there are drug or alcohol programs for THOSE WHO WANT THEM! There is a treatment centre in Cauneille too.
This is a very quick and off the cuff reply as I am flying around like a headless chicken this morning (and probably makes me come across as more DM than I actually am) - so a better thought out and (slightly) more erudite response to this very thought provoking topic will follow later.
I think just as there are travellers and 'travellers', there are beggars and 'beggars'.
Someone who is clearly suffering from drink / substance related problems, (esp sad in the older generation), is quite different from the (30 something) man who sits outside our Lidl with a sign saying "No home, no income, no resources" whilst his girlfriend sits next to him rocking their baby in a fairly flash buggy and talking on a mobile phone.
She must have a really good tariff as she never stops talking.