General Chat

Ros and Dee, having read this thread I think you are both beautiful people, Thank God there are people like you on this earth. Best Wishes of the Season to you and your families Jill

I agree David You did something kind Ros No need for thought either way Regards Tania

I cant afford to shop in Somerfields. She could have used a basket and what was she going to use to pay for her shopping?

Hi Ros That was a kind thing to do and I would of done the same! I really don't have any idea what it is like for an asylum seeker in this country, the ones I have met seem very hard up yet the media tells me they live in luxury?? I'm sure that what tax payers money goes to asylum seekers will be a fraction of the cost of our nuclear programme! Kaz :o)

This has turned into quite an argument. Can I just say that my hubby is unemployed and gets no dole money cos I work. He left school at 15 and now can`t get a job at 54. Ros

Dee thats just me i am a soft touch maybe or not June..

June, will you be able to say that if the same woman who is earning probably £100+ per day at the expense of the warm-hearted British people drives past you in her new BMW? She is probably already being housed for FREE by the taxpayer, fed for FREE by the taxpayer, has her and her children's clothing provided for FREE by the vouchers paid for by the British taxpayer.... when elderly people who have worked all their lives for this country and fought for it cannot even get the medication they need in their old age because there isn't enough money in the pot to help THEM in their hour of need? Dee x

begging or not, genuine or not Rosalyn, you did what you felt you had to do. It was a kind act and the fact that it may have been a hoax need not detract from that at all, it is Christmas and as somebody has already said 'what goes around, comes around'. I hope you have a lovely christmas. Dee Bexleyheath, Our very good friends' daughter whow e have known since birth and who is in her 40s now has had crohnes since she was in her 20s. She lives a fairly normal life now, is married and works full time, hers is stabilised with drugs, she does have the occasional relapse and she is very underweight, but she is OK. I hope that your son will soon be too. Ann Glos

My mum lives in London, and this type of begging has been going on at her local supermarket for years. On occasions there are so many of these beggers that it is very intimidating and the police have been called. They chase you to your car and grab your trolley, and quite frankly I echo what lots of peeps on here have said. I pay enough tax which they get a large share of and I be dammed if I will give them any money voluntarily. Sue

Rosalyn you have an open heart i would have done exactly the same and i believe what goes round comes round June xx

begging is what it is and its illegal!! ;o(

Whilst I applaud your generosity and kindness, Rosalyn, and that of others who give from the goodness of their hearts, I am still of the opinion that these people are taking us for a ride. As Peter said, with stealth taxes, taxpayers are giving around 50% of their hard earned salaries to the state already. And I don't believe it is fairly distributed. I do agree that we have enough British spongers. However, if you happen to be a hard working, conscientious member of this society what you get when you need it is a big fat NOTHING. For example, my son, 27 years old, who has worked and paid taxes since he left school at 18, was in the past year taken very ill and diagnosed (eventually) with Crohn's disease. If you don't know what it is Google it and see. In short, it is a chronic disease, with ulceration of the intestines which prevents proper absorption of food, leading to huge weight loss, urgent diarrohea and general weakness and malaise. There is no cure. He has been off work for months this year, because of it, (doctors certificates provided) as his specialists have yet to get it under control, if indeed they ever can. However, his sick pay, from the firm he works for decreases with each week of sickness, until he cannot manage to survive on it. Fortunately, he lives at home with us. His mum and dad. UNFORTUNATELY he is denied any sickness benefit, while he is unable to work, BECAUSE he lives at home with us. Just because he is provided with a roof over his head and food in his stomach at OUR expense, despite the fact that he has paid National Insurance or whatever for almost 10 years, (and my husband has paid for 40 years) he is entitled to NOTHING. So I get no housekeeping money from him, he doesn't have it. Also he has to pay a fortune for the dozens of drugs he has to take to try and control this awful disease. These people who are begging on our streets are 99% of the time NOT people who are fleeing from some tyrannical despot who rules their homeland, many of them are criminals, and spongers who are sucking their own countries dry...so those countries are only too glad to be rid of them. And we are the mugs who are taking them in and paying for them at the expense of our own people. Dee x

Well sorry to be a KIll Joy ive seen these people working the underground, personally i think we give em enough, Lillx

It could have been true. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work and their allowance is very low. Mostly they get vouchers rather than cash. They can't work until they have permission to stay. I think it was a lovely gesture, I'd have done the same. Gwynne

I would have probably done the same as you Ros, then wondered later on if they were genuine!

To be honest Ros I would have done the same as you did. Maybe it was a Trick---you will never know. C xx

Thank you , David. As you may or may not know I won £50 on premium bond this week--, Ros

I tend to do what you do Mandy - if someone asks me for money, I ask them are they hungry, if they say no, then - sorry, no can give. We have a regular team of beggars round here - the classic is 'Excuse me miss, sorry to bother you, but I'm trying to get to.... Brighton/Eastbourne/Hastings/Bexhill etc. etc. and I haven't quite got enough for the fare'. Sylvx

I think it was a very kind gesture Rosalyn and, like you said, if she wasn't genuine then £1.40 isn't a lot to lose. When I see people begging, I ask them if they're hungry. That soon sorts out the genuine ones from the scroungers! If they say yes, then I nip into the nearest shop and get them something to eat, I never hand over cash. However, I do agree that we're already paying for asylum seekers via our taxes. I was horrified to read that one of their centres had all the latest flat-screen televisions - when people like us have to save up for such luxuries on top of paying tax! Mandy xx

I agree some are not genuine but come on it`s Christmas---season of goodwill Ros