Tramps

[tactcom7]

So I'm working in Manchester the other day, it's around midnight, pretty cold and I get a burger and chips from some kebab shop.

I decided I don't really want the chips, they're still warm and out in front is a homeless chap all wrapped up, sitting on the cold stone floor and asking for money etc. as tramps do.

Now the chips were still warm, minutes old and so I think i'll do something nice and give the fella a nice warm snack. So up I walk and hand them over, 'oh thanks, that's great' he says. Unbeknownst to him I get back in my nearby car, feeling good about myself and eagerly awaiting to see a big smile on his face.....


He takes one bite, looks around and throws them over his shoulder into the grounds of a church!! I was bloody livid, so up I walk and say 'Mate if i'd known you were gonna throw them away I'd have eaten them myself!!'
'Oh sorry, they were cold', lying *******.

Well he's ruined it for all the other homeless people in my eyes!!

rant over...

[Bibio]

i had a mate that begged in the streets and he was on minimum £300 tax free a day.

[Jayneflakes]

Remember not all homeless people are this awful. I saw a terrible sight in Weston today where a clearly mentally ill woman was busking while battling what ever was going on in her head. She had no instrument and was trying to sing, but could not remember all the words. There are cases where the system has failed and some people really are suffering, but the bad eggs (like the guy outside Tesco who is clearly a dealer!) bring the rest into disrepute. :-(

[Matt-EUC]

Remember not all homeless people are this awful. I saw a terrible sight in Weston today where a clearly mentally ill woman was busking while battling what ever was going on in her head. She had no instrument and was trying to sing, but could not remember all the words. There are cases where the system has failed and some people really are suffering, but the bad eggs (like the guy outside Tesco who is clearly a dealer!) bring the rest into disrepute. :-(

Sorry to hijack the thread, but can you/do you intend to publish your book to actual real physical paper what I can touch and stuff. I prefer a book I can read into non-existence to something I don't technically own. I like to own things. While you're at it, send me stuff that I can own. Anything really.

[stuR]

You win some, you lose some. A tramp asked me for change the otrher day and i said i didnt have any, but i offered my remaining half a cup of cold coke from maccy ds which she was very grateful for.

[Moleman]

I worked for several years with the Homeless and peeps with quite severe mental illness and to be honest there but for the grace of god go I.. They are not all bad nor all alcoholics with drug issues yeah some are but many are not.
I know many of the street sleepers in our town through my old job and often sit and chat to them if I'm in town of a weekend.
Failed system ? Yeah you bet.
Alarming how many are ex forced to.. Good on you guys for not walking by and offering them something other than a glance. Sure there are fakers making a buck but they are every ware. Nothing wrong with helping out your fellow man

[timwilky]

Not quite a tramp, but definitely near. My father in law.

He was an alcoholic, booze ruled his life. He spent the last 5 years of his life living in a Salvation Army hostel, an organisation that deserves to be praised for their tolerance and understanding.

He survived going on organised baccy runs from Salford to carry a rugsack of "baccy" through customs, but in truth there could be anything in the bag, for which he and 10 others with him on the minibus would each receive a pack to sell on. Thus he was a menace round the Salford pubs and people would buy him a pint to go away.

He would never look on what he was doing as begging, scrounging yes. But there is a very thin divide between.

Before ending up in the Salvation army, he had a flat that he had set fire to whilst ****ed. We (his family) went round to clean it up. Horrid, the bed soaked in urine, his cloths not washed etc. He had no cooking facilities tv etc. So despite my protest the wife bought him a tv+licence, and a microwave so he could stay in. ("He is only going out because he is bored") next day we went round to return his freshly laundered clothing. Tv and microwave sold for beer money. 2 weeks later he was evicted for the fire and being antisocial.

So my philosophy, you cannot help them directly. Giving to them is not helping. So give to those who can help by providing support, shelter and a warm meal.

[CharleyFarley]

As timwilky........not a tramp, but.....
Afraid I lost my rag in the local.......made a scene......
'Local' (Village) drunk turns up in my local, no money as per.... goes round being friendly with all the drinkers who all 'buy him a pint'!!!!
I'm stood at the Bar with a Mate and he starts chatting to us..........I order 2 pints and drunk shouts up "and a pint of larger with that pls"..... So I tell barmaid 'no......aint buying his beer'....."away Mate, I havnt got any money"......
'Ya can £@&# OFF........DONT EXPECT ME TO BUY YOUR £&@#ING DRINK N NEVER ORDER ONE N EXPECT ME TO £&@#ING PAY'...............every one in pub staring.....told him to £&@#off out my face!!!!
Half hour later he actually came and apologised n said "he only does it because he gets away with it".........'YEAH........well not with me ya dont'..........shook his hand and bought him a pint!!!!


"Gas it w###a".........

[Red Herring]

Isn't it strange how advice given by your parents never seems to make sense at the time but you understand it later....

My parents generally made us do chores or whatever for pocket money etc saying that anything you get for free won't have a value to you. The net result is that you tend to look after your possessions because you worked hard for them!

I just wish I had remembered that advice when my children had been young......