I never give anything to beggars. My friend did once. A beggar asked for a Guilder. My friend gave him one. Then the beggar asked for another Guilder. My friend searched his pockets and found another one which he gave to him. Then the beggar asked for another Guilder. Again my friend searched his pocket. He didn't find any Guilders there, so he took his wallet. As soon as my friend's wallet was out in the open, the beggar grabbed it from him in a flash and ran away. Nobody's gonna steal money from me or my friends and it wasn't a very young beggar, so I started running after him. I managed to catch up with him, tackled him to the ground and retrieved after a few kicks and punches my friend's wallet back. The police just happened to pass by, stopped and wanted to know what was going on. The beggar started screaming that I stole his wallet and that I should be arrested. Thank God there were witnessess and they told the police that the beggar had snatched the wallet from my friend. A little later my friend arrived on the scene and confirmed my story. The beggar got arrested and I and my friend were free to go. The bystanders actually applauded for me :) One of them told us that this was a notorious beggar who was suspected of more snatches like that. I told my friend (who was from the country-side and not really used to bigger cities) never ever to give dough to beggars, no matter how sad their story is.
Yet I've heard that in Poland (and elsewhere) these beggars make a very decent living out of begging...Albanians, Romanians; they can keep actually bank accounts off it. Like the Albanian gypsie I once saw getting money out of an ATM here in Dublin. 30 minutes later I passed her again and she was begging me for some cash as she needed it for her kid. Needless to say I didn't give any.
I always give to a good busker!
I would if they would only stop playing All Along The Watchtower, Hotel California and all the tunes of U2....:(
Son, do you have a crush on Shelley? Just wondering.
As I said in my previous post, ain't no freaking loser gonna steal my money! I had some situation in Dublin once. I had to pass Summerhill on a Fridaynight at midnight. Summerhill is one of the most dangerous sites of Dublin's city centre. There was no taxi available, so I had to walk. And yes, there was some nitwit with a white hoodie and a knife in his hands. Shaking all over from the need for a fix, he demanded money. It was weird, but instead of afraid, I just got very angry. I thought: no f*cking loser is gonna take away my hard earned money! And in one movement, I hit him with my hand on his hand. That startled him and the knife dropped on the ground. A fraction of a second later I punched him in the face and he nearly fell backwards and ran away. Then I went to the Gardai (Irish police), and they asked me: "do you know who it was?" I swear to God, that's what they asked me! I told them, no, otherwise I would've found the b*stard and brought him there. They told me that, in that case, there was nothing they could do. If I wanted, I could file a report, but nothing would happen with it. I told them that the knife probably would be there. They told me it wouldn't make a difference. In other words, they were telling me to *peep* off and not cause them any work this time of night!
I've seen quite a few beggars in Poland, but trust me, I'm convinced that NO place on earth is as bad as Detroit here in the US. The last time I was there, I could not walk for maybe 2 minutes without being asked for money over and over again. There were times when maybe 4 or 5 people would follow along all asking for cash. I like to be charitable and so on, but that's way out of hand!
I work hard to earn the money I have, and if I give it to somebody it is my decision. A friend may ask (although this is uncommon), and if I give them money it is because I choose to help them out. If I give money to somebody I don't know (ie. a busker) it is because I choose to do so, and prompting me (ie. Beggers and chuggers) to give has an effect opposite to the desired one.
I thought the beggars in Poland weren't too bad compared with others - "dwa Zloty" was the usual request - met with a "Youre joking mate - I'm Scottish" response.
The worst are in Paris - Albanian Gypsies who shove a note in your hand written in English " My huband is dying of Leukimia and my children are hungry" - kinda sick.
Please, never give money on the street in Poland. Give money to charity organization... Many of beggars are simple con men. Giving them money is like feeding cancer.
It would appear that they were probably from Romania. Apparently they get more money if they say they are from Albania or Bosnia. The clip at 1.30 explains why.. youtube.com/watch?v=ogLo2g_ECxU
I think the old babcia's around jasna gora in czestochowa are more annoying than begger boys (can't walk 2 feet in here in toronto without seeing one). On my first encounter with them they pinned some kind of ribbon on my shirt. I didn't know what to make of it (they wouldn't explain) so i politely said dziekuje and walked away. Immediately after i turned my back they started screaming złodziej (thief) - apparently they wanted a donation. I took it off and never let them put anything on me again.
I used to give those beggars some change. But after I learnt that most of them are professional beggars who are brought to Poland by slave trade gangsters from Eastern and Southern Europe, I stopped.
I hate the ones that hover around in shops, waiting for an opportune moment to scrounge. There was one today who came my way but I just scowled at him. I might have given him a mighty skelp round the lug had he come any closer.
I hate the ones that hover around in shops, waiting for an opportune moment to scrounge.
I quite like the regular beggers outside my local nightshop. From time to time and only when they don't speak to me while I'm on my way into the shop I'll buy a 100ml bottle of spiritus and give it to them. The first few times they just looked shocked but these days they just look happy. A while back some guy started giving me verbal outside the nightshop (I was speaking English to my girlfriend and that didn't go down well with this drunken moron) and he immediately had three most unhappy tramps in his face!
That's the other side, Harry. If anyone gave me hassle, I'm sure the two beggar brothers would have sth to say about it and jump in. You don't need to give them much and they'll be on your side.
There's lots of them at polish railstations, especially when you're buying tickets at the ticket counters they are just staying there next to the queue asking each person for money - usually looking at your hands and wallet when you're buying tickets - probably because some people won't say "sorry I don't have any change" later. Katowice was swarming with them, same with Gdynia main railroad station..
It's funny you should mention the railway station in Gdynia. Last month I had one begger that practically robbed me inside the station. Just put my hand in my pocket and the guy pounced on me knocking me over with the cash strewn all over the floor. Fortunately a couple of polish guys near by jumped in really quickly and give the guy a bit of kicking and chucked him out. To be honest it was my first experience of something like this (other than being held at gun point in Sao Paulo, now that was scary) ....There after it's made me think twice now before I decide to give anything; shame really as some people will no doubt genuinely need a handout for what ever reason.
Last week i gave some dude 5 PLN i think theyre waiting for me now every week.
Dude, you're foreign and you own a car, in their minds you're probably Bill Gates, good job on making sure every focking chav in a thousand mile radius got informed that "that German guy is loaded and always gives money."
Romanians.
Gypsies actually, never give these rude dirty fockers a dime, if they live around or beg at a place you frequent they'll start treating you like social services.
That's true, those gippos are nasty bits of work but I think they are worse in the Balkans. I was so close to nailing one in Skopje, Macedonia. He was so persistent. I didn't fancy meeting his family of 20 bare-knuckle boxers in one go, though.
No kurwa boys lately, ive decided im not giving any more money away. i have a new strategy when they come over and ask, ill turn straight round and ask them for money instead.
Quit the ******** Harry... We all know well that you are a coward. You probably **** in your pants when the poor malnourished bum approached you. You throw the spiritus at them, and run away.
Anyway, the Gypsies in Czestochowa are terrible.. especially near Jasna Góra.. there is a lot of older Gypsy women that hound you in that viscinity, and sometime get physical. Once, she pointed at her young daughter sitting on the bench nearby, as if I could take her to bed with me, if I would just give her some 10 measly zloty.
Oh, and Wroclaw Boy... I'd consider changing my clothes if I were you. From the looks of things, your horrid coloured shirts reflect so much sunlight, that no matter you attract all the local trash.
I had given 10 zl to a begger on the street of city where I study. He had sworn to me he needed it for food. Half an hour later, he was with me on the same train, offering cigarettes to other tramps. How jolly kind of him lol.
