While I do not condone aggressive begging I do feel compassion for them. I am incredibly fortunate. I have a home, a job and food in my belly every day. These guys in most cases in a lot of pain with addictions and struggling to survive. NHS support services covering mental health and addiction issues have been cut to the bone and as a result the problems manifest on the streets and on trains.
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Don’t do yourself down - I’m sure you enjoy these things because you work hard and make the right choices in life - not because of blind luck.
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Sure, but let’s be honest. Who thinks to themselves when they are kids ‘When I grow up I want to be an addict and beg on trains’ ?
It’s a consequence of a series of traumatic events in a person’s life that leads them to the point of standing in front of irritated commuters begging for the next hit. Addiction is a consequence of trauma.
Obviously it’s not ok for that aggressive male addict to intimidate people for money. Hopefully he is caught and given a consequence. I still feel sad for them when I see them beg.
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That’s a bit presumptous, Chris. How do you know? Unless you know this person and their background in RL, that is.
Sometimes people are in a good position in life purely through good luck - I count myself as one such. And actually, some bad luck in my early life that had the side effect of giving me the financial freedom to buy my own house in London when the market was down. 100% luck, both good and bad.
Some people work harder than any of us can ever imagine and make good, sound decisions at every turn and still find themselves in dire circumstances, blindsided by misfortune entirely beyond their control.
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Edited my post to begin “I’m sure”
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With respect Rachael, so is the post above. I am not sure all addiction is the result of trauma, I have known so very well off kids when I was at school who had everything but felt drugs were cool. They were not. Two died of overdoses.
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My exact point. We can’t assume to know why any other person is in the position they are, good or bad.
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With respect to the assumption rich kids from nice families don’t experience trauma I’d guess that they might have experienced relational small t trauma if all looks fine on the surface. Emotional neglect sets up people for a hard time self regulating difficult emotions and makes them prime candidates for addiction. Dr Gabor Mates book called ‘Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ explores the causes of addiction in a beautifully compassionate way. It’s a great read for anyone looking to gain insight into addiction and its causes.
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Well this shit is still on the train. Today he asked a young lady why she didn’t want to give him any money and she stuttered for a second and then politely said she’d tell him if he wanted. Suffice to say he remarked about that being the best excuse you can come up with and then started verbally attacking her for a full 20 secs before walking off calling her a fuc… bitch. She was very intimidated and almost drawn to tears.
I see these beggars every day - and they all get off at New Cross Gate - why don’t TFL do anything about it? Maybe if they hadn’t frozen their fares they’d have the money to do so. These people weren’t there for the first 5 years that the overground was open, but they’ve clearly learnt it’s a nice little earner to feed their habits. And don’t get me started on the number of people that i now see jumping the barriers or pushing through them on my ticket.
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Would suggest you edit the comments about the mayor. We don’t do politics here
Yes, please avoid politics.
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Edited. Thanks.
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To be fair, it’s not just on the Overground though… I have seen this happen on the Tube as well more increasingly.
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Ive got him 2nite, not being aggresive but I think that’s cos I’m in a bad mood.
Just to add spent from Highbury & Islington to Canada Water chatting, arguing amd debating with him. His name is Darren and his final words were that he’s just trying to kill himself. Doesn’t excuse his aggressive behavoiur in the slightest but maybe puts a slightly different slant on his story?
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No, he has housing. He lives with one of the others who actually has a freedom pass (that’s how they get on the line). They’re all in it together to feed their addictions. They deny help offered. None of the beggers on the East London Line are homeless. 100% they’re all about getting money to feed their addictions. Don’t be fooled.
They try to get around the begging aspect by doing “poetry” or saying they’re not asking for money etc. Solicting on the railway is a chargable offence under the railway byelaws. Anyone approaching asking for money in any shape or form is breaking the byelaws if they’re doing it on a train, no ifs or buts.
“I’m just doing poetry”, well then ask him if he can provide his TfL issued busking license. They need to be challenged and pushed off of the line.
I’ve seen now they have “land sheriffs” on the line looking out for them and moving them on.
“See it, say it, sorted”, if someone is approaching someone on the train asking for money, that’s harassment. Press the big red button by the door and tell the driver. They will have to stop the train, go back and reset the alarm, causing delays. Delays cost money. THAT is how action needs to be taken. More times trains are delayed due to begging, the better the response.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for helping those in need, just that those who are begging on East London Line are only in need of their next fix.
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Totally agree with you @Flora_Noris. I wish people would stop falling for their lies, and stop handing them money. If the money stopped, the illegal begging would stop.
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And hopefully they will be happy to pay the fine for improper use. If you wish to report a beggar you can text BTP on 61016
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We had Daniel again on the mainline train on Friday. He no longer sells the Big Issue, but he is still trying to get enough money for shelter for the night. I think he has been trying for the last five years!
You won’t get fined for it. Being harrassed by someone coming up to you and asking for money is a perfectly acceptable reason to press the alarm.
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