Reply to: Harrowing Beggars

[SueEllen]

Hmmm...inneresting.

Theres plenty with dogs in Reading though.

1. You can buy the dog
2. Get it given to you
3. Have a stray befriend you - as a student some friendly stray dog followed me and my flatmates around for the day. (We were stupid and stroked it.) We thought it belonged to the halls bar owner as it kept going into the hall bar and coming out again. We mentioned to someone else we knew and she decided to take it home to her parents.
4. Steal it - most of the dogs tied up outside supermarkets are friendly and are mutts.

[OwlHoot]

Hmmm...inneresting. ...

Aaagh - There it is again! I'm getting flashbacks now.

[xoggoth]

One in our town who's been doing it quite a few years. Mind you, she does look rather growly so I forgive her,

[Uncle Albert]

Street cat named bob is a good read. A most unusual cat. It also explains (the book, not the cat) how the whole Big Issue selling works.

Ta, I'll give that a read. I used to assume that the Big Issue was there to offer temporary help to people wanting to move off the streets and into employment, but there is a Big Issue seller in my town who has been doing it for at least 16 years now.

[NotAllThere]

Funny thing is with dogs and even cats who want to follow their owner,...

Street cat named bob is a good read. A most unusual cat. It also explains (the book, not the cat) how the whole Big Issue selling works.

[Pip in a Poke]

Maybe it's because animal rescues won't give them the dogs and other dogs are too expensive.

Hmmm...inneresting.

Theres plenty with dogs in Reading though.

[SueEllen]

They ain't there no more though. Probably not to the taste of the many stuck up Londoners who live round here these days....

Maybe it's because animal rescues won't give them the dogs and other dogs are too expensive.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

Mournful looking mutts on a rope are another valued begging asset.

Crusties.

I believe my home town of Bath has the honour of having introduced this phenomenon to the world.

They ain't there no more though. Probably not to the taste of the many stuck up Londoners who live round here these days....

[SueEllen]

Mournful looking mutts on a rope are another valued begging asset.

Funny thing is with dogs and even cats who want to follow their owner, it is better for the animal. Most dogs and cats have fur coats that are suitable to living outside and they would rather be with their owners all the time then stuck in a garden or a room somewhere on their own.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

If you know about it why are you acting surprised about it?

That's exactly my point. I've never really seen people using their deformities to beg for money before. Beggars, yes but not this.

I understand it's commonplace in India but I've never been there.

And I'm surprised because I'm seeing this in Europe.

As an aside, I think it's safe to say they're Roma....

[OwlHoot]

Also if you see children begging or a beggar with a child you are suppose to call the police and/or social services. However as most of them come from a particular ethnic group there is no point.

Mournful looking mutts on a rope are another valued begging asset.

[SueEllen]

I've spent more than half of my 52 years overseas.

I just have never been to the Indian subcontinent where this stuff is the norm.

If you know about it why are you acting surprised about it?

[MrMarkyMark]

I've spent more than half of my 52 years overseas.

I just have never been to the Indian subcontinent where this stuff is the norm.

Happens in plenty of other places too.

[SueEllen]

I believe some beggars in India do pretty much that.

I know that's why I mentioned it. It use to be done in European countries as well but the welfare state put a stop to it.

Also if you see children begging or a beggar with a child you are suppose to call the police and/or social services. However as most of them come from a particular ethnic group there is no point.

[LondonManc]

Don't harrow Chinese beggars, they'll think you're being racist. HTHBIDI