Homelessness

[Little Miss Scarlett]

Just something my Mum told about what happened to her yesterday. Oh, and I looked and I couldn't see any other similar threads.


She was going to Tesco's and she saw this girl sat on one of the benches outside, looked about 18 or so. She said what caught her attention was the look of absolute despair on her face, like that was it, she didn't have any hope for the future at all.

When she caught her eye, my Mum smiled at her, and the way she smiled back was as though it was one of the best things that had happened to her all day, just someone smiling at her.

At the entrance there was this man selling some magazines, and he said, "Wanna buy a magazine, love? You haven't got 40 pence for a coffee have you?" In a friendly, half-joking way, you know what I mean.

She said back to him, "Look love, I'm not going to get one, just take this." It was only a quid, but he just broke down in tears and threw his arms around her and sobbed.

"Thankyou so much, you don't know how much it means to us you know. Most people just think we're scum, they won't even look at us, or they just spit at us. My girlfriend's pregnant, I just wanted to get her something warm." Well, he said something like that, there was more but I can't remember. That girl was his girlfriend, obviously.


It was better when she said it, she's a good storyteller. It brought a tear to my eye, I can tell you that.

I know plenty of people are like that, completely devoid of sympathy, but I'll never understand why other than being a complete dickhead. I'm referring to the spiting here btw, I think the main reason people ignore them is out of awkwardness or if you just don't have change, blah blah blah.

I know it's the same as everything else, some are twats and some are really nice. It's just sad to know that when you get to that level, barely anybody cares and you're grouped together with the shit. While admitably I've not seen everyone on the street, all the one's I have seen just looked sad, and seemed really nice.

Considering how easy it is to scrounge off benefits these days, more often than not I'd say it's the result of circumstance. I can't help but imagine what it must have been like in the snow. Very few of them have done anything to warrant living like that.

Well, I tried not to be preachy.

[Kitmitsu]

Have a lot of homeless people here in Plymouth who are pretty alright. I think one of them sleeps across the street actually. I don't often give money because I rarely have change. Back home in Poole they're much more annoying though. They always have a massive story to tell about why they need a pound for the train or something and if you give them something, they'll ask you again an hour later when you're walking back. I wish they'd just tell the truth. When me and Neal went to Sainsbury's over the summer, one guy who was selling Big Issue's said "got any change?". I thought "why isn't he selling the magazines" but I didn't have any change so I said I couldn't help. He then proceeded to say "Oh, so are you going to shoplift then?" What a massive cunt. I suppose he's never heard of a card before. Anyway, some are alright, some are annoying.

[Neal]

If I had my iPhone then I would have shown him the touch screen, the camera, and all the other expensive pointless add ons.

[Cactus Girl]

Caffeine is bad for pregnant women and unborn babies...

[Icysparks2009]

A small act of kindness can go a long way.
What a touching story .

[Dark Chaos]

I don't really get sentimental on this kind of subject ,after all like 70% of homeless people are homeless because they're too lazy to work,besides they are really annoying I can't go shopping without bumping into one and if I give him/her some change a whole group of them come and ask me and if my answer is “I don't have any change” they follow me until I go into a store and they wait for me until I leave the place and ask again......they have no shame....seriously .......

[boomiko]

judging by the dialogue i assume your not in america. this is just an assumption. but here we have the stereotypical homeless

my brother saw a homeless on the street one day, and knowing that he was an alcoholic judging by the beer bottles around him, decided to help him in a way that would actually help. my brother took the homeless across the street and bought some fries or something with his spare change and gave it to the homeless guy. the homeless guy looked at it and threw it on the ground screaming profound things at him and about how stupid he was for buying food and not more alcohol for the man.

granted their are good homeless people who deserve a home and respect. but i have not met one yet.

another story. i walked in to a goodwill and their was a completely stoned homeless guy walking around with a bottle of wiskey in his hands talking gibberish. i saw this at a young age and it has affected how i view the homeless. how sad.