Ok this is gonna kind of be a rant - but I would like to hear other people's opions on it as well.

Its about to seperate things which are kind of interlinked...the basis of both is the fact that without exception everytime I walk home form work (and sometimes on the way there - tho i leave early and they aint about as much then) I get hassled by at least 4 people looking for money!

'Sir would you like to donate to.....'
'Got any spare change?'
'Big Issue sir?' (big issue is a magasine sold in the uk by homeless people)

etc etc etc

now I know the first one doesn't sound much like a beggar well remember i said it was devided into 2 parts - thats beggars & charity reps!

Now i have notyhing against charitys and Yes i do donate - what i have a problem with is people hassling me on the street to give money - attempting to make me feel guilty for just walking on!

So woohoo they are standing on the street working for the charity - but they dont do it for free. Ever wonder how much of their hard earned cash goes to the charity....very little i would say!

Ok am getting of the issue - its like this. I give to charity on a regular basis.....and I give to the charitys I want to....the ones I feel are a worthy cause and you know what I am more than capable of finding these charitys myself and arrnaging to donate I do not need to be hassled everyday on my way home from work in order to give money.

They also know where to target - i work in an office along a street filled with them and they always work that area cause they know they have a higher chance of getin a suit with some spare cash. But if they know that we work along there why not call into the offices? leave an information pack with the HR department or something for them to email to staff for us to look at in our time and make our own decision about it without being guilted?

In the end it would save them money as well - would take alot less labour costs to have someone produce the information and drop it round the offices than to pay 4 or 5 people to stand in the street all day!

Ok next one the homeless - now i know i am going to sound heartless here but is just my own opinion.

I pay my taxes which take a considerable amount of my wage....now i know some of these go towards NHS, Road Cleaners, Garbage collection and other public services - but most of it doesn't (cause thats why i also have to pay council tax after what they take from my wages)

the part which doesn't helps pay for unemployment (not my pension as thats covered by my NI payments) homeless shelters etc

so why if i am paying for other peoples benefits etc should i then give them money in the street as well? The wholehomeless thing baffles me - ok so people fall on hard times....even i have i was just lucky enough to have a wee bit put away so i didn't need benefits until i ound work again.

But even without any kind of savings you still can get money provided to you every week, a council house etc - all paid for by those people who are working
so how do people end up on the streets? come on to claim benefits all you gotta be doing is looking for work - and if you can't be arsed to do that then you shouldn't get anything.....

I dont even go into that whole 'They'll only buy drink/drugs with it' - I couldn't care less what they buy with it - I still aint gonna give anything.

Some people I have spoken to about this say that they give them food, or buy them a cup of coffee - thats just perpetuating the cycle as far as I can see.

If everyone stopped giving money/food to homeless - then there's be no homeless....the current ones would die out and when people start seeing that being homeless will end up in death then they'll make sure that if they can't keep their job that they are looking for another one so they can claim benefits!!

ok my rant over - opinions??

v_Ln