What a tragic tale.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

I just had to share this with you. Mods, please modify as appropriate.
I was having a roll-up ciggie before my hair appointment when a chap about 45 years old politely asked me for a light. I was very wary but gave him my lighter. He seemed very upset and said he'd just picked part of a cig from the pavement. Then he told me a tale that I'll never forget. For about 2 weeks he'd been sleeping rough near the train station because he was homeless. Ok. A month ago his wife who he'd been with for over 35 years and had bipolar disorder asked him to mow the lawn which he did. When he went inside she had taken an overdose and had died. Then the council threw him out of their home because he wasn't on the tenant register. Ok, but this gets worse. He was an ex-army veteran who served in Iraq for 8 years. One day his pal was badly hit by a sniper and fell on a grenade. Yes - imagine the rest which I won't go into. He also got wounded by it and I could see the scar on his forehead. He later had to leave the army to look after his wife who he dearly loved. Then he then showed me a leaflet about helping war veterans. During this time he was starting to cry. When I gave him a ciggie he said you don't have to do that, so I said I know that but I want to. Then he said he'd asked the train station café staff if he could have a free cup of tea and they said no. The only clothes he had was what he was wearing which were given to him by someone. He felt guilty for not realising what his wife was going to do, for surviving when his pal died, for being homeless, and for crying in front of a stranger. I gave him two pound coins (all I had in cash) and told him to get a hot drink, then pointed my finger at him and said you get in touch with the people on that leaflet! I then thanked him for what he'd done for our country and gave him a big hug. Then he saluted me, gripped my hand warmly and said a heartfelt thanks. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN???

[robbra]

Trouble is......... I think we all know!
Rob

[Lumpy]

MMT - thank you.

[Jay22]

And I’m worried about my shoulder and the fact I only got 2 ½ jars of chutney from a recipe instead of four...we really have no idea do we!!!

[Jay-ell]

It's unfortunate but there is a probability that none of what he said was true.

When I lived in Kingston there were a number of homeless each with their own stories. One particular chap had a dog. I used to see him and his dog over in Islington (recognised his tats and the dog). He had a flat over there (I saw him coming and going several times with and without pooch) but dressed in a suit and tie - totally different than when is his "work clothes".

There was also Billy, an old gentleman who would target well dressed middle aged ladies with his confused old man act and more often than not got his taxi fare home - which he'd spend in the local Hogs Head. He could quite easily make 5 or 6 marks an hour.

[Philthy]

^^ I remember being intercepted walking through Victoria station concourse once. This guy looked quite panicked and told me he was recently released from prison on licence, had been to visit his young daughter, but was worried he wasn't going to get back to make his curfew, and could I help him out with cab fare as he didn't think he had time to wait for a bus. Sounded plausible, think I gave him a fiver. My friend in the background kept making eye signals to me saying come on, lets go, which struck me as unreasonable in the circumstances. I was later informed by my friend that he'd had the exact same experience with the same guy a week prior. A fortnight or so later, I saw the same guy again in roughly the same place, with some tourists, no doubt giving the same rehearsed story. I imagine he made quite a healthy margin on that scam.

For the people out there fallen on genuine hard times who need help, the sad thing is how many get overlooked thanks to the con-artists who exploit their vulnerability. I know I'm more cynical. I just try to give to the charities directly, at least then you're more confident it's going to the right people.

[Jay-ell]

I haven't seen this guy in Newcastle for a while be ut used to do the bus stops in a three wheeled wheelchair with one wheel in his hands. He'd say that the wheel had just broke offr when he hit the kerb and he has to get home to the other side of the river but he normally wheels himself in the chair but can't do that now with three wheels.

The wheel he has in his hands isn#t actually off the chair - it's a different design the the front wheel that's on it. He tried to tap me up a couple of times in one week. After that if he saw me near the bus stops he would do a u-turn (showing great control of a 3 wheeled wheelchair) and go somewhere else.

I used to work on programmes with a couple of homeless charities and both recognised that any money given to a homeless person is most likely to be spent on drugs of alcohol and recommended that instead of giving money to the person directly donate to a charity (national or local but a proper charity) as the money would go to helping people.

[Martin H]

A tragic tale indeed. To me it doesn't matter how much of the story is true; whether all, some or none at all. Anyone who has come down to that sort of state needs help and support regardless of how they got there.

I wish our safety nets (state and/or charitable) worked properly, but they don't so I try not to walk on by and to help a little when I can.

[rary]

I got a sob story from a young woman when standing at a bus stop, I was waiting for a bus into Glasgow city centre when a young woman came along, she started talking about it being a fine day for various things, which I answered, till finally she asked if I knew what she was offering, which I think she was sorry she had said that as she finished up getting a lecture about selling herself, I then got a story about her being desperate for rent money as her man had walked out on her with all her money, I told her to go to a local church for help, no good she had been to the local Chappell and they wouldn't help, it finished up I offered to take her into a help centre in the city, which she declined,I think she was glad when my bus came, I saw her a couple of times later when passing on the bus, and quite sure the men she was speaking to got the same story
But must say when I got home that day and told OH, I finished with asking her for more pocket money

[Miss Mousetrousers]

To be honest, I did wonder for quite some time if he was having me on but there's some things that made me think he wasn't. He recited his battalion name and army number exactly in the same manner an army man would do when captured. Not only did he show me the deep scar on his head but also a long one on his shoulder which fitted with the injuries he got when his pal died, and the fact that when I gave him a ciggie he slightly turned away and said I didn't have to and he looked so ashamed. He never asked for money, he had this Army Veterans' leaflet in his pocket which was folded but looked quite new and, apart from so missing his wife, he said the thing he wanted most was his mum.

[Scarlet]

Sorry Mrs M, I’m a non believer too, unfortunately those kind of stories get better every time they repeat them.

We’ve had a couple in our local town targeting the older generation. They have recently been issued with an order from the police and a notice has been put up in the local shops that they aren’t to be believed. It’s happening more and more.

[1Bee]

I'm afraid i'm a non-believer, too. One of the things that didn't ring true is the council chucking him out when his wife died. In fact, he'd have gone onto the emergency list and been re-housed - it happened to a friend of mine and she was viewing flats within a week and moved in two (her choice - she could have stayed put for much longer.)

But I've heard variants of that story several times, I'm afraid.

It reflects well on you that you felt empathy and sympathy, though, Miss M. No shame in compassion.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Well if that's the case he was damned good at it.

[Scarlet]

They get lots of practice.
Generally the advice from police and charities is for people not to hand over money, but instead to support charities for the homeless. These charities will support those in need and direct them to the relevant agencies.

[veggiechicken]

a chap about 45 years old



............ his wife who he'd been with for over 35 years

......................................