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Is it immoral to ignore beggars on the streets?

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Reply 20

ChaoticButterfly

Yes.

I give them giant cookies now.

Reply 21

BobbieShamrock

Original post by Reluire

This is just a question I've been wondering about recently, so I would be interested to hear what people think. Is it immoral or inhuman to ignore or simply walk past beggars on the streets without helping them?

No... But I think it's immoral to not give a little money to charity every now and then (or a lot if you can afford it)
I do feel bad when I pass them without doing anything though.

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Reply 22

Lanny1997

If I can't finish something I'm eating or drinking, I tend to give them my leftovers. Sometimes, I'll go to a corner shop nearby, give them one of those 25p drinks, a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar.

Reply 23

Iqbal007

It's certainly a hard one, whether its immoral or not, the reason being we have no association with them, we have no obligation towards them. However our more humanity side would say it would be. However these opinions differ from people to people depending on what they see from beggars, etc.

Many are reluctant to help them then and there as stated in the first sentence, but there are those who feel that when helping them by giving them money, they simply do not know where that money is going or whether they are actually poor themselves.
I rather support charities who genuinely help the homeless, provide food, shelter.....especially those who can help them to alleviate their situation by training, getting them jobs, etc.

Just yesterday I saw one of these "beggars" and they do not look like they are poor and in need, its very easy to see the difference, these men seem like eastern europeans, very little English, clothing seemed quite clean, dressly warmly, etc just bothering people in South Kensington. And it appears to be a regular occurrence.

Situations like the above create this attitude and I would say in that case to ignore them would not be immoral due to how dodgy it all seemed.

Reply 24

And then...

If I gave every beggar something I'd be skint, I live in an area riddled with them. I must get asked over 20 times a day for change. So now I just ignore them, there's enough homeless charity's walking around helping.

Reply 25

Brit_Miller

I do think it is immoral to not help some of the most vulnerable people in society. These people have little help, it's incredibly hard for them to find paid work or try and better themselves when most people look down on them even if they're trying to sell the big issue or play music. We should be humanising these people, and getting them back into society.

Personally I don't give money to any other charities, I only give money to homeless people people I meet so they can buy themselves some food, a coffee, or to be honest, if they want to buy themselves a beer when the temperatures drop to -10 in the winter they can go ahead. The few quid I give means a lot more to them than it ever will to me.

Reply 26

skunkboy

If those beggars are rich enough or if you're not rich enough , you don't need to give anything to them.

Taking care of beggars is not your duty . It's the government's. But that doesn't mean you should treat beggars like...a piece of trash.
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Reply 27

Gax

I always feel really bad walking past a homeless person, especially when I'm having myself a big hamburger or something like that :/

Reply 28

Limpopo

I was in Manchester yesterday making merry as i have been working hard all week. I noted a greater number of beggars on the street. I had not noticed this so much in Summer. My conclusion is that the colder weather especially approaching Christmas is popular for beggars as they can capitalise on the sympathy vote. Needless to say i just kept walking. I dont get my money for free and neither should anyone else.

Reply 29

SecretDuck

One time I couldn't finish my meal and had an unopened KFC baked beans. Before my meal, there was a beggar right in front of the KFC. When I finished my meal, he was gone.

How could he have disappeared in a short period of time? :s-smilie:

Reply 30

perfectsymbology

Did he possess a pair of functioning legs?

Reply 31

futbol

Yes, I never ignore them, I always pour tea over them.

Reply 32

SecretDuck

Original post by perfectsymbology

Did he possess a pair of functioning legs?

Yes but he had a lot of stuff which one person couldn't carry. Maybe he had a friend who hid in the dustbins or something?

Reply 33

perfectsymbology

Beggering is a slick run operation these days.

Reply 34

coalridge

It depends on what they spend it on, how many beggars have you given money to, who you have later seen using that money to indulge in the habits that got them there in the first place?

Reply 35

cole-slaw

Original post by R Dragon

Once, I was walking with my mum in the park, and a beggar approached us for money, my mum gave him a few quid and he said "Thanks! I haven't had a beer in ages"

Ever since I've been reluctant to give beggars money, if I have the time then I'd go to the nearest shop and purchase some food for them.

But I don't really think it's immoral to completely ignore their pleas~

If a beer would improve his life more than food would, why would you want to deprive him of that additional happiness?

Reply 36

Lord Harold

If you are willing to give somebody money it then becomes their property. Surely people are allowed to spend their own money on whatever they want...
It's like giving somebody an xbox for Christmas but then getting annoyed because they use it to play games that you don't like.
Why give them money if you are going to want to police what they buy with it. After that exchange of money what they do with it shouldn't concern you.

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Reply 37

Jammy Duel

The thing about begging is that it's against the law :biggrin:

Although it's funny how being a beggar is against the law but giving to one, ie promoting the act, isn't. Not quite sure what the penalty is now though, back in the ol' days it was up to a month's hard labour.

Reply 38

RF_PineMarten

No. You never know how many are genuinely homeless. Better to donate to homeless charities, at least that way you know it's going to people who genuinely need help and not the con artists who are just pretending so they can trick people into giving them money.