Over the summer months, there were a variety of things I wanted to post but never quite got around to it. I can’t even count how many times I’ve commented to a friend about a “post that never quite made it”. They are still things I think about from time to time, so maybe I’ll finally get around to writing about them now.
One of those things is about the beggers in London. Here in Houston, beggers are not always kind. I’ve seen them turn down food – I guess money is better? I’ve seen the man at the corner by the mall who hides his artifical leg so that he can beg on crutches, an added ploy for sympathy. I’ve seen a lot of negative things.
In London, the beggers are polite. I don’t mean in a mildly polite way, grunting acknowledgement at you – oh, no. They actually say please and politely thank you – with a sir or a ma’am – and bid you a good day. I found it interesting, probably because when you stop and think about it, if you are begging, you should be grateful for the kindness of strangers. I wonder what it says about our own society. Do we feel a sense of entitlement? Like we deserve something more, so gratitude is not needed?
I was reminded of the beggers in London while viewing Mike Golding’s photograph of one. I didn’t feel the awkward silence with the beggers of London like I feel in the US. I knew they would thank me even if I said no, and that made me more likely to say yes to helping them out.
3 replies on “Thank You…”
The beggars in Spain (or at least Southern Spain, where I currently live) are mean. We had one guy follow us for a block saying we were “stabbing his eyes” because we refused to give him money. There are also A LOT of Romanian Gypsies that beg. They just come up to you with their hand out. When you say no, they follow you until they find someone else. OR they try to sell lighters. They come up to you while you’re eating, put the lighter down and step away. If you pick up the lighter or make ANY move toward it, they come back and start demanding their money. OR, they just try to pick your pockets. Most of the beggars I’ve seen in Spain look strung out on drugs. My parents will be in London in a few weeks, so your post about the polite beggars in London has been quite a relief to me.
Ooh, my post skipped a line. I said that the guy who followed us for a block yelling that we were stabbing his eyes kept putting his hands on my husband, grabbing his arm and shoulder. When he started to get closer to me, my husband yelled at him and he finally backed off.
I once smashed a beggar over the head with a wine bottle when he was about to attack me. They can be very aggressive in Berkeley, California. Glad I’m not there anymore.