New begging/selling scheme on tube

[maniacmartin]

Hi everyone,

Last night after rush hour I witnessed a new begging scheme on the Jubilee line.
A woman boarded and walked the length of the car, placing a small pocket-sized pack of tissues on every empty seat, as well as a photocopied slip of paper that said something along the lines of

I am poor and I have two children to bring up. Buy these tissues and you can help me

She then walked back along the length of the car and an amazingly high number of people delved into their pockets to find some money to give to her (much more that the tissues would be worth). Some people who had paid didn't even want the tissues anyway, so she put these, and all the ones from people who weren't interested, back in her bag, and moved to the next carriage at the next station. The whole thing was done without speaking a word.

This is a novel idea that I haven't seen before. Clearly people are more likely to take pity, and pay more, if they are buying a product, even if it is the hard sell for a product that probably costs pennies in Tesco. It looked like quite a lucrative business.

Has anyone seen this before? And what are your opinions on it?

 

[W-on-Sea]

I've seen variations on this theme in Italy, but not in the UK. I'm unimpressed.

 

[jon0844]

Seen similar in Sweden too.

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[MCR247]

I have seen this in Italy, France, Spain and Germany but not in the UK before

 

[trivran]

Saw it on the Victoria Line the other day. Sad but easy to ignore.

 

[WinterChief]

I've been on the Northern Line and it has happened.

It shouldn't continue to happen, it degrades the public transport and we have quite a very well managed on in London as it is. Other countries it is rife and the trains are not nice to travel on.

 

[CC 72100]

I thought that LU was on the whole in quite a good position with regards to managing begging problems?

From my experience certainly much better than the Parisian metro, where the lack of staff presence means that I've seen a lot more beggars on there than in London, despite much more use of the latter's network.

I'm not looking forward to 8 months of Paris metro everyday. I don't think it'll be long before I know exactly where we're going when we hear "Bonjour à tous, desolé pour vous déranger..."

 

[JackTheLad]

A lady got on a St Albans bound train at Catford last week and did exactly the same. I unfortunately sneezed at the time she put the tissues on the seat next to me which seemed an even bigger kick in the teeth to her when I said no (talk about nice timing ). No one else in the carriage bought any either. She bolted at Peckham Rye when she saw BTP on the platform ready to board.

Surely the cost of the tissues, train/tube fare, printing and laminating the cards outweigh the benefit of little if any change she will get in return? And where are these so called young children they have if their mother's are trawling the trains handing out tissues. Best thing is to ignore them I think.

 

[Daniel]

I thought that LU was on the whole in quite a good position with regards to managing begging problems?

If no-one tells the station staff, there's nothing they can do, though!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I have seen this sort of thing happening in London before, on the Underground, but not for about 3 or 4 years now.

 

[Monty]

Surely the cost of the tissues, train/tube fare, printing and laminating the cards outweigh the benefit of little if any change she will get in return? And where are these so called young children they have if their mother's are trawling the trains handing out tissues. Best thing is to ignore them I think.

Who said she paid for any of it?

 

[jon0844]

I believe they do pretty well. I've seen plenty of people giving money, which obviously makes it worthwhile. Just think how many people they can 'do' in any given day.

I always wonder why people give, but I guess they think 'what if? (this person is really genuine)'. Quite probably these are the same people that get taken in by other scams, hence why we have so many people trying to con money out of us in a myriad of ways.

 

[bluegoblin7]

I'd much rather it be this than the people that get on with guitars, accordions and other such loud instruments. If I want to hear music I'll be at a concert, not trying to travel!

 

[maniacmartin]

Regarding telling station staff, that would mean getting off the train and delaying my journey. By the time I'd found someone she could be long gone on another train.

Surely the cost of the tissues, train/tube fare, printing and laminating the cards outweigh the benefit of little if any change she will get in return?

The one I saw hadn't laminated the cards. She easily made enough for an off-peak day travelcard in our carriage alone between 2 adjacent stations.

 

[bronzeonion]

The drunk guitar man on the NLL in the Hampstead area is usually a good one, sings a 'song' and goes round with his battered hat, again a surprising number of people actually give him money! 313103 knows who im talking about!

 

[Dstock7080]

Regarding telling station staff, that would mean getting off the train and delaying my journey. By the time I'd found someone she could be long gone on another train.

Sadly this attitude prevails among many travellers, leaving the perpetrators free to roam as they please.
Only decisive action, operating the emergency alarm, will rid the system of this menace.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Sadly this attitude prevails among many travellers, leaving the perpetrators free to roam as they please.
Only decisive action, operating the emergency alarm, will rid the system of this menace.

But would such an action not be a misuse of the emergency alarm? If it's not then I'd be all too happy to pull it next time someone gets on my train.

 

[CC 72100]

But would such an action not be a misuse of the emergency alarm?

That was my first thought. Emergency alarms being pulled can cause disruption, and I don't see a beggar representing an emergency situation.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If no-one tells the station staff, there's nothing they can do, though!

Of course. But at least on LU there are station staff at platform level. In Paris, there are none.

 

[Eng274]

It's pretty rife abroad, nothing worse than sitting at a restaurant and some trinkets of questionable quality are placed on your table.

I felt awkward for those who were out with their young children (who were naturally drawn to the flashing/noisy stuff in particular) and having to tell them not to touch anything and risk upsetting the child.

Luckily it is very rare (in my bits of the world at least) for beggars, charity muggers and the like to stray from the obvious public areas eg high streets.

Oddly enough I have little issue with talented *subtle* buskers.

 

[jopsuk]

I've seen this on mainline trains in London.

 

[trentside]

While it may not prompt an immediate response, could I suggest sending a text to the BTP on 61016. This number is monitored for low level problems on the railway (offering items for sale is a breach of the byelaws) and it would allow the BTP to see if this is a problem on a particular line or from a particular station.

 

[jon0844]

While it may not prompt an immediate response, could I suggest sending a text to the BTP. This number is monitored for low level problems on the railway (offering items for sale is a breach of the byelaws) and it would allow the BTP to see if this is a problem on a particular line or from a particular station.

I never knew about that. Added to my phonebook!

 

[Daniel]

If it helps, whilst travelling home on the Victoria line today, you'll never guess what someone was doing whilst wandering through the carriage... stopped in the act, kicked off the train, escorted upstairs for S/S assistance, oyster card reported for misuse.

 

[Nym]

By station staff, driver, or travelling ops staff?

 

[ModernRailways]

Wonder if this is the same woman who was on my Thameslink train last week (London bound). She placed them all down then just before West Hampstead picked them all up and left the train.
I won't give my money to them, but what I've done on a few occasions is taken them to a shop and let them pick up some food/drink (no alcohol). That way I know they aren't going to use it for drugs etc. It also makes you feel better because you can see the person enjoy their food once it's paid for!

 

[Nym]

Considering doing this in Central London they will make more money than I do trying to make an honest living and paying tax several times...
They can sod right off!!!
I've got no issues having someone meet them off the train...

 

[causton]

By station staff, driver, or travelling ops staff?

Considering who posted it it's at least definitely the latter

 

[Nym]

If I am putting two and two together here and getting »4 then Im amased at their stupidity getting on a train starting at NPK on 60rd or 18rd...

 

[Daniel]

If I am putting two and two together here and getting »4 then Im amased at their stupidity getting on a train starting at NPK on 60rd or 18rd...

Nope! It was by travelling ops staff (myself!) but not to/from NPK - I was travelling between KIX and TOM.

 

[maniacmartin]

Please can you introduce all station codes the first time they are used on a thread. Especially the likes of "KIX", as this is not a National Rail code, so other forum users won't be familiar with it.