New begging/selling scheme on tube

[Daniel]

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.

Northumberland Park (Depot).

King's Cross St Pancras.

Tottenham Hale.

 

[WestCoast]

I've only ever seen one or two begging attempts on board trains/tubes in the UK, been asked directly for 50p once or twice in rather odd locations such as on the Mid-Cheshire Line. I've become very cynical about beggars since I discovered the amount of "Professional begging" that goes on, as it is hard to separate the genuine cases from those who are being deceptive. I'd only ever consider giving a sandwich or a cup of tea anyway, my loose change makes a significant difference to my modest income.

It's rather common elsewhere in the world, a lot of panhandling happening on the big metro systems in continental Europe (I seem to remember it being surprisingly common on the Brussels Metro and of course the systems in Paris and Rome are somewhat notorious). The New York subway, which I used for a week last year, is where I had by far the most experiences with onboard begging and "entertainment". I came across a couple of preachers, a few bands, and most memorably, a huge scruffy man dressed in what could only be described as a Tarzan costume asking for money!

 

[transmanche]

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.

I really hope they weren't doing what a train driver was caught doing in Melbourne

 

[jon0844]

I really hope they weren't doing what a train driver was caught doing in Melbourne

"oyster card reported for misuse" suggests someone failed to touch in and out properly?

 

[transmanche]

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.

I really hope they weren't doing what a train driver was caught doing in Melbourne

"oyster card reported for misuse" suggests someone failed to touch in and out properly?

It was the "you'll never guess what someone was doing whilst wandering through the carriage" bit I was alluding to...

 

[jon0844]

And I think you misunderstood my interpretation of the word 'touching'.

 

[transmanche]

And I think you misunderstood my interpretation of the word 'touching'.

Ah, I guess I missed the subtle humour!

 

[Daniel]

Nothing as... different as that, no!


The original post was regarding a new begging scheme witnessed on the tube - my point was I also witnessed this occurring whilst travelling home from work, stopped it etc etc..

 

[superdrive1]

I happened to witness this scam about a week ago on a train from Woolwich Arsenal down to London Bridge, have to concede I had no idea what she was actually doing until I read this thread, now it all makes some sense! She never did the part of the train I was sat on as it was too crowded, she bailed out somewhere between the 2 stops as her business wasn't working, can't remember where off-hand. It needs to be stamped out if you ask me as it just makes the general travelling experience rather uncomfortable in my own opinion, I don't really agree with the pulling of the emergency alarms on trains to pull attention to it, where possible I believe the BTP text number must be used along with the informing of any railway staff (if about), I think the only time the alarm should be used in such situations is if you feel threatened by their presence or something on those lines myself

 

[Voyager 2093]

I had one today on my London Overground service from Watford Junction to Euston.

She gave everyone a piece of paper, stating she was a single mum with kids to feed ect ect and some other crap....yeah right!

 

[Nym]

I had one today on my London Overground service from Watford Junction to Euston.

She gave everyone a piece of paper, stating she was a single mum with kids to feed ect ect and some other crap....yeah right!

Yeah, if she was a single mother, where the kids scamming the Bakerloo Line?

 

[kentuckytony]

Begging, as noted, is a world-wide phenomenon.
Over here in the US, I get people asking me for very odd amounts of money - like 17 cents instead of a whole coin like 25 cents.
I don't know if that is to get you to put your hands in your pocket for your wallet or for ladies to open their purses so they can do a quick grab.
I am not having any of it.:neutral:

 

[Nym]

"Any spare change?"

"Change comes from within..."

 

[samxool]

i experienced this scam 2 days ago between waterloo and vauxhall.
The man didn't say a word, but definitely looked romanian. Probably one of those disgusting lot begging, scamming, stealing, pick pocketing, etc on oxford street and camping out and turning park lane and marble arch into a slum.
i immediately chucked the tissues and his sign out of the window of the moving train. He of course suddenly found the power of speech and used broken english to demand i pay up. I refused. I told him begging was illegal, that he definitely did not have 2 sons he couldn't feed, and that if he did, he needs to get a job.
He tried to pretend he couldn't understand me, and seemed to get a bit more aggressive for demanding money from me for chucking his tissues away. I refused, and told him i would be reporting him to staff at the next station. He seemed to understand that well enough and stormed off.
Stupidly, some passengers then tried to have a go at me. I tried to reason to them that it is nothing more than a scam, but it fell on dead ears.
Thanks to the loony left, we will have many thousands more flooding our streets, claiming benefits, and topping themselves up with this kind of begging. expect it to get a lot worse come january.

 

[ModernRailways]

i experienced this scam 2 days ago between waterloo and vauxhall.
The man didn't say a word, but definitely looked romanian. Probably one of those disgusting lot begging, scamming, stealing, pick pocketing, etc on oxford street and camping out and turning park lane and marble arch into a slum.
i immediately chucked the tissues and his sign out of the window of the moving train. He of course suddenly found the power of speech and used broken english to demand i pay up. I refused. I told him begging was illegal, that he definitely did not have 2 sons he couldn't feed, and that if he did, he needs to get a job.
He tried to pretend he couldn't understand me, and seemed to get a bit more aggressive for demanding money from me for chucking his tissues away. I refused, and told him i would be reporting him to staff at the next station. He seemed to understand that well enough and stormed off.
Stupidly, some passengers then tried to have a go at me. I tried to reason to them that it is nothing more than a scam, but it fell on dead ears.

Seriously? I'm not surprised people turned on you. It would be easier to just leave it there, or put it in the bin. He may have bought them, and you've just thrown away his property. You've just littered on the tracks and on South West Trains it's third rail, that tissue could get on a conductor rail and catch fire - extreme I know, but is a possibility.

 

[pjnathanail]

Seriously? I'm not surprised people turned on you. It would be easier to just leave it there, or put it in the bin. He may have bought them, and you've just thrown away his property. You've just littered on the tracks and on South West Trains it's third rail, that tissue could get on a conductor rail and catch fire - extreme I know, but is a possibility.

Although by chucked away he could have meant putting them in the bin?

 

[High Dyke]

i immediately chucked the tissues and his sign out of the window of the moving train.

Although by chucked away he could have meant putting them in the bin?

The posting is quite clear in what it says. However that is digressing from the point.

I've never had the 'tissue' experience though a few months ago a mate and I did find some child beggars on the underground. They kept passing through the carriage expecting people to give their change, of which some did. When they got to us i just blanked them, but my mate gave them a piece of his mind...he speaks Romanian. The two young lads got off at the next station clearly upset.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Not really on the tube but at KFC in London Victoria an Asian bloke (Chinese or Korean) walked along and placed a laminated card explaining how he was blind and how just £2 could go to help him a long way. He was clearly not blind as he managed to use the escalators with ease, had nothing to suggest he was blind, gave me a funny look when I placed his card in the bin and he wasn't even that badly dressed!