Things people buy

[Gavin Scott]

I don't spend my money terribly wisely either - and god knows we all may end up needing a helping hand at some point.

Yeh but not for fags, cherry coke and cider.

I don't object to anyone selling the Big Issue, or donating to anyone who is clearly in need, however from Jamez's description these were vile human beings, not worthy of any help. They didn't have the courtesy to ask respectfully and they weren't buying the kind of stuff that anyone destitute could sensibly live on. Why didn't they just put a packet of fags back ?

I don't know why. I would have and I'm sure you would too.

It's a slippery slope when you start to judge those who are worthy to survive and those who aren't.

Not something I'm prepared to do.

[Lorns]

Why put the fags back when you could put back the Burgers, Crisps and bread.

So long as you got fags you can make the little blighters get their own dinner by sending them down the chippie for a bag of chips and a can of Bing. besides the extra 20 pack is for the kids, cos they'll nick 'em othewise..

[onetrickpony]

I get a sence of "doing something right" when i help people, especially the people who are seen as scum, chavs, deadwood of society. I feel like i want to help them, but when they through it back in your face its not nice. Before making a decision - would they give you the money - probably not

[Jamez]

Don't worry about them James, you can just kick them home from whatever fantastically payed job have...

Oh I wish it was fantastically paid, but at the moment it isn't. Oh, and it's 'paid' not 'payed'.

[Ronnie Rowlands]

pardon my typo. Forgive me, but I've been flying all day and the in-flight entertainment has messed my mind up.

[Jamez]

If they had taken their £30 and gone a mile down the road to Tesco they could have bought the following:

1 packet of fags (c.£5.00) and make them last!
4 cans of Stella (£4.25)
Ready-cooked chicken (£3.00)
Pre-made salad (£1.10)
4 pints of semi-skimmed (£1.05)
Loaf of bread (£0.97)
Pasta and Dolmio (£2.10)
Multi-pack of crisps (£1.99)
2 bottles of Cola (£1.49)
Generic brand cornflakes (£1.15)
Admirals Fish Pie x 2 (£1.98) (These fish pies are amazing! I would have wasted away in Uni without them. Healthy, tasty and cheap)
Tins of soup x 2 (£1.75)

That would be a fairly decent shopping list for anyone. There really is no excuse for wasting money on shit food. It's invariably more expensive to stock up on junk food than it is to buy and eat fairly well.

But some people can't be told. It's engrained into their personalities by the way they were brought up and in a couple of years those little kids I saw racing around the shop earlier this evening will turn to racing around the suburban streets in their 1000cc wankmobiles with a Kenwood sticker in the rear window.

[Anonymous]

I was standing in the queue in Spar about 20 minutes ago with a 2 litre bottle of water and some milk. In front of me was the roughest, smelliest and foul-mouthed motley crew of a family I have ever seen. I wasn't too surprised, as this particular Spar is located on a fairly rough council estate. (snip)

How did you manage to remember all they bought? Do you have a mega excellent memory or did you jot it down at the scene? Whatever you feel about situations like this, I would avoid posting lists of what other people buy on public forums like this. How do you know the said family don't have access to Metropol somewhere, e.g. at a public library if they haven't got it at home?

[marksi]

I was standing in the queue in Spar about 20 minutes ago with a 2 litre bottle of water and some milk. In front of me was the roughest, smelliest and foul-mouthed motley crew of a family I have ever seen. I wasn't too surprised, as this particular Spar is located on a fairly rough council estate. (snip)

How did you manage to remember all they bought? Do you have a mega excellent memory or did you jot it down at the scene? Whatever you feel about situations like this, I would avoid posting lists of what other people buy on public forums like this. How do you know the said family don't have access to Metropol somewhere, e.g. at a public library if they haven't got it at home?

He probably has a method of abbreviating the contents of shopping baskets, T1BB could be for example Tin, 1, Baked Beans etc.

Thank you for the advice about not posting stuff about scummy people in case they read it, I have written it down on a Post It note and stuck it on my monitor in case I ever think of doing something similar.

[Ronnie Rowlands]

How did you manage to remember all they bought? Do you have a mega excellent memory or did you jot it down at the scene?

YOU HYPOCRITE!

[Ronnie Rowlands]

So Tumbler, what do you think? Do you think Jamez is sad enough to write this down?

[ashley b]

I have to say, if I ever found out that someone had posted a list of what I'd bought in a shop, I'd be mightily angry and it may result in another varicose vain developing. Not good.