Big issue street/sellers and such folk

[Dr Lobster*]

Steps are being taken to halt insults made by the public to homeless people selling The Big Issue in Bristol.
Research in the latest South West edition shows nine out of 10 suffer verbal abuse and some have been violently attacked.

Sellers in Bristol's Broadmead shopping centre will now wear more distinctive badges and also T-shirts bearing the message "Working Not Begging".

Registered pitches will be marked out with a Big Issue logo on the ground.

The survey has found that 91% of vendors have been targeted while selling the magazine - 64% being told to "get a job".

The magazine's SW director, Jeff Mitchell, said: "It is terrible that Big Issue vendors are treated as a street nuisance when they have chosen to earn money legitimately.

"They work for a living and we are working with vendors to try to ensure everyone understands that they are working not begging.

"The Big Issue is designed to offer an alternative to begging and petty crime and one solution to homelessness.

"Big Issue vendors deserve better support from the public."

The magazine has teamed up with the management of Broadmead and also Street Wise, the city's anti-begging initiative, for the awareness campaign.

John Hirst, Broadmead's manager, said: "We have been supporters of the work done by the Big Issue for a number of years and fully support this latest initiative.

"Many of the Big Issue sellers add value to the shopping experience and are well-known to our customers. This will also really help us to improve life for the public on the streets."

I'm pleased to hear i'm not the only one who gets utterly pissed off by the barrage of parasites stuffing clipboards in yer face and so on. I accept they are only doing a job, but when I'm going about my business, keeping myself to myself, I don't need to be yelled at by some piss stinking yak asking me to buy a magazine. If I want one, I will buy one. It's time this kind of street selling was banned in my opinion.

What are your experiences and opinions of such annoyances?

[Nick Harvey]

I get pissed off by charity collectors with tins, who stand in supermarket entrances and refuse to believe that I only carry a credit card when I go supermarket shopping.

[Chris]

I get pissed off by charity collectors with tins, who stand in supermarket entrances and refuse to believe that I only carry a credit card when I go supermarket shopping.

Slightly off topic, but I hate people who use credit cards to pay for single items that you could pay for easily by cash - eg. a loaf of bread, bottle of milk, fags, newspaper etc. It really annoys me especially when there are like about 4 people doing this in front of me in the queue as it really slows it down.

There are Big Issue sellers every so often at my local Sainsbury's branch but they aren't really that annoying - they just stand there holding copies of said magazine hoping to sell them.

[cat]

I get pissed off by charity collectors with tins, who stand in supermarket entrances and refuse to believe that I only carry a credit card when I go supermarket shopping.

Slightly off topic, but I hate people who use credit cards to pay for single items that you could pay for easily by cash - eg. a loaf of bread, bottle of milk, fags, newspaper etc. It really annoys me especially when there are like about 4 people doing this in front of me in the queue as it really slows it down.

There are Big Issue sellers every so often at my local Sainsbury's branch but they aren't really that annoying - they just stand there holding copies of said magazine hoping to sell them.

:evil:

Well, sometimes you don't have change... I am not going to withdraw a ten pound note from a cashpoint to pay for a 99 pence bottle of milk and a box of poppadums.

I don't really have a problem with Big Issue sellers, but it really pisses me off when they are, quite frankly, rude to you. Sometimes I'll at least be nice and acknowledge them, and say "sorry, not today" or "no, thanks anyway", or whatever, and they usually reply with "oh, big spender, are we?" or "well... thank YOU mate".

Where's the need for that sort of attitude? Would they rather be just ignored, or something? They're sort of like scallies when they ask you for something "Hi, sorry, have you got a pen", "no, sorry", "Fuck off then"

[Gavin Scott]

I'm pleased to hear i'm not the only one who gets utterly pissed off by the barrage of parasites stuffing clipboards in yer face and so on. I accept they are only doing a job, but when I'm going about my business, keeping myself to myself, I don't need to be yelled at by some piss stinking yak asking me to buy a magazine. If I want one, I will buy one. It's time this kind of street selling was banned in my opinion.

Alternatively you might consider buying a copy and supporting the cause, whether you want to read it or not. Its only £1.00 or so. For goodness sake I've lost more running for a bus.

The whole point of the Big Issue is to provide you with something in return for your donation. And by the way, not that I'm accusing you of being a bare faced liar, but I suspect you have NOT been, "yelled at by some piss stinking yak asking me to buy a magazine". I suspect its been more of a, "Big Issue?".

Consider it when you're tucked up in your bed, eh?

[Pete]

£1 for a Big Issue or 99p for a McFlurry. I know where my money would go.

[Nick Harvey]

Slightly off topic, but I hate people who use credit cards to pay for single items that you could pay for easily by cash - eg. a loaf of bread, bottle of milk, fags, newspaper etc. It really annoys me especially when there are like about 4 people doing this in front of me in the queue as it really slows it down.

I quite agree. I use the local corner shop, and cash, for one or two items like that. I was talking about a fortnight's supermarket shopping at around £180 to £200.

[MarkN]

£1 for a Big Issue or 99p for a McFlurry. I know where my money would go.

Yes, I think that the "Big Issue" is good value for money too...

[Brad]

In town yesterday there was a woman, I'd say in her early 60's, with a tea towel on her head, trying to get people to take leaflets about whatever is going on in the middle east. All it seemed to be doing was creating a litter problem.

[Pete]

£1 for a Big Issue or 99p for a McFlurry. I know where my money would go.

Yes, I think that the "Big Issue" is good value for money too...

Well if they came with a free McFlurry perhaps.

[Chris]

In town yesterday there was a woman, I'd say in her early 60's, with a tea towel on her head, trying to get people to take leaflets about whatever is going on in the middle east. All it seemed to be doing was creating a litter problem.

Funny you should mention that. Where I live, there is a rather old woman (she does not have a tea towel on her head however ) that too likes to hand out leaflets and various printed paraphernalia about some Christian radio station you can get on LW and about the church and God in general. Call her a bible basher if you will.

I quite agree. I use the local corner shop, and cash, for one or two items like that. I was talking about a fortnight's supermarket shopping at around £180 to £200.

People who pay for the weekly/fortnightly shop with a card I have no problem with - I don't expect people to walk around with £200 worth of cash in their back pocket! As said earlier, it's just those that like to pay for small things using credit cards - especially when you get lots of them in a queue in front of you, is when it gets annoying.