Benches outside Tesco

Sevlow

I hope the protest is still going on in an hour I really do

Arkady

Someone take a picture.

N4Matt

A protest?

Over a missing bench that was inhabited by begging drunks and junkies?

Jesus wept!

Would their time not be better spent getting a job?

sincers

They don't need to they get housed and looked after by the taxpayer - the mugs!

graeme

A dirty protest?

ADGS

I went past a little later and saw no red flag, plastic chairs or Stalinist. However, three of the usual suspects were demonstrating exactly the sort of can-do spirit Britain needs by either leaning on the railing, or just sitting where the benches used to be as though they were too out of it to register the absence. Pity's sake, if for whatever reason you want to drink and have to do it outdoors even in the winter, wouldn't the parks be a more pleasant setting than next to the recycling bins?

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ADGS

I'm not so sure, London Fields in particular is beggartastic. And because people are sat around, rather than hurrying past, they seem to have a little more success in actually making enough contact to get some money. Although in keeping with the area's hipster tendencies, most of them have a gimmick of some sort (we got an aggressive street poet, followed by an alleged foot masseur).

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ADGS

That sceptical response around here is exactly why he's relocated to London Fields - much better pickings from the trust fund crowd.

graeme

I was once approached by a skilled beggar - a 'street dentist', in the central park of Connaught Place in Delhi. It was either give him some cash, or allow him to perform root canal work with a rusty scalpel. I paid handsomely.

ActionVerb

Someone has written some choice words into the cement that must have been drying following the removal of the benches. It drifts off a bit, but starts off with a bang.

checkski

I don't like the tone of most contributions on this thread. Most SG.orgers
come across as wealthy, successful, shallow, hedonistic types, with no respect for vulnerable people. The sneering and onyourbikeishness of it all, here and in similar threads, eg the one about the 'characters' in the street, is repellant.The bench regulars don't bother other people; if they did, it might be different. What do WE know about their lives? Think yourselves lucky that you haven't ended up in the same boat, and please think twice before pillorying the weak, least of all in a public place like this forum.

ADGS

I'm not at all well off myself, but I am in many ways lucky, and I know that. I do have a fair few friends who've had far tougher lives for one reason or another, and in at least one case even ended up living rough for a while. Crucially, however, not one of them ever ended up playing the bloody bongos in the street. And that is precisely why I feel it fair to judge anyone who does.

checkski

Yes. I agree about the bongos. That IS invasive; or I imagine it would have been, if I'd heard them.

JungleFaceJake

checkski... I am glad you said 'most' and not 'all'..

Ali

Well said Checkski on your earlier comment ! There often quite a lot of talk on here on some easy targets are ie the Council, vulnerable people etc. but very little action on doing anything about or taking a lead to make a change or to help. But I guess that might be little bit hard and take something more than sitting comfortably typing away in an warm office or using the iphone in the pub

JungleFaceJake

In the defence of All, this is a 'Discussion' forum.

Anyone should have the right to write what they want, no matter how sneering and hypocritical and ill-informed and snobbish and self righteous and full of shit.........

and there are quite a lot of differing views on here, like any good conversation.

And I really do not think hightlighting the 'Characters' around SGR is bad. Making moral judgements and ill-informed reactionary political statements is Bad.

I FUCKING HATE BONGOS

Arkady

I think you’d struggle to find clear examples of people being nasty about the unfortunate. There has been a discussion about the best way to help them, and how best to tackle anti-social behaviour. The most distasteful thing on this thread is the spurious moral outrage from people who seem to think they have a monopoly on compassion. The same people who don’t appear to be offering any solutions themselves other than leaving people alone to antisocially monopolise a stretch of street while littering, begging and occasionally harassing. Believing that is not acceptable is not the same thing as hating the poor. Your high-horse is lame.

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Billy Bookcase

There is no such thing as "Anti-social behaviour".

Philistine'sMonster

It’s a discussion forum? I thought it was the “Arkady and Misscara show” these days.

I’m wealthy, shallow, hedonistic and angry they took the benches away. Why? Because I wanted them to catch fire one day and hopefully have the pleasure of seeing the burning screaming reprobates run up Stroud Green Road and spread the flames onto the scum that drink in the White Lion.

The council have now selfishly prevented that very real possibility from ever happening. Bastards.

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Philistine'sMonster

A hug is a short term measure and doesn't address the long term issues. I am a very, very, very fucking damaged bastard.

yagamuffin

Really? A consultation to discuss whether a couple of benches only ever used by drunkards should be removed.
We are supposed to be saving money, expensive consultations are typical of the waste which needs to be cut out. If you don't like the way your councillors are working then vote them out at the next election.

As for the disabled and/or elderly, Tesco provide seating inside the shop (out of the wind and rain) and there is a sheltered bus stop with bench just a few metres along the road.

Arkady

Philistine just proved Jeremy wrong and saved me from pointing out the obvious.

Philistine'sMonster

Excellent!

I win! I win the thread!

Arkady

Maybe Godzilla will make you a badge.

Emma

A bench shaped badge.

Arkady

That smells of piss.