sorry, but you gotta blame yourself a bit. by paying them a few coins to leave you alone, you are perputating the beggar menace.

most of the beggars are scammers. Certainly there are some real ones who may need looking after, but the great majority are begging because it pays. Ningbo has tons of beggars with crutches that at the sight of a policeman will run faster than most Olympic sprinters. Most of them are basically trying to ransom your time, pay them a coin and they won't bother you anymore. But pay them off, and you only give incentive for more to join the trade.

i have noticed more beggars around Tianyi than last year, and the security guards probably could be a bit more active in keeping them out, but I really don't think they should waste police manpower on running beggars from corner to corner. It's the people's problem, if everyone refused to be harrassed into paying out coins for a week. the beggar problem would evaporate.

I am sorry, I do not think your suggestion is of any base. You can not expect everybody too adamant or harsh not to pay any beggar. There are always people who pay them! We are human and sometimes we feel sorry for them. (even if we know they are scammers). I think its only authorities who can stop them. You say this is not Police force's business. I think harrassment in public places is police business. In many countries I have been police force organises driving campaigns against beggars, collect them and confine them to beggar houses (semi - prisons). I know this is not the ultimate solution but it works upto some extend. Whatever the option for the authorities at hand, one thing I am sure, something must be done.

I like the guys with the monkeys and the girl that spins on her head.  I want to know how much money a monkey man will take for his monkey.  Does anybody know? 

C.G.

Don't know how much they make but if you want to find out I have a monkey for sale or you can rent my sister by the month. She's a real spinner.

Trust me, they are making a lot of money, I mean compare with ordinary people china. They are really not worth for you to give money. You might not know, they actually kidnap children and cut kid’s hands or legs off, and force them begging in the road. There was on report that a man lost his son and he found a small beggar in another city after two years, but blind and without legs. The child has a very same face with his son, but that man just did not know how do deal with it, at last, he left without doing anything. I am sure the guy will suffer in rest of his life, but you can imagine what responsibility he shall take.  Trust me, a lot of kids in street are rented!! There are always some adults around the corner and look on them. Kids are requested to submit certain amount of money, or they will not get food at the end of the day, or even worse. Gov. has sort of arrangements for them. If beggar are from this city, there is a so called People affair office will provide them accommodation and food. If they are not from this city, the officer will buy a ticket and send them back to hometown. However, they will come back to city attracted by the money we are given. Pls do not give them money anymore.

well the ones in tianyi leave me alone now ,as i just take their money out of the tin and throw it away ,seems to have stopped em hassling me as i normally their few time a week.i just got so sick of em hassling me.

The only ones i give money too are the ones who are busking  who play a instrument .as to me this is completly different.

My chinese freinds always comment on how the beggers have better mobile phones than them. Sadly their too many bad ones.Theirs one their mother and baby late at night asleep outside the 8.30 club how are we supposed to handle this sight that we see??Plays on my mind every time i see them.

Yes, probably one out of five are the really beggar.  I usually give those very old one or mother with a baby. Not for those kids in Tianyi square holding your legs and if you do not give money they will spit on you.

hair and my chinese freind told him i was going to eat him.

havent had a problem since 

If a street urchin grabs you by the legs, either give him money to release you, or just tickle him!  There's no six-year-old in the world who can resist tickling in the ribs.  Then, as soon as he releases you, run like hell.  A full-grown adult can easily outrun a child.

Think speed depends on how overweight the adult is.

 Quit being so cheap. We'll always have those people with us. When one leaves two more appear. Simply a case of economics. I always put extra change  change in my pockets when going out. Give to older, musically inclined,mothers but very seldom to the kids as I know they are "owned". So what if they make more than me. I really don't care. I'm sure some of them don't have a lot. If you don't want to give them money, take them into a restaurant and buy them something. Did that for a beggar one day and think he really enjoyed the meal. Sucker--sure. Really I don't care. If it makes them happy, so be it.

The problem is that compassion is ruthlessly exploited by some very bad people. Begging becomes a job that one does for a living, instead of a temporary measure due to misfortune. The fact that money can be made leads to renting out children, maiming of the healthy, and other horrible abuses.  It's a no-win situation.

"Trust me, they are making a lot of money"...

你在嫉妒吗？不服气你也可以去做....比起其他国家的乞丐，至少他们为了生存在努力...而很多其他国家的乞丐,他们什么都不做,因为他们政府支助他们..

相信你是个有教养,有见识的人.不是每个乞丐都是象你说的那样.

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This is an English-speaking website. Please be considerate of your fellow users.

the economics of begging only make sense because they are profitable. 2 more wouldn;t come when one leaves if people stopped handing out pocket change out of a dumb sense that it is "charitable". The beggars are clever, they'll try to get you to pay out of pity...then frustration. But by giving out money people perputate the behavior they then go online and complain about. I too give money to musicians, even if I don't really like the tune, and I'll have a shoe shine when I don't really need one, because these people give a service. If you want to be charitable, allow people the dignity to earn the money through a service of some kind...a song, a shoe-shine, a flower...something

I don't give to the healthy looking because they can work. And I don't feel comfortable giving to the kids or the maimed because many of them have been used and disfigured for the trade. I certainly pity them, but me giving money would only encourage the awful practice.

As for the kids with roses...I never have a problem with them. I took the time one day to ask their names a...now they only bother me to give me free flowers. If that doesn't work...I think Craig's tickle tactic is much more civil than a kick.

Some of them may play a song,some of them may use a flower... You may gave money to them because they makes you happy.

For the rest who only walk towards you and start begging.  Mostly, you won't  give money to those people.

The first type you gave money because they made you happy,the second type you didn't because they are so annonying...

but no matter what,they are struggling with their lives. Remember someone said---- His Chinese friend complained that the begger got a cell phone which is more expensive than him..

Well.I would say----if your friend get jealous about that,why don't he go begging ???

There are some other countries,government support those who are homeless.but the thing is there are so many people just doing nothing everyday and just waiting for the money from government..

That doesn't mean Chinese government doesn't care about those beggers at all.Only you didn't notice which doesn't mean they did nothing..(Seems too far away from the topic) LOL

All what I want to say here is...  maybe there are some beggers just like morningostrich said,they are healthy.they can walk.they can talk..so they also can work.but if you don't want to give moeny to those people.At least  you should be nice to them.I am sure all of you guys here are well-educated...At least you should not attack them....why don't you just be nice and say NO?
and something for bigtrevs, took their money out of the tin and throw away or picked up the kids by his hair Is not cool at all. I am sure People are well-educated in Australia though it used to be a place for prisoners.But I am sure it's over. so why don't you just show a little kindness.If you don't want to give money to them.just ignore them and go away.I am sure they will survive without your help.

Justin

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justing...i agree that everyone should be kind to beggars. But you are wrong to think that all of them are just decent people trying to earn a living. A great number of them are simply cheats and scammers. If the beggar bought an expensive cell phone..he IS NOT sturggling with his life. And many of them are truly maimed and injured people, but they were made so by criminals hoping to profit from people's pity. By giving to them YOU help continue the practice of human trafficking and mutilation. Give them some food, but not money. Your money only profits their mafia owners.

I don't pay the musicians money because they make me happy, I pay them because they earn their money and should be encouraged. I respect the poor guys who dig trh garbage to collect cans and bottles, they are desperate too. But they try to work for their living. The kids selling flowers are great...but when they grab you and try to ransom your leg, this is absolutely unacceptable. I think people have the right to beg but once they touch or grab you they have stepped over the line. I think we should all be kind and decent to beggars, I absolutely will not give them money, but I am kind. 

But kindness has a limit. I don't necessarily agree with bigtrevs actions, but once a beggar starts grabbing you or one of the kids physically violates you by grabbing your leg you have the right to physically get them off. 

I think there is an issue of semantics here. The English word "beggar" is insufficient to describe what we are talking about here. There are several meanings:

• A person who is poor, crippled, unable to work, and begins to beg for money as a desperation measure.
• A person who does not want to work, and prefers to beg.
• A person who can make more money begging than at a job.

In English, all of these are called "beggars" but there is a big difference in meaning. We need a new word for the second and third meanings.

Administrator, www.NingboGuide.com.

the second definition=BUM

the third=business person