Silver Fox
Registered Shopper
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2010
- Messages
- 5,367
I once thought about answering by saying I am the Nanny then shouting George, Charlotte,
I was just about to write : The beaks & arses!!!Yes, the fat and gristle supplements !
When they ask for me I tell them that she's abroad & that I work for her looking after her animals, which is true, just a tad stretched out.
I was listening to a radio phone show the other day and they were discussing Big Issue sellers and you can donate online and even to a particular regular seller.At this time of year our town is over run with dodgy Big Issue sellers.
We have our regular vendor, Dan an ex army man who is absolutely lovely but the December lot are vile.
A customer came into my store and told me one of the rogue sellers was targeting elderly ladies by putting the magazine in their shopping bag then demanding £4.00, no social distancing, no face mask.
This made me a tad annoyed so I took over door duty at the store and kept an eye on the street, and the customer was correct, I saw it happening so I'm up the street all guns blazing and suggested to the old lady that she give the guy his magazine back but he was a huge Middle Eastern bloke and she was so intimidated she said she would rather pay him.
We got busy so I was away from the door for a couple of hours but then I saw it happen again, this time the elderly lady was almost in tears so I'm down the street again, I told her she could give him his magazine back because he wouldn't dare try anything with me there so she did, thanked me and left then the vendor lost the plot and was so enraged he threatened me with all sorts and as he wasn't wearing a mask I could feel his spit on my face :-(
My manager let the police know and I complained to our local Big Issue office...we haven't seen him since.
From what I heard after it was all over it's a family that comes to our town, in a car from Peterborough where they have a house, and apparently the week before the guy I had dealings with (I assume the father) was arrested because he was going into shops and harassing customers plus he assaulted our regular vendor, not only that a young woman gave him £20 for a Big Issue and he refused to give her any change.Gosh Susie. I am shocked but well done you! I know these people must be seriously up against it but intimidating old ladies isn’t the way to go about things!
Oh Goodness! I'm so glad you alerted these people.....At this time of year our town is over run with dodgy Big Issue sellers.
We have our regular vendor, Dan an ex army man who is absolutely lovely but the December lot are vile.
A customer came into my store and told me one of the rogue sellers was targeting elderly ladies by putting the magazine in their shopping bag then demanding £4.00, no social distancing, no face mask.
This made me a tad annoyed so I took over door duty at the store and kept an eye on the street, and the customer was correct, I saw it happening so I'm up the street all guns blazing and suggested to the old lady that she give the guy his magazine back but he was a huge Middle Eastern bloke and she was so intimidated she said she would rather pay him.
We got busy so I was away from the door for a couple of hours but then I saw it happen again, this time the elderly lady was almost in tears so I'm down the street again, I told her she could give him his magazine back because he wouldn't dare try anything with me there so she did, thanked me and left then the vendor lost the plot and was so enraged he threatened me with all sorts and as he wasn't wearing a mask I could feel his spit on my face :-(
My manager let the police know and I complained to our local Big Issue office...we haven't seen him since.
Ideas and schemes which start with good intentions will always be exploited and spoilt by a certain few, and nothing will be done about it.I was once taken in by a spoof Big Issue seller, as I was getting my money out he was pushing the magazine into my bag.When I got home it was a free magazine form a shop.I regret I did not report this because they spoil it for the genuine people.So if it happens to you don’t be lazy like me & report it.
What a real shame. It only takes one rotten apple to spoil a barrel, sadly.I used to buy the Big Issue but now a lot of the sellers are fakes. You used to see them in Edinburgh getting out of vans/minibuses in the morning and taking the best pitches. It used to be for the homeless but now it seems to be just organised begging.
CC
I believe, and I may be wrong, but selling the Big Issue is classed as self employment and if you work 15 hours or more you can claim benefits to top up your income.There is a Romanian woman who has been selling Big Issue a nearby village for umpteen years.
I refuse to give as surely by this time she has had the opportunity to get some sort of work in the last 10 years.