Begging in the New Year...

Yesterday, as my family and I went to pick up some food at a local takeaway, I realised just how many individuals in our neighbour were now resorting to sitting outside dairies on plastic crates begging for money with a hat or a plastic cup/container that passerbys choose can put money into if they so wish to.

It seems that outside many local major supermarkets, dairies, bakeries, takeaway stores etc. individuals sometimes busk or talk to passerbys, or sing, or sit/stand silently as passerbys go about their daily routines. This is a worry as it seems to me as a condition of society and where we are as a nation, suburb, within families that the plight of people's financial conditions are taking to the street to show their desperation.

It's now becoming common to individuals lying down or sitting with blankets wrapped around them as people pass by some are even bringing pillows and allowing themselves to be exposed to those around them who may often comment or more often than not pass them by without saying a word.

Yesterday, one of my group gave money to two individuals seated outside the doors of a dairy: one was a Pacific mature woman and the other a mature European man. However, as we were about to leave in our car we witnessed a younger Pacific male who had been standing next to the older woman, to whom I'd seen talking with the older lady about a person that they knew in common, stand over her and seem to demand the money. She stood up and turned her back to him and then sat down again but because we were still watching them he seemed to aware and returned to where he stood next to her. We remained in the car and I could see from her facial expressions that she looked scared and seemed intimidated by him as he remained there.

We decided to best call the Police as this situation as we needed to leave and that the situation could escalate somewhat and also aware that although he could be a family member or a friend that this could also be a situation of elder abuse that often goes unchallenged or unaware within families.

We are not sure what happened afterwards but the Police said that they would send a unit to investigate the situation. This is worrying as I see more vulnerable elderly and as well as young people putting themselves into potentially dangerous situations with little means of support from the community.

Ten years ago, this didn't happen inside my neighbour although I was aware of it overseas in Canada, in the States and in Samoa but now it's becoming normalised in my local neighbour. It's also about looking out for our neighbour and keeping it safe out there...