Professional Beggars

Yesterday, I took my visiting son on a trip to Vienna. Like his brother earlier, Jon brought a nice present for me - a bad cold - and as of this morning, despite my fight and against my will, I have succumbed. I suspect that walking for 5 hours in nearly freezing rain and fog yesterday likely didn’t help. And that makes me wonder about my immune system as I really do seem to get everything that heads my way these days. Oh well.

Vienna was packed. But the Xmas markets were not. I thought that a bit odd. In fact, the Xmas market we visited was quite empty. Meanwhile, around Stephanplatz, it was so crowded, you had to fight through the crowds. My son loved it and took lots of photos. We enjoyed a schnitzel - as you do - and I had onion soup in a last vain attempt to ward off the cold bug. I walked 16km according to my Garmin watch….

I am now gulping hot tea to help with the sore throat but it seems like this is just a cold at least…

While in Vienna, we noticed a new begging practise. Going shoeless. We passed several beggars who sat barefoot shivering the cold. Later we passed one who having finished his shift, was retrieving his expensive shoes from a hidden bag and was already wearing socks. Simply bizarre.

It made me think of my first visit to the Vatican. As we got closer, there was a wiry old lady, dressed in black Catholic attire, bolt upright on her knees begging. Me being me, I couldn’t help myself and I gave her the Euro change in my pocket. She looked too old to be begging on the street and I wonder what misfortune had become her. It was only as we turned the corner into almost the Vatican square when I realised I had been well conned for there there were 50 more - identically dressed and kneeling…. Professional beggars.

Here in Brno, there is one gypsy lady who routinely begs outside of the churches. She too kneels as if in vigil and always looks like she needs extra clothing to stay warm. I never give her anything and you will discover why shortly….

One day, my daughter and I were passing her and my daughter - who has a kind heart - asked me for money to give this lady. No - I said and my daughter began telling me how mean I was. She was quite upset with me. I tried to explain that the lady wasn’t poor and in fact made a good living on the streets with the tourist but she didnt believe me.

Later, the next day I think, we went to Olympia - the main mall to shop for some clothes. As we walked through the hallways I saw someone I recognised. “Look Deni,” - I said. There was her beggar and her family dressed in all designer gear looking like rockstars. “Who is it?” my daughter asked. “Your beggar,” I said. My daughter then recognised the made up, dressed up person as the lady kneeling in silent prayer outside the church. She was angry.

I understood the anger for she had just realised that people make a loving pretending to be destitute and homeless and so then its not possible to discern who in fact is really needy and who is not.

To rub it in, we saw her and her family again getting into their very large limo in the car park.

And therein lies one of the problems with our world. Knowing the truth. For much is a lie and since many beggars do it professionally and are not homeless - those who are suffer as people won’t give because they can’t believe anymore.

I told my daughter a lesson I had learned myself. Never give them money. Offer them food or water or a hot drink and buy it yourself. That way, you soon find out who is real and who is not…..

But thats a shame isn’t it? You see it works because humans have empathy. However, in recent decades that empathy has become increasingly misplaced and now all sorts of creatures use your misplaced empathy to con you….