Begging, Mercadona car park

[gattaca66]

Taking the shopping back to the car today, we were approached by a young woman whose first question was "English?". She then produced a well-used laminated card in English explaining that she had no money to feed her baby etc, and she obviously had the same cards in German and Italian that I could see. She was a bit put out that I dealt with her in Spanish not English, but she clearly was Spanish. Is this a regular feature at Mercadona? I've had people trying the 'petition' scam inside the supermercado, but first time I've seen begging in the car park. When I used to travel in London I frequently gave change to people begging on the basis that some really might need it for food, but this was just a bit too well organised. I apologised but offered nothing, not even the Euro from my trolley which she suggested would do....but being British I still felt guilty. Anyway, at that point she was off to the next people returning to their car. So, has anyone else been approached there? Was I unduly suspicious/hard-hearted?!

[Snowdrop]

With pre made cards in many languages - I think you weren't hard. She probably does need money but would think info given on cards is simply a sob story to try and get money from you and also made up.
Not heard of petition scam - what do they get out of that?
What about the deaf guy(s) that goes around the restaurants - I was once told by a spanish resident that they are genuine? But At least you get something for your money with them.

[woe10]

Don't feel bad. They're part of numerous Roma Gypsy Gangs spreading South from Valencia and other parts of Spain.
Giving them money just encourages them. This article is from last year, and is getting worse.

CLICK FULL SIZE

[gattaca66]

Ah, thought so, I don't feel quite so bad now! Out of interest, the 'petition scam' plays on the good nature of the target. A usually young person with a clipboard approaches you, indicates they cannot speak and asks you to read their board. On it is a petition in support of a local facility such as a school for the deaf, disadvantaged children etc which is under threat. You see maybe a dozen names, addresses and signatures already there, mostly on your own nationality, so you sign....only find you are expected to add a â,¬10 contribution in the last column. Having gone this far, people are often too embarrassed not to make the contribution, especially seeing that those before them already have... Seen this one three of four times in Mercadona over the past year!

[paully]

I agree with Woe...Which Mercadona was it as a matter of interest?..used to see these merchants (mostly not Spanish) outside Aldi in Estepona pulling the same stunt, and they got the same response from me

[SheilaW]

The deaf in Corralejo weren't the same. We still have some of their stuff. A bit quirky but genuine.

We were plagued by that type of beggar in France. They'd also rush out at traffic lights and jams and start washing your screen, hoping you'd feel bad enough to pay. They were being organised, had had their passports taken by their bosses. Felt sorry for them but doesn't pay to perpetuate the scam. Of course the lights/jam one wouldn't work here!

[zedzedeleven]

There was a girl sitting outside the Cotillo supermarket last year. She was there when we went to the beach and she was still there when we returned hours later. It looked harder than working, sitting there in the baking sun. We were also once approached by a guy with a laminated card who supposedly needed money for an operation on a brain tumour. With the best and most generous donations he would have died before he collected the thousands such an operation would have cost.

[Ivemovedon]

Bottom line is if you give them money you encourage more to try it as a lifestyle. Apparently in London there's a few characters making a very healthy living sitting on their backsides all day with a bowl. It always helps to have a sad looking little mutt sitting alongside to generate extra sympathy.

[MLA]

The women outside Cotillo super market has been there for years, she catches the bus in from Tindaya.

[bluefox]

it can be a good business, personally i just ignore them or wave em away, does anyone remember a case in London some yrs ago, it was a tv program i think that investigated this sort of thing, they watched and then followed this guy at the end of his "day's work" and just around the corner he hopped into a gleaming top of the range merc and drove off, i think it came out that on average he was begging up to and + £1,000 per wk, not bad eh ? i guess it was one way of beating the tax man ! 

[MinRich]

The women outside Cotillo super market has been there for years, she catches the bus in from Tindaya.

Seen her many times too

[bridlife]

The two girls who regularly beg outside of Hiper Dino and Spar in Corralejo, both arrive in cars, and the one from Hiper Dino, I have even seen outside Lidl in Rosario. Its a scam.

[gattaca66]

My original posting referred to Mercadona at El Matorral, but from the responses it seems to be fairly widespread. Persistent without being aggressive, and just a little irritating when so many here seem to work pretty hard for a living!

[WoodsideCargo S.L.]

Just been for tapas in El Capitan...two guys (well dressed) came in and swiftly did the rounds with the 'clip-board questionnaire'... Collected a brisk 30â,¬ that I saw in the row of tables I was sitting at (cleverly avoided the waiting staff)! 

[Tamkid]

My son was telling me the Romanians have invaded Manchester in large numbers. He says he's sick of waiting in a Que at his local express supermarket because the Romanians are always arguing with till staff over payment, apparently they deliberately damage the produce and ask for it for free or at a reduced price, that's apart from them begging outside the door of the shop or next to the ATM machines.

Sorry its off the subject of Fuerter beggars, just thought I would throw that in.

[Archer]

There's a guy in Jandia who 'plays' a piece of corrugated cardboard for money -just like the old wasboards! No kidding.

[woe10]

In the UK, this is one of the first jobs for Cameron. To get rid of this rubbish that was allowed into the UK under Champagne-Socialist Tony Blair's "open door" policy.

In Spain, they were all allowed in under the left-wing policies of the Socialist Party (PSOE), who were in power up to 2011.

That Scottish, Left-Wing  Krankie, loves these migrants from Eastern Europe, let her have them all in Scotland, there's plenty of room. The Scots voted for her, they'll be sorry.