tramps

[mtt.tr]

Does anyone else tell the beggars on the north circular road to F off when they come over with their fake limps?

Get them heading from hackney to the A12 junction does my head in.

 

[8ob]

According to SWMBO I am a tramp.

Bob

 

[stuvy]

According to SWMBO I am a tramp.

Bob

we had a little car meet at work I was in my normal clothes not oily stuff and my mate nodded when I walked in it took him a minute to recognise it was me and he said your not dressed like a tramp today!

 

[pedrobedro]

I answered the door to one and he stood there laughing. When I asked him why he said the doormat was tickling his feet.
(comedians, circa 1971)

 

[frank horton]

when I lived in Manchester there was a an "oil lamp" (nick name).....he used to walk from M/cr city center to Ashton-under-Lyne and back......
he checked all the street bins for food.......
when I saw him I'd buy a sandwich n a M/cr meat and potatoe pie.....mmmmm.....slip in the next but 1 bin.....
the look on his face......made me feel good to.........

now these modern axxxles tell to get a job...plenty o work if u want it.....

 

[Bullet2012]

Only tramps I know.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

there was some in a house I did a callout at dirty sods it was crushed on the carpets . they wanted other jobs doing but I told the firm I wernt going back

Neighbour, long moved, asked me to take a couple of vacuum cleaners to the tip next time I went with my trailer. They didn't look too bad so I decided to see if I could repair them. Turned out both were full of dog poop ! Seems the lazy cow had been vacuuming it up when dog fouled in the house.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Neighbour, long moved, asked me to take a couple of vacuum cleaners to the tip next time I went with my trailer. They didn't look too bad so I decided to see if I could repair them. Turned out both were full of dog poop ! Seems the lazy cow had been vacuuming it up when dog fouled in the house.

But....but....she didn't want to spoil the planet by using plastic bags, so she's to be applauded coat > door.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I think a lot of the tramps from my childhood were probably ex servicemen from WWII who never managed to adapt back to civilian life - maybe PTSD like todays servicemen ?

 

[earthman]

@eLuSiVeMiTe @brightspark

take your self to the sunny street of Bedford high street for tramps living in the door ways of dead shops

Milton Keynes is another delight where they have encampments in the under passes

Seen a tent or two under fly over bridges at roundabouts/A road junctions etc, how on earth these people ever get to sleep at such locations, I dunno.

If you are truly homeless/struggling for money, would you really bother about having pot plants etc outside your tent? I'm all for having some pride/keeping any area tidy etc but making a 'garden' out front seems a bit odd to me?? See that another tent owner is using a pallet to keep off the floor, that sort of thing is what I would focus on.

 

[Migmac]

Haven’t seen a tramp in years. We used to get one come to door every year. Wanted a mug of tea but didn’t want it for free. My mother told him to drink it and she’d think of something for him to do. If he’s still alive he'll still be waiting for the jobs.

 

[magnet]

When i was a kid we had a tramp call in every year round the same time. My mother would give him a pair of old scissors to sharpen then a pound or two and a bite to eat.
One time he turned up when she was out and i made the mistake of giving him the good scissors instead of the old ones she kept for his visits. Needless to say i got my ass kicked till me nose bled when she found her best scissors had been rubbed on the kerb lieu of a grindstone by the old geezer and ruined.........You live and learn

 

[Sean]

I reckon a lot of the original tramps were ex military/war veterans that just coudn't handle demob back to civilian life. Youv'e got the tree hugger types saving the planet by driving smoky diesel Mercedes vans now. Then there are the "professional beggers" , I kind of respect the Tramps of old who had taken themselves off and really didnt bother anyone. We were always told to respect and be polite to "Jimmy the hat" the local tramp who wore a proper mac and a black beret and pushed his belongings about in an old pram. Occasionally we got an "Onion Johnny" strings of onions for sale from his old black bike.

 

[jerrytug]

My mum used to sneakily go upstairs and smarten herself up , when dad was at work and she was expecting the Onion Johnny. I was too little to understand why
You never see a proper paraffin these days, plenty of spice heads though which is sad.
There are still lots of homeless ex- forces

 

[Parm]

Now called professional beggars

Plenty on the London Underground network. They buy a zone 1-4 travel card for £12.70 then surf the network begging. All have a patter they use.

I’ve seen people giving coins, notes, food and drinks

Must be quite lucrative

 

[julianf]

Chap down the pub told me about an immagrant living in a 6 bedroom house and using a food bank.

(I just thought I'd get in quick, as that is where these conversations normally go)

It does not matter how screwed over certain less advantaged sections of society get - the chap down the pub always manages to justify their position as they're lazy / stupid / on the make / got the wrong colour skin / etc.etc.


Be careful you don't normalise people living in tents by the side of the roof.

It's a ****ing disgrace of our society.


(but, I'm sure you are right and they are really just lazy....)

 

[Keith 66]

There was an old man lived in a shack in the woods near us, dark haired & fit looking, We were terrified of him but he never bothered us. Years later i heard that he had been a Commando in WW2 & was so traumatised by what he had seen & done he retreated from all contact with people unless absolutely necessary. His camp is just barely visible, just a square earthwork in the woods.

 

[gaz1]

does anyone still see tramps wandering around years ago a couple of them used to come by once a year and scrounge a cup of tea in a jam jar then on there way traveling the country not seen any lately

the older ones are there just not in your face but if you look carefully you will see the right ones

Sadly no, just professional beggars unfortunately

as quoted theres more id say refugee pro beggars around nowadays and in my area they are known to pick pockets in a shop or if talking to someone there easilly spotted and you know theres a gang of them around on that street

our stuck up locals weren't too happy him sat there on the front of the house drinking tea out of a jam jar they were even less happy when they complained about noise doing my house up I said to a bloke opposite I know tell em if they whinge il let the local travellers put there caravans on my land and get some geese as well that sharp shut them up

id have a chat with them they are still human after all some have some very interesting stories to tell

if they are doing no harm or casuing a nusance why should i before them infact ive given some advice and shown a few how to build a rocket stove out of bricks and concrete block ive even made some the problem is carrying them around is not a good thing

my opinion if they can cook on it they can heat a drink wash there hands and faces and support themselves as best as they can do

 

[skotl]

There was a semi-famous guy who used to live on Leith Walk in Edinburgh. He was in his late sixties I think and had long matted dreadlocks.

It was kind of interesting because he was known as a "gentleman tramp" who was polite and didn't bother anyone, however he "moved into" a new Majestic Wine that opened on the Walk (this tale is probably one of gentrification of run down areas as much as it is about anything else) and they ended up with a very sensitive issue on their hands.
Their two main problems was that he would sleep in or near the doorway, which would cause some customers to feel uncomfortable, but that he would also defecate in their car park round the back. Of course, when they tried to deal with it they were accused of being "incomers", "uncaring big business" etc. but they actually tried to be as sympathetic as they could.

They ended up installing fencing and big boulders around the shop entrance so that there was no ~6ft space where someone could sleep.

But that aside I don't think you'd find anyone who had a bad word against him.

Edit: I thought he'd died back around 2013 but there are reports of him still being around in 2018 so here's hoping!

https://twitter.com/rastatramparthy

 

[CompoSimmonite]

My mum used to sneakily go upstairs and smarten herself up , when dad was at work and she was expecting the Onion Johnny. I was too little to understand why
You never see a proper paraffin these days, plenty of spice heads though which is sad.
There are still lots of homeless ex- forces

My stepbrother is ex military and homeless although he seems to manage to scrounge settees to sleep on rather than the streets.