Not a new story but a nuisance
Two times this week someone approached me on the street asking me for money with a long story about how he (they are all male) is from Hungary, his money got stolen, his family is sick and he needs money to buy a train ticket home (48 Euros) or to telephone home (six or seven euros). I know, this are the real world counterpart to spam that goes “Dear Sir, I have a very interesting and confidential financial matter for you. I am the head of the African Bank of …” you know those.
I always advise them to go to the police or to go to the Hungarian embassy but they insist on money. When I suggest to accompany them to the police or the embassy they look at me as if I am acting strange. Maybe because hustling is such a shitty job after all. Other than that I don’t care. My only advise is to watch your bags and purses.
By the way, no one offered to read my future off my hands in years.
PS: Yes, I also agree to answer market research questionaires only if I can pose one question for every answer I give. You know the deal, “quid pro quo, agent Starling”.
i only witness more beggars in the U6. Kids carrying babies around, asking for “geld für pampers bitte danke, pampers, bitte danke, hunger, bitte danke”, sometimes with an old man playing an accordian.
You usually see their annoyed face, the same sentence said with less and less passion. I stopped giving them money, cause i am quite sure they wont keep it.
I have to say that Berlin’s beggars are far more professional. In fact, most of them have above average rhetoric skills. I suspect that they get some kind of training.