r/Glasgow Tools

I used to busk for beer money while at Uni and when I started, for about 6 months I was giving the homeless people that would come up and ask change.

One day a guy came up and asked if he could “change this fiver” produced a £5 note. I said sure and proceeded to watch as he collected about £15 from my guitar case and not leave the fiver either. As he turned to leave I gave it a “Hawl you! Get that money back in there, I seen that!” And he ran off. I knew they’d been taking the piss for a while but I felt bad with them being homeless and the relative ease with which I was collecting reasonable sums of money I thought ‘just let them have it’ but then, after that incident I said to myself - No more.

Next time I’m out busking a junkie I’d gotten used to seeing walks up and starts to look in my case for gold. I slam the lid shut.
“No more change, sorry”
“Wit! How no?”
“Because I’m giving away too much money. I’m skint, I’m here earning. This is my money, yer no getting it. Sorry”
“Wit man! Fuck sake! Yev got hunners! How no?!”
“Sorry but no”
“I’ll come back here and fuckin stab you”

Honestly couldn’t believe how aggressive they all got. They’d hobble along expecting to collect and when I explained the shop was shut every single one of them got aggressive and threatening. I haven’t given a penny to a homeless person since. What I do now is buy a Big Mac meal and give it to someone who looks like they need it. Much better policy.