Street Junkies/ Drinkers tell yeer story

[brimz]

For years i was astreet JUnky you know the ones you see ham n egging selling the Big Issue all that stuff.
I still had a flat but thats not what defines a street person, many have accomadation.

IN the last year i've managed to stop this wy of life but it has left me quite isolated as my whole day was about GIros , Drinkin , Grafting n the like . So the folk i used to kick it with n do the i'll lend u 20 on my giro day ting i can no longer be with n i really do like / Love afew of em.

I would think nothing of getting through 8 Special Brews (thats about 30 units )n whatever else i could get my hands on includind Heroin , Benzos anything in a day .

I didn't even know about RCs untill i came on this site but i had done loads of xtc , acid . amphet when i was in my teens/early 20s when the rave scene was large .

The reason for this thread is i wanna know if any of you lot have lived this lifestyle n don't be shy theirs no shame in it.

 

[koneko]

No, I've never lived that life at all Brimz, cannot even imagine what that must be like.

It doesn't sound like much fun at all. All I can say is I live another kinda "druggy" life, work at professional pressured job, have many responsibilities, kids, mortgage and the like and do all this with eh a drug-thang going on. Functional addict I call it and it can be it's own personal hell, in its own special way

 

[brimz]

My old mAN was a functional alchy .

That was only about a quater if that of my story i was homeless in Porto for awee while not long mind t'was fukin sound though met loads of cool people that i still keep in touch with .

 

[SpecialK_]

Share your tale!

 

[brimz]

it would have to be a blog mate talkin bout over 15 years of stuff ere though i might spin the odd yarn just to keep this thread going

 

[Tranced]

it would have to be a blog mate talkin bout over 15 years of stuff ere though i might spin the odd yarn just to keep this thread going

You can't just go round starting threads like this and saying you no longer want to play. We want stories!

Just to clarify - all the Mtgg threads regarding his ketamine shoplifting escapades have been deleted, haven't they?

 

[Tranced]

A couple of years ago I happened to be walking through an otherwise completely deserted Newcastle city centre early in the morning.

There were a group of homeless people who appeared to be from quite a varied selection of nationalities and in front of them stood what appeared to be some kind of leader, who was arguing with another homeless man. It was getting quite heated and and they all looked quite shocked/concerned.

As I passed I heard the leader shouting "You can't just fucking disappear for six years and then turn up from nowhere, expecting to be allowed back in the society!! What do you think this is!!!". The other guy was just standing there, looking rather sheepish.

Fuck knows what was going on.

That's my best homeless story though, if anyone can top that.

Also, I've never lived on the streets as such, but I have traversed them on many an occasion.

 

[maxalfie]

Have never been homeless thankfully as it is one of my worst fears.
I would absolutely dread being homeless and having to live on the streets. Winter time must be a real nightmare,being out in the cold all day and night.
I always give cash to the Big Issue sellers and have found most of them to be nice and friendly and up for a chat.

 

[SpecialK_]

I always give cash to the Big Issue sellers and have found most of them to be nice and friendly and up for a chat.

Is the Big Issue sellers in the rest of the UK still Romanians? Over here they completely take advantage and are only interested in your coin, for example they will only carry one 'Big Issue' so even if you donate you don't get a copy (not that you'd want one). Following that they also each Sunday all go to a designated church and beg their, obviously because those heading to church are likely to be more inclined to donate so long as they say 'God Bless' every once in a while.

I'd actually see a homeless person and a Big Issue seller as two completely different categories. One being homeless for a start.

 

[wcote]

yup, I go around sometimes with a copy of a big issue to raise money, guys i pick up with give me a copy, Il raise a tenner in 30mins, can be much quicker, which aint bad seeming as i only do it twice-three times a week , and so im not skilled at it at all.

im far from homeless, but I dont wanna mug people or sell drugs ever again.

 

[watsons torment]

Is the Big Issue sellers in the rest of the UK still Romanians? Over here they completely take advantage and are only interested in your coin, for example they will only carry one 'Big Issue' so even if you donate you don't get a copy (not that you'd want one). Following that they also each Sunday all go to a designated church and beg their, obviously because those heading to church are likely to be more inclined to donate so long as they say 'God Bless' every once in a while.

I'd actually see a homeless person and a Big Issue seller as two completely different categories. One being homeless for a start.

Big issue vendors / homeless are not mutually exclusive, the big issue is there to provide homeless folk with a way of earning some dollah and I try to support them when ever I can.

The reason the romanians are all over selling the big issue is because of a loophole in the law, they are not allowed to come over here and claim benefits.. but if they come over here and register as self employed which big issue vendors have to do they are then entitled to to claim housing benefit / tax credits / child benefit / BLAH BLAH

 

[Mental Kenny]

I always lived the sheltered "my parents paid for uni" sort of druggie lifestyle, never had any problems really so I can't really relate to any of that.

Much respect for coming out of that lifestyle, hope life will be easier from now on, take care

 

[brimz]

yup, I go around sometimes with a copy of a big issue to raise money, guys i pick up with give me a copy, Il raise a tenner in 30mins, can be much quicker, which aint bad seeming as i only do it twice-three times a week , and so im not skilled at it at all.

im far from homeless, but I dont wanna mug people or sell drugs ever again.

So rather than register n get a badge u take the piss n stop registered vendors from making money .
I used to get really pissed with folk that weren't proper vendors or beggars using registered pitches , i got no problem with folk begging so long as it is not in yer face or aggressiveor on a Big Issue pitch.

Funny as it may sound but their are things that you do or don't do a bit of a code like n folk that take the piss usually end up getting a slap or worse

 

[SpecialK_]

Big issue vendors / homeless are not mutually exclusive, the big issue is there to provide homeless folk with a way of earning some dollah and I try to support them when ever I can.

The reason the romanians are all over selling the big issue is because of a loophole in the law, they are not allowed to come over here and claim benefits.. but if they come over here and register as self employed which big issue vendors have to do they are then entitled to to claim housing benefit / tax credits / child benefit / BLAH BLAH

That's what I suspected. From what I gather the UK has much more genuine people doing it who seriously have a need. But in this area there is not a single Big Issue seller that is not Romanian.

 

[headfuck123]

That's what I suspected. From what I gather the UK has much more genuine people doing it who seriously have a need. But in this area there is not a single Big Issue seller that is not Romanian.

i know a couple of guys that did it for a while (not romanians) but yeah its extremely rare to see anyone here selling the big issue that isnt romanian over here.

 

[parttime crackhead]

Is the Big Issue sellers in the rest of the UK still Romanians? Over here they completely take advantage and are only interested in your coin, for example they will only carry one 'Big Issue' so even if you donate you don't get a copy (not that you'd want one). Following that they also each Sunday all go to a designated church and beg their, obviously because those heading to church are likely to be more inclined to donate so long as they say 'God Bless' every once in a while.

I'd actually see a homeless person and a Big Issue seller as two completely different categories. One being homeless for a start.

That's actually not true. (Edit - the bit in bold)

 

[SpecialK_]

That's actually not true. (Edit - the bit in bold)

I agree with you it certainly wouldn't influence me after seeing so many of them, but that is pretty much the motive I can see behind it. I'm not religious myself and can't be bothered with all that shite, but I do know that basically some Romanians over here have deterred people from going to a really popular church because they are constantly outside it saying 'God Bless/Any change' and they get a much better reception standing outside a Church due to the whole 'morality' thing than standing outside a shop/pub where they are gonah get abuse - whereas the genuine homeless would be doing just that.

There was actually a time (when I realized what the craic was) when one Romanian approached me on a bike, with his big issue/cup/etc and looked really flustered and asked me where a church was. Obviously I didn't know and he went on his way, from what I gather they basically all pool together, each Sunday are designated to go to a church, stand outside and beg around 11AM (CHURCH TIME!) then return, contribute their 'earnings' and live off that along with whatever else they are claiming. Fuck knows what was gonah happen to this guy returning without the cash he was shitting it though.

I know this probably all sounds like stereotyping/being racist, but it is to the best of my knowledge true. Was wondering if it was the same among the rest of the UK though or just a real problem here. I know from when I was over in London the people selling Big Issue actually looked like genuine homeless people, rather than what's been said above. I could be wrong here, as I'll admit, as much as I don't like to stereotype/have a narrow mind, I do tend to think quite negatively when the Romanian Big Issue sellers come into discussion, but that's only from previous personal experiences, same with Irish gypsys too.

 

[Tranced]

I know of two Romanian big issue sellers in the Newcastle Area.

One is an old woman who is very passive and quiet, and the other is a man that stands in the doorway at Tesco's and seems to invade peoples personal space a bit much. However, he's not at all aggressive and just generally seems quite glum. I can never understand a word he says, even though it's probably just "big issue". His voice is quite odd. I think he must have a speech impediment actually, as he kind of startled me the first few times I noticed him, as it took me a few moments to work out what it was exactly that he was doing/saying.

There is a white, British guy on Northumberland street (the main retail street) in Newcastle who has a really aggressive/invasive approach and just comes charging towards you. Everyone avoids him and fuck knows if he ever manages to sell any. Probably works on quite a lot of people I suppose.

Another man at the other end of the street stands at the corner and kind of tries the lady's man approach. He tries to be flirtatious and gives it lots of darling this and gorgeous that. Thing is he's a bit of a scruff, and you know, selling the big issue, so whenever I observe it happening it tends to seem quite awkward between him and the pretty lady involved. He generally seems pretty sound though, but again, a bit invasive, or just startling, sometimes.

There is this other kid who I've only noticed on a few occasions outside of weatherspoons, and he's my favourite because he is always just completely fucking buckled and can barely stand up. He can be quite invasive too, but in a stumbling towards someone because you're just really really off your face kind of way.

 

[Riklet]

Well it's a good job some welcoming folk Northern Ireland could put their own sectarian bigotry aside to unite to burn them out of house and home. 8)

To be fair probably makes them feel like just like back in Romania really....

I think Roma/Gypsies selling the big issue does happen in lots of parts of the UK, not denying it as i've actually seen it (happens a bit in Cardiff too), although I don't know the details about the supposed benefit claiming stuff, there was some court ruling a day ago about benefit stuff though apparently. Pretty amazed that several of you have never seen anyone but Romanians selling the Big Issue in Belfast/N. Ireland? Is there not a 'native' homeless street population too, like everywhere?

Fact is there's a huge number of complex social problems with Roma groups in the UK (and everywhere in Europe) and the reasons why there's big migrations of gypsies into western Europe. The ones from Romania at least aren't able to find work and that as easily as other EU nationals though, being 'new arrivals'. The benefit system is there to stop people from starving and living in the street -- if we let people in but don't make it possible or easy for them to work, obviously many are going to end up on benefits to whatever extent.

Never been on the street n always glad of it, try to help out peeps who have been in the various places I have lived. I would feel so alone n vulnerable, seems right tough. The city in the south west I grew up in has quite a lot of people on the street, whether completely homeless or not, cos of the tourists and relative affluence, still at least most of our Big Issue sellers are the 'deserving poor' rather than them gypo sorts eh... 8(

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

How do you think I supported a 100 quid a day smack and crack habit for months? It certainly wasn't paid for by my dole.
If I go into any detail, i'll only incriminate myself further. It did not involve robbing people, selling drugs or myself.

I still see people from that scene on a daily basis, they still ask me 'Who've you seen' 'Who's live' 'Can I borrow your phone'. I will miss some of them, as a lot of them are decent people, who have just got lost. It could very easily have been me in a few years if I didn't wake up, and be fortunate enough to have people around me who care. A lot of the people I know on the street don't.

It became a way of life every day, when I stopped doing it I felt lost as it had been my strict routine. Which is why I think I need to get out of Bristol, even if it's just for a few months. I had a police knock the other day, looking for someone who'd given my address. I asked the policeman (he knows me well after he was present at a few arrests and two of my flat raids) when the knocks would stop, and he said it could take months for me and my flat to lose the stigma. I think the council are leaving my flat empty for a couple of months once I've moved, as the new tenants will end up getting my trouble at their door for a while.

Thankfully, my good friends didn't abandon me and were there for me once I'd seen the light. So, thanks to them i've fallen back into their circle and have a life again.

I'm still on my script, and apart from one relapse last week i'm doing okay. Other drugs though, well that's another story.