How low can you go?

[meriad]

A friend just posted on FB that she saw a homeless man steal a sandwich in Lidl. He was caught by a security guard; my friend offered to pay for the sandwich but the guard apparently said no she couldn't and threw the sandwich in the bin. Now seriously - as my friend says; theft is wrong but to then throw the food in the bin in front of a hungry person? I think that's just incredibly low and totally bang out of order.

I've suggested she reports the guard to store management and posts on Lidl's FB page - they won't like that negative publicity.

[JoM]

Wrong to steal of course but obviously only done out of sheer desperation - the actions of the security guard were disgusting.

Yes, she should absolutely post on social media about this, Twitter would be a good place alongside Facebook.

I hope the homeless man gets something to eat and is keeping hydrated. It's so sad that your friend wasn't allowed to buy the sandwich for him.

[Workingman]

Wrong, wrong, wrong on so many levels. If he had not left the shop then technically he had not 'stolen' the sandwich. If another shopper wished to buy said sandwich it has got sod all to do with Lidl - the guard was acting outside the law. To take the sandwich and bin it is reprehensible in itself, but to do it in public in front of other people could, in the modern world, be classed as a hate crime.

I sometimes buy food, drinks (non-alcoholic) or tobacco for the genuine homeless and that guard would have been pinned to the wall and given a severe reprimand, loudly, for all to hear. Jobsworth.

[JanB]

That really is rather evil of the security guy. I'll not say person, as he can't be.

Bet he gloats about it and then, will, hopefully, get his comeuppance.

[saundra]

I always thing it could be one of my boys so sad a good few years ago we went to Liverpool for a few days and when we got of the train we went into M/S to buy a sandwich and stuff
I saw a youth steal a sandwich and go sit on a bench to eat it I wet over to him gave him our bag of stuff and said enjoy were not hungry the look on his face said it all

[meriad]

I always used to hand out any left over Friday lunch to the homeless on my way from work to Waterloo; and they were always very very grateful.

I always think - there but for the grace of God go I - we don't know why these people are homeless but I bet my bottom dollar most aren't in that situation willingly

[AliasAggers]

I bet my bottom dollar most aren't in that situation willingly

It would be interesting to determine just how many are genuine. Some newspaper articles I have read
reckon that many so-called beggars are professional fakes, and have their cars parked a few streets away.
So I wouldn't bet my bottom dollar.

[Workingman]

Aggers you make a point, but when I was doing voluntary work the place also had a day room for the homeless. There is a hardcore who do not want to be housed, but the majority are there through circumstance and not by choice.

I was also lead to believe that the homeless, who might be sat around the place, are just waiting for the shelters to open again but not begging. The 'one man and his dog' types are the beggars and it is true that many of them, as well as some Big Issue sellers, are fakes.

[TheOstrich]

I was also lead to believe that the homeless, who might be sat around the place, are just waiting for the shelters to open again but not begging. The 'one man and his dog' types are the beggars and it is true that many of them, as well as some Big Issue sellers, are fakes.

I think you do get a gut feeling who are genuine and who are the fakers*. Sometimes people get over-sentimental, though, and whilst I can understand that, you do, perhaps, have to be a bit careful.

As for the security guard, I do beleive there is such a thing as karma .....

* I'm not claiming I'm always right, though. There used to be a man and a dog on Gillingham High Street, begging most days. Many people stopped and slipped him a quid or two, or bought him a coffee from Costa. So did I, until I casually asked about him in one of the local stores and was told his girlfriend used to deliver him there by car each morning, and pick him up in the afternoon. He apparently came from a local travellers' camp with, lets just say, a bit of a reputation for nefarious characters ......

[Kaz]

What a vile thing that guard did, so contemptuous!