Give some money (?)

I saw her in town yesterday.
I don't know her nationality, but she was not from Scandinavia.
I heard her speaking on the mobile.

The message around her neck said : "Please give a bit of money towards food and medicine. I have no job. I will send money to my grandchildren. Thank You."

I just hope that all the tourists don`t think that this is how Norway treats their elderly inhabitants.

Some of the tourists gave Euros, and she quickly removed it in to a purse covered up under her skirt and apron.

I feel sorry for people begging, but I guess it can be a very profitable business for those who organize work like this.

Streetlife.

Streetlife.

I am hungry. (Jeg er sulten)

This woman was selling some small knitted items, and asking for money.
The sign " Jeg er sulten" means; "I am hungry."

Streetlife

Streetlife.

Today.

Friday at 10.25 AM.

Streetlife

Streetlife in Stavanger.

Streetlife.

Streetlife

A young man....

Sad to see a young man spending time begging outside the shop today.

Streetlife.

Streetlife.

I just don`t know what to say.........

To give OR not to give, that is the question.


(This image was taken this morning in the city centre.)

You can't walk through Stavanger without meeting beggars from Romania.

Some receive so much money from tourists and local people, that they can earn much more than people with conventional jobs. I am not making this up, I have seen them receiving 500 kr. (Norwegian Kroner) and a few minutes later 2 x 200 kr.

A big group of Romanies are now camping next to a residential area in Oslo. The police are there, and the situation is making headlines in the news here in Norway.

They arrive as "tourists" but are not gipsies. Norwegian gipsies will not help, so I guess it is a thing the politicians have to handle somehow.

Another sign of spring...

There are more people perhaps less fortunate than most of us, who arrives from poor European countries who start begging in our town centre.

The discussion about how to handle this situation is an ongoing discussion in the newspapers.

We have many people who are very busy bagging in our streets. . . .

They are not Norwegian, but mainly from Bucharest.

I feel sorry for them, but I also wonder what the tourists think when they arrive and see them all over.

Like many cities, Stavanger has a growing problem with begging.

I have very mixed feelings when passing.

(Many of them are from Romania, and some are just kids!)