Nana Pickpocket Warning

[gummigut]

I disagree. Giving them money encourages the behavior.

 

Gives the handlers more justification to smuggle more children into the country and take advantage of them.

 

You really want to help? Start doing volunteer work.

 

Thinking that giving them 20 baht solves the problem is naive.

 

<<burp>>

[Neo]

Totally agree gummi. Give them money and instead of one flower girl there will be two. Then there will be 4, then 8, then just like you see outside nana now it's out of control. It's a gold mine and every hand will be outstretched if people give without limits. People buy from these kids out of pity or so they think the kid can go home earlier. It's such an idealic notion, but wrong. Little do they know they of all people are the ones who create jobs for 6 year olds working at 3am who are forced to be there by seedy individuals watching and collecting the money from dark corners. No matter how noble your intentions, every time you give money in that situation, the kid is the loser.

[bust]

Or you could do what I do around Soi 7 1/2............buy them a feed. Saddens me thouugh to see them only interested in Subways.

[zob65]

point taken on giving them money, dammed if you do and dammed if you dont.

 

yes Volunteer is the best, which I do along with alot of expats, even that has its problems . With the local authorities getting in on the act . Clothes, books etc handed out are often sold.

[The_Munchmaster]

Thanks for taking a break from the volunteer services when I'm in town.

[sanddawg1]

I had a little flowergirl try to pick me at the Golden Bar right at closing time!! One of the BGs saw her and kicked her ass off the porch.

[Guest]

 

I had a little flowergirl try to pick me at the Golden Bar right at closing time!! One of the BGs saw her and kicked her ass off the porch.

 

 

simlar experience in patong, a little urchin got a few bhat out of my pocket, one of the girls that say it, ran him down, slapped him silly and gave him a lecture.

 

interesting part, he took the slaps withougt a whimper, but started crying from the lecture

[buddha]

"he took the slaps withougt a whimper, but started crying from the lecture"

 

Surely that would indicate that he gets hit regularly, yet no one ever explains why they are hitting him. I have posted how I think that these kids are somewhat entertaining, yet I do see that by purchasing flowers or gum from them I help to make sure that they are employed.

[Evel_Penivel]

Just to add some balance, this is an incident that happened about 20 years ago in Hamburg, Germany, at the Bannhof (central RR Station). Two gypsy boys, about 13 and 10, came up to me. They were holding newspapers and pointing to them. The older one suddenly opened his newspaper and pushed it up in my face, blocking my vision. The younger one then went for the content of my sports jacket's inside pocket. Instinctively (and I was well trained at that time), I shot a right jab straight out and followed with a left hook, even if I couldn't see what I was punching.

 

The jab caught the older kid on the nose and the hook connected with his temple. It messed him up pretty bad - he lay flopping on the floor with blood spurting from his nose. The younger kid ran like hell - no sense of solidarity among those thieves. The Railway police arrived in a couplke of minutes and I thought I'd be in real trouble for using more violence than the situation required. I envisioned myself spending six months or so in a German jail, maybe longer if the kid was seriously hurt.

 

The police asked me why I'd hit the kid. My German wasn't very good, but I explained as best I could. The older policeman of the two said "Gut, Gut" and shook my hand! They didn't call an ambulance for the gypsy kid, just pulled him to his feet and one even kicked the kid when he didn't move fast enough. Several more policemen arrived and they dragged the kid off - to where, I have no idea.

 

They did tell me I'd have to talk with the criminal police because it was a "violent incident." I went to an office in the Bannhof and a detective took my statement, looked at my passport, etc. He also thanked me and shook my hand, said I had done a big service to the people of Hamburg. The Yugoslavian gypsy clan, about 50 people in all, that was picking pockets and runing other scams would now move out of the city. He said every year its the same story. They stay until one of there members gets beaten up, then move on. They usually avoided the Reepersbahn and the streets around the central station because the bouncers, pimps and even the working girls would beat up gypsy kids if they saw them. He told me that when they took gypsies in for questioning, they released them on the Reepersbahn, hoping the bouncers would kick the hell out of them.

 

It would be interesting to know if Hamburg still has problems with gypsies.

 

EP

[OCgringo]

its one thing is they are selling flowers ,

 

but if its only a front so they can steal your mobile then its time to get them out of there !

 

I will be there in a few weeks , those kids hate me because I always tell them to go away , But I will keep a look-out for them a little more than usual and where there hands are

 

OC