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What do you think of this "beg-packing" trend?

How is this different from the crusty punks begging and mooching and sleeping on couches, begging for bus fair to spend their summers in the Pac. NW and winters in California?

This has been going on for at least 15 years.
 
Well, are these kids well off and can pay for it themselves? If not, sounds like crowdfunding a trip lower class people wouldn't be able to afford.
 
shawnbuddy said:
Yeah, this is better than I can say it. I understand this adds an extra element of adventure to the trip and makes you feel like less of a tourist, but actually working and giving back and adding to the community provides even more satisfaction and you aren't some kind of leech.
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Yep. It's just common decency.
 
Begging is illegal in Singapore (so good). Selling little trinkets like tissues can be a way around that but you probably would need a license/work visa if someone cares enough to follow up on it.
If you are on a visitor visa, like in many countries, you are required to also have a return flight (or enough money for one).
As the article mentions, busking is only allowed for people with a work visa who are basically professional musicians (quite nice with prof. setup etc.).


So fucking throw the book at these pretentious assholes.
 
watershed said:
They should all fuck off. Poverty is not a fashion item you try on for fun.
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Reminds me of a song.

Sing along with the common people,
Sing along and it might just get you through.
Laugh along with the common people,
Laugh along even though they're laughing at you,
And the stupid things that you do.
Because you think that poor is cool.

Like a dog lying in a corner,
They will bite you and never warn you,
Look out, they'll tear your insides out.
'Cause everybody hates a tourist,
Especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh,
Yeah and the chip stain's grease,
Will come out in the bath.
Click to expand...
 
ShadowKingpin said:
What idiots like these fail to understand, is backpacking and being immersed in a culture is also supporting them, not being a parasite on their people. Want to do the trip? Work and volunteer. Many of my backpacking friends have volunteered at charitable organizations for a room and food, worked as teacher's of English and have helped for countless hours on local farms. Or, you can save up the money in advance and not work, your call. I enjoy helping out and volunteering, but I also enjoy saving up money in advance to ensure I'm taken care of. Sitting around and begging for money from poor locals while you were rich enough to afford nice gear is incredibly fucked up.
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Yeah, these people don't even seem like they contribute to the country they're travelling in. At least as tourists you help the economy of the country. Here, they just want their cake and eat it, too.
 
I know a lot of people who travel on a budget, but they at least seek work, to finance their travels. Met a cool japanese student in Paris who worked as a delivery guy while staying in Paris. Made enough money to pay for the hostel and enjoy the cities nightlife with a scooter.
Told me he was planning to travel to Berlin next.

Fuck these shitheads begging though. Seriously.
 
Hasphat'sAnts said:
It's pretty shameless, but like, who are these people giving them money?
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This is what I'd like to know. If I walked by a Thailand street and saw two lily white hippies asking me to fund their journey, I'd laugh in their face and smash their expensive camera.

no i wouldn't, but you know what i mean, nahmean?
 
Traveling is a choice you make, and one you have to be fairly privileged to make. If you legitimately can't afford to fly halfway across the world, don't. Not like you don't live in big countries with more than you could ever see in a lifetime already. The German equivalent of crust punks begging for money, replete with their dogs with neckerchiefs, bothered the hell out of me when I was over there, but asking for money from people who don't live in the same relative definitions of "rich" and "poor" seems like amazingly poor form.

I think part of this just stems from the whole one-upmanship when it comes to doing something X way. Whether it's eating the healthiest or traveling the most frugally. Turns into some weird game to people who are ignorant of how lucky they are to have the choices to make stupid decisions.
 
SomedayTheFire said:
Scum.

I know people backpacking across the world but none of this shit. I know people who have moved to Vietnam but they're teaching kids English, like how fucking hard is it to contribute on your travels rather than leeching.
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It's absolutely piss easy to get a bit of work out here.
 
Theyre just preparing for when the Byzantine history degree and subsequent career in recruitment leads them onto the streets begging in their home towns. Pretty smart, they deserve a year out like this. Call it an internship.
 
I have to question in general how common this is compared to the amount of actual tourists in the country and their prevalence with other native or immigrant beggars.

A twitter account referenced in the article, that seems to only focus on this stuff, barely has any activity in it at all.
https://twitter.com/ImSoloTraveller
 
There's definitely a degree of romanticism around traveling on little or no money, and entire websites/social media accounts/video series that revolve around extreme low-cost traveling.

For some folks, being able to find a friendly old lady who will house and cook for the bright-eyed westerners for a few days before they head to their next destination or finding that grumpy truck driver who is able to be charmed into driving them to the next big city isn't exactly realistic. Plenty of people are hospitable to foreigners but relying on that as a travel strategy is hilarious and sad.

shawnbuddy said:
It's westerners in the third world.
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HK and Singapore aren't *quite* the third world.
 
This shit happens in New Orleans and I can't stand it. All the people who are homeless for reasons beyond heir control and have to beg and these assholes choose to stay out on the streets.
 
My father would tell me stories of traveling in Europe as a hippie, but back then a plane ticket was $50 and the dollar was astronomical compared to local currency. Also, people liked Americans. And they travelled poor, not with the amenities and supplies these folks have.

I'll allow busking as a job, but if you are going to beg it should only be to get back home (I have a suspicion there's an open-ended return ticket in their bags).
 
RDreamer said:
I don't get how this is a trend. Who's actually giving them money?
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In some locations in Asia that (or the people visiting there) are not exposed to Westerners often I probably could have started asking for money for being in the photos of random people. White guy here.
Got a bit annoying after a while especially if a whole family wants to have individual shots with me as if it's the most normal thing to do.


So I can see that it would be novel enough to get money out of people (if you are white and young and not super ugly/creepy looking).
 
SolidusDave said:
In some locations in Asia that (or the people visiting there) are not exposed to Westerners often I probably could have started asking for money for being in the photos of random people. White guy here.
Got a bit annoying after a while especially if a whole family wants to have individual shots with me as if it's the most normal thing to do.


So I can see that it would be novel enough to get money out of people (if you are white and young and not super ugly/creepy looking).
Click to expand...

A cousin had a pale as fuck ginger son while living on Okinawa. Everyone wanted a picture with him.
 
The majority of humans alive today and born at this very moment will never go farther out than a few miles of the place wherein they were born, those that do move do so almost entirely move short distances within their own country.

Being able to see the world is a privilege itself. One that is to be cherished and treated with respect. This makes a mockery of the people within whom's country you are a guest. This leaves such a foul taste in my mouth because there are so very, very, very many people who would do anything for the opportunity simply to not die in the town they were born.
 
While I think these people are stupid and selfish, I don't think they need to be jailed....just deported. Ultimately I would hope people would just not give them money and then they would have to return home.... which would make this problem disappear because it doesn't work. Apparently somebody is paying for these freeloaders.
 
chekhonte said:
How is this different from the crusty punks begging and mooching and sleeping on couches, begging for bus fair to spend their summers in the Pac. NW and winters in California?

This has been going on for at least 15 years.
Click to expand...

Was thinking of that, too.

I feel there's a good difference between busking and begging, though.
 
Wait what? This isn't an Onion article?

How entitled can you be to do this? These people think they can get away with it and their lack of understanding of the real world is astonishing.
 
The Illiterati said:
While I think these people are stupid and selfish, I don't think they need to be jailed....just deported. Ultimately I would hope people would just not give them money and then they would have to return home.... which would make this problem disappear because it doesn't work. Apparently somebody is paying for these freeloaders.
Click to expand...

I imagine some people see white western people 'begging' and naturally assume they've hit hard times, maybe they were robbed or something else happened, so instead of letting them go home with a negative view of their country, they'll throw them some cash to show them they are a caring society and willing to help.
 
Why not work or do small favours while travelling or lift. Begging for money while travelling is kinda eh.... Sure you can always ask nice people to stay at their place or eat but asking for money cmon...... Especially if you have a normal job etc at home. It's kinda sad.

If they really were in a dire situation or robbed etc i would understand but doing it just cause is meh.
 
Hahahaha wtf. What losers. Better prepare or go home. Such garbage. This sucks for people who may need desperate help to get funds to go home if something went wrong and they have no one to ask for help.
 
There are places hiring in all sorts of amazing and exotic locals that would allow you to earn a wage and support yourself while you saw the world. It's hard, laborious work often than not, which is why I'm sure these idiots choose not to just do that instead.
 
Doesn't the amazing race require contestants to do this quite often?

These begpackers should take it to the next level, just group up with a few others, have one pretend to be a camera man and then run around asking for money saying you are part of the Amazing Race.

Or hell, just go all out and form a bank robbery gang ala oceans 11, going from country to country robbing banks. What could go wrong?
 
these the type of people that put hiking and traveling in their profiles and take pictures with poor kids in 3rd world countries like they give a fuck when they return to their sushi burritos
 
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