"Travellers" at Alexanderplatz

[bethany 0]

well, this is Germany. You can mistreat you child anyway you want, especially if you're a foreigner and obviously illegal. Try the same thing with a dog and people come running for rescue. No-one cares and the officials the least, because taking the children into custody and safety means granting their "parents" a somewhat legal stay, the least thing the Government wants.

This is no solution to this problem anyway, already about 15 years ago I could watch them meet every night at Oranienplatz being collected and driven away in shiny BMW's. But what to do? I don't know. These kids are in a terrible situation, only where they come from, it's much worst.

[MattRoberts 10]

Can I express an opinion anywhere on this site without being thumbs downed. If I have pissed anyone off, no offence meant. Keep chillin' ;)

[dessa_dangerous 13,315]

Right, your opinion was "the things you like are crap, and they're even more crap than some other things I consider crap". As if I asked/cared what you think about hanging out at Alex.

 

You banged on about the racist Germans who hate everyone and why can't we just leave the poor misjudged Gypsies alone. For someone who claims to be "open-minded" all you seem to do is spout out the same six sentences.

 

One of the only things I dislike about the reputation system is what it does to people when they get negged, they pretend to feel things they don't feel.

 

I saw your original comment at 8.57 before you edited it by the way... good save from that pathetic "comeback" you attempted.

[matthewsmith 54]

Jeeez....

[Reudnitzer 0]

I'll second that. Chill people!

[Jay-cee 1]

i'll give them 20c that's all,but if i'm sober Fk all!!

[murphaph 9,845]

Speaking of scammers...

Anyone else heard/seen "Bernd" on the Ringbahn (usually around Hermannstrasse) giving his spiel? It goes along the lines of "I've applied for benefits but there's a delay and I'm hungry...". He's been giving this same line for at least 4 months now. I know bureaucracy in Germany can be bad but I don't believe him that the system would be letting him literally starve to death for this long...

[Darkknight 2,305]

If they are always at Alexanderplat, wouldn't they actually be "Campers", as "Travelers" would suggest that they actually move around.. ;)

[frappe 1]

I have never heard such a load of ignorant, bigoted, racist crap and, as usual Hal leads the way. Maybe you should consider joining the BNP or the NPD, or maybe you are all members already and are trying to recruit through Toytown?

 

I especially like the bit where Hal writes that the children are rented, bought or stolen. Where do you get your expertise from? Maybe you have been studying the Roma people for many years? You sure do know alot about them. Please can you reveal your sources next time?

 

This country has a long history of extreme prejudice against minority groups (such as the Roma, which were also put in concentration camps not so long ago)and in my opinion your (and I mean all of you not just Hal's who is a lost cause) attitudes serves to inflame, scapegoat, ignite racist hatred and ignorance.

[MattRoberts 10]

Did you look at my posts frappe? Don't count me in among these intolerant fascists please.

After recent events, this is my last post on this topic and also on Toytown. AND DO NOT SEND ME ANY PMs.

[horseshoe7 270]

I shocked a few germans I was walking with (you know the super-polite, diplomatic ones who don't seem to know how to get wild) and the gypsy came up with her classic: "excuse me do you speak english?"

 

- Not one fucking word, lady.

 

The german acquaintances were more shocked than the gypsy that i could seem so rude/hostile. but what's rude? A comes before B, so don't get mad at B before you deal with A. Pestering/soliciting people for money is rude. Hanging out humbly at one conspicuous spot with a hat out is not.

[Guest]

I can't stand these people also, they take and give absolutely nothing back to society, they perpetuate this shitty situation to their kids in a chav-cycle and see their [often many] offspring as income streams by ways of props for their stupid charades or sending them out on their own to beg for money around the area.

 

My standard reply to the adults is "get a job" or "get an f**king job", (the children get ignored), that seems to work quite well.

 

Some say that you shouldn't get involved because it's a cultural thing and it's their right to live like this, but when I lived in Greece for instance and you have what looks like a 6 year old doing belly-dances at restaurant tables to try and earn some money for their mum/dad's, I'm sorry this isn't cultural, it's clearly child abuse (just as forcing kids to act along with your begging pitches is).

 

Maybe this is generalizing a little, but I did see an interesting short investigative journalist documentary who secretly followed a gypsy lady with her kids as they went out "working", she would sit on her arse all day with a long wooden stick, she could walk fine. The kids were followed and observed "working" 10 hour days begging, if mummy thought they hadn't earned enough she's bring out the stick and feel free to beat them with it in the open, the kids got scraps of anything that mum didn't want.

 

As far as I'm concerned *never* give to people like this as you're only helping them perpetuate this cycle, just as I believe you should never ever give money to a homeless person (give to a homeless charity), or if you really want to give a homeless person something, offer to buy them a drink or some food.

[trollydolly 61]

 

Did you look at my posts frappe? Don't count me in among these intolerant fascists please.After recent events, this is my last post on this topic and also on Toytown. AND DO NOT SEND ME ANY PMs.

 

Pot Kettle Black

 

 

Germans make me puke. They are the rudest, most self centered, charmless intolerant people on earth.

http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50873&view=findpost&p=1806464

[dessa_dangerous 13,315]

I gave it some thought, and now that the initial irritation has subsided, I can see why people believe (and rightfully so) that I responded pretty harshly to MattRoberts in post #23. But maybe I should clarify a bit.

 

Here is his post to which I so strongly objected:

 

 

These people have nothing. It's hard enough being in Germany as an English person, coping with the unreasonable discrimination and constant cold shoulder that the vast majority of most Germans show anyone foreign. I hate to think what it is like being from Asia or Turkey or somewhere. The only job these people can hope for is literally cleaning the streets or cleaning toilets, no wonder they are begging.

So give em a break, right? They're dirty, unsavory and abusive to their children but hey if you object to that then you are no better than a common bigot. They are just trying to get by any way they can and none of us are in a position to judge.

 

And then

 

 

Also Alexanderplatz is a crap place to hang out. It is even worse than Leicester Square in London which is also a crap place to hang out and full of weirdos.

 

Matt, you decry the indiscriminate discrimination and yea, xenophobia of which you believe Germans are guilty, and then, in the same breath, tell us that Alex is a crap place to hang out and compare it to another crap place to hang out which is full of "weirdos".

 

When in fact Alexanderplatz is not a "place" at all--it is a space. An open space, defined by the people who pass through it--other than that it is air and concrete. I have known many bars and clubs and restaurants that I considered crap because of the prices or the services offered or yes even the clientele, but my distaste for these places had nothing to do their configurations of air and concrete.

 

What is a "weirdo" besides someone unlike ourselves?

 

This is why I take issue with your statement, Matt, because on your profile you claim to be an open minded person who dislikes provincialism. But what could be more provincial than the idea that people unlike ourselves are "weirdos"? Everyone has their story to tell.

 

My long, drawn-out response to you about the "weirdos" I have seen was meant to outline one thing: I know "weirdos", am comfortable with them, and hell I even am one.

 

Blatant bullshit artists piss me off, Matt. Sorry that you had to be on the receiving end of it.

 

It is easy enough to sit behind one's computer and scream and cry about all the horrible injustices done to disadvantaged people, to claim to be liberal and open-minded--but is another thing altogether to put that into practice.

 

So when I read your statements, Matt, my bullshit alarm went off loud and clear. It told me, "here is a person who wants to criticise the prejudices of others, but has his head so far up where the sun don't shine that he doesn't even notice when he writes off not one group but many groups of people, because they are unlike him and he doesn't understand their lifestyles, labels them weirdos and keeps going." Alex is a crap place to hang out because it is full of people unlike you who you'd prefer to ignore--you don't even want to share the same air as them.

 

Nice flounce by the way.

[El Jeffo 42,135]

 

Did you look at my posts frappe? Don't count me in among these intolerant fascists please.

After recent events, this is my last post on this topic and also on Toytown. AND DO NOT SEND ME ANY PMs.

 

Pretty weak flounce. But nice touch with the ALL CAPS AT THE END.

[horseshoe7 270]

"I'm right and you're wrong and if you won't agree I'm afraid I have to leave. "

 

Don't forget to take Dastagir with you on your way out.

[MattRoberts 10]

Hey nerds,

This really is my last post. If you had read what I said in my previous post I said I was leaving because of recent events. This isn't just because of this particular thread, it's because virtually everything I have written has been summarily thumbed down by all and sundry, and it is also because I have been on the receiving end of several nasty PMs for no logical reason other than people decided they wanted to take their agression out on someone they don't know. Some of my comments may have been a bit ironic but I'm from the north of England and that's our sense of humour. Sense of humour - now that's an interesting concept isn't it? I know Germans don't have one, so I suppose it is inevitable that people lose theirs when they live here for protracted periods of time. Might I add that sending people threatening or unpleasant email messages is a criminal offence in English law. I don't know what the law is in Germany on this matter. Bye bye happy people.

[horseshoe7 270]

dude, germany is hard on lots of people. so just chill out and come back when you're not stressed.

[Guest]

@MattRoberts: if you've received nasty PM's/emails, why not post them up and name & shame these idiots?

 

Or at least post the PM's to the forum moderators so they can take some action over it and ban anyone who is threatening people.

[El Jeffo 42,135]

 

This really is my last post.

 

Famous last words...