You know who's a dickhead? (now incorporating 'homeless bastards'.)

[Kenny]

Originally Posted by www.raskolrecords.com news page, massively paraphrased from this week's Big Issue

You know who's a dickhead? I'll tell you. Iain Gordon, general manager of the Pavilion theatre in Glasgow, is a dickhead. As you know, we consider ourselves friends, partners, and allies of the Big Issue in Scotland, because - as we've stated many a time - being homeless is not a crime. Well, it's not. It's easy enough to think of circumstances that could force any one of us out on to the streets. And what would you do then? If you had no one you could turn to, no family or friends whose floor you could crash on? You'd be fucked. Yes you would. The Big Issue is a lifeline for people who suffer this unfortunate fate. Selling it is a legitimate job, made available to persons who suffer the indignity and misfortune of not having a roof of their own over their head.

I'm quite certain it is not an exhillarating job. Not a terribly fulfilling job. But it is a job. So for Mr Iain Graham to claim that "If they [Big Issue vendors] are not fighting with each other, they're stoned out their minds, if they're not stoned they're begging for cash, if they're not doing that they're shouting at each other or drinking cans of beer." He also added the unbelievably sweeping statement, "The majority of Big Issue sellers seem to be beggars" before conceding "I don't know the situation regarding the homeless in Glasgow."

The Big Issue confirm that Iain 'Dickhead' Gordon has in fact not been in touch with them to make any form of complaint regarding any of their vendors. We wonder quite what he thinks he has achieved by these comments. Other than, of course, presenting himself to the world at large as a dickhead. Iain Gordon, we do not salute you.

[AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS]

He has the same problem as me that guy, not good at "phrasing things". But his point is pretty vaild.
The majority or Big issue Sellers are junky jakes, who harrass people alot.

[Potatojunkie]

There's a small minority of Big Issue sellers that harrass people a lot. But you notice them more, because they're being cocks.

Replace "Big Issue sellers" with "football supporters", "people on buses", or, in fact, just "people".

[Kenny]

Totally. In any given group of people, there are arseholes. You cannot try and suggest that on the basis of the odd one fanny, that an entire section of society can be written off.

[crunchy frog]

Most seem fine, but obv had a comments before, like "yuck fu" when I've said no thanks, yes Im so stupid I dont know what that means

I dingy any speaking to me that look slightly mad or pissed, but then Im a girl out on my own in town usually so why the fuck should I risk stopping?

I used to give fags daily to the one outside littlewoods years ago when I was a smoker. Actually I used to buy it all the time when I was a student, but got a bit pissed off when i would say "I have that one already" a few would assume I was lying & shout some pish after me....just as well i remember the nice ones that where very polite when i'd buy a copy, give them a fag/crisps or whatever.

i dont buy the Big Issue anymore for a few reasons which i wont bore anyone with now since I've just wrote plently shite already

[Jilly]

A big issue man told me i had a nice smile today, seemed a cheery happy chappy. How much are big issues? I've never really wanted to buy one incase i get charged about a million pounds

[Kenny]

They're a quid. The vendors buy them for 40p and keep the extra 60p.

[Posh]

I've never had any problems with Big Issue vendors. I'm no saint, but i do my best to treat them like normal people, and when I make the effort to speak to them and get to know them it quickly transpires that they're no different from anyone else. Not having a home doesn't automatically equal being a drug addict or being a menace to society.

Case in point... I'd been to the Catty and stayed at Ska Bunni's place, and when I got up to go home I found myself wandering through town, with my expensive cigarettes and ultra-deluxe Starbucks. A gentleman in his 40's asked if I wanted to buy his last Big Issue, and I said yes, because if I can afford to drink designer coffee and waste five quid a day on killing myself slowly, I can afford a magazine packed full of informative features and socially responsible reporting. I bought it from him and offered him a fag. He gratefully accepted it, and I asked if he was done for the day. He explained how he was now on his way to Sound Control a few streets away to deposit twenty quid of his daily earnings on the guitar he was saving for. Seems someone stole his guitar and amp and pawned them, and as he was a music freak he was going crazy without an instrument. I told him that most people think Big Issue vendors spend the money they make on smack. He said he knew a few kids like that, and spoke of how sad it was to watch them rot away, but insisted he didn't do anything stronger than beer or pot if someone else offered it to him. I forgot about the train I was meant to be catching and became engrossed in the conversation, struck by how normal this man seemed. He didn't have track marks on his arms, his eyes didn't glaze over, he didn't smell of cheap drink. He spoke knowledgeably on his favourite guitar players, and was pleased to find I knew who Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dick Dale were. He told me about when he worked on the cruise ships and travelled the world with his girlfriend, and how they'd been pretty much everywhere, and that he still regrets to this day not picking up a '72 Strat he played in Canada, apparently the most perfect instrument he had ever set eyes upon. By this point I was kinda confused as to how this guy ended up homeless in the first place, after years of supporting himself. He explained it was simply to get a flat of his own, as while he had been bunking with friends, the council didn't consider him a priority and wouldn't consider giving him a flat until he made himself homeless. It really isn't that hard to imagine that happening to me or someone I know.

[Kenny]

Exactly. Good call, Posh.

[poprock]

I get very pissed off at the 'vocal few' dickheads amongst the Big Issue sellers I meet/see.

Those who are arseholes, who are begging, and who are causing the public at large to look down on all their morally respectable colleagues.

Everyone's outlook and demeanour towards the people in the streets selling the Big Issue as a means to an end is being coloured by the fuckhead few, as it always has been. If only the Big Issue organisation could afford some way of policing their sales force to ensure that they are actually adhering to the guidelines set down.

It's all very well to say that any Big Issue seller found to be begging or otherwise hassling folk will no longer be welcome to sell the magazine, but they have no way of ensuring that, so folk get jaded by the few with the bad attitude and end up blanking each and every one.

Meh. The world sucks.

[metallideth]

picked up that issue the other day. this iain gordon chap is a bit of a wang, most probably one who has never had to face the hardship that a lot of the vendors have had to and still do face.

[TurdoAC]

Just read your rant about the Pavilion manager's comments on the homeless of Glasgow. I understand your point about the various unfortunate circumstances that result in people sleeping rough but I have to say I also agree with a lot of what he said. Selling the 'issue may well be a job but it is a totally unproductive one and incredibly irritating to the rest of society. This is not just because they are homeless; I put those bastard charity collecting mercenaries and Asian immigrants trying to sell yesterday’s carnations in the same niche. The fact remains that no-one actually WANTS a Big Issue, I’m sure we’ve all bought one once or twice out of pity but at the end of the day it is a bigoted, commie arse rag. Further more, many (if not most) Issue sellers are f u cked out their minds most of the time. I’ve seen more than one actually falling over mid “Thankyou very much sir, have a good day… etc etc..”…. My idea is to employ them all to scrape the chuddy of the pavements, pay them in the smack that they will buy anyway and then lock them up in a skip somewhere for the night.

Cheers,

TurboAC Fan…

[Zooropa]

Possibly one for House of Debate?

Kennys call.

[Bobzilla]

im sticking it in the hod anyway as it looks a decent enough thread starter

As for people not wanting the big issue...in several occasions ive went out of my way to buy one for the articles you get in them. As for smacked out their head sellers...only every seen a handful of them and even then it seems to be the same ones all he time.

[Nieriel]

I have to agree the greatest majority of BI sellers creep me out/are spaced out their faces/don't deserve my penny change!!
Have bought it on two occasions from a handicapped vendor due to my reasoning that he is one of a very, very few BI vendors that deserve a decent helping hand!
It actually quite maddens me that he is stuck on the street lumped in with all the junkie scum trying to screw you out of your hard earned pound for what is indeed a really bad mag! :rant: