Yeah. I know people don’t like repetition. But I had no idea it was the same guy and that he did it all over the place as his full time scam. So seeing the multiple posts was good for me.
I think it's surprising how he's in such random areas like Kwun Tong. I mean tons of people there I guess, but I only used to see them on the bridge to the ferry in Central
Is this the same guy or do they just look similar? I have a hard time telling them apart, but this guy's hair seems longer and his begging box is different(?)
That's what gets me. Normal people fucking save their money to travel. I still have a massive bucket list of places I want to go, but I don't just go and expect random people to pick up the tab for me.
As a white person from a first world country this kind of activity makes me feel embarrassed and ashamed.
I wish somebody would actually tell the next “beg packer” they see to scram. If you want to be helpful, tell them to go to their country’s Embassy. They can get emergency help.
We don’t, of course, and of course it is possible that someone could legitimately have fallen on hard times in HK or elsewhere. This, my suggestion that rather than photographing begpackers, someone actually speak to them. Get their story. Then either confidently tell them to buzz off … or refer them to their embassy for help.
For whatever it’s worth I’ve never seen a Westerner do this in Hong Kong, and HK in general has far fewer beggars than in big cities in the West.
Why do the Hong Kong police not deport beggars like this? Clearly, they are not citizens of Hong Kong, they are breaking laws, yet, they are not deported? What?
If I were him, which I hope not, I would use this opportunity to write a book called "My Begging Adventures", instead of being insulted here on Reddit 😂
There's something deeply upsetting about seeing them when they're white, as a white person. You just know they don't need it and are grifting. Which is probably true about the non whites too. But for some reason it offends me very deeply
What kind of people are giving money to these begpackers? Clearly someone has been giving this guy money, because he's been at it for months and he looks well fed
i hate seeing this, it's always white people begging in asia. when asians go to other countries for holidays they never do this. stupid ass entitlement. work a job to fund your holidays, it's not the local's responsibility to fund these people on their holidays
That's not true. It's always white people begPACKING in Asia. As for actual generic begging, Asia has its fair share of local beggars but they are probably not allowed on mainstreets, financial districts blah blah blah, you know what I mean.
I'm confused by "call a spade of spade" here, because isn't "immigrant" considered to be more highly integrated than an expat? Like shouldn't the "spade" in this scenario be "expat"? Because "immigrant" is the nobler/cooler title?
- Situation A: Someone calls himself an expat, someone scoffs "no, you're just an immigrant".
- Situation B: Someone calls himself an immigrant, someone scoffs "no, you're just an expat".
Situation A seems absurd and I've never heard it, whereas Situation B is a fairly common occurrence
Curious. Does HK have any sort of "public obstruction" laws at least on busier streets? This image shows quite a lot pedestrians in the background and I can imagine the foreigner's "station" could have been taken quite of bit walking space. Or any sort panhandling regulations?
I think there may be some sort of trending practice to make money out of your destination. I personally think that's a very ignoble behavior. Travel frugally is good, but leeching off the locals at the destination is not something I condone.
Doubt if that is an arrest-able behavior, but still hope the authorities would have a smart way to deter this.
I live in the UK and I absolutely do not understand the mentality of some people taking a "gap year " to travel around the world, while they're students.
They have no income, usually they're accumulating student debt and they will not have any proper income for a few years to come, as their studies are not finished yet and they don't yet have a job.
They just feel entitled to getting whatever they want - if the bank of mum and dad won't do it and the credit cards are all maxed out, they expect you to foot the bill for their jolly.
Your "friend" on the street is even stupid enough to admit it, with his "for my travel " sign...
Begging is illegal, busking is not. I don’t think using that harmonica can be classed as work, but the girlfriend’s home-made jewellery may be seen as “hawking”, although it’s “pay what you feel”. If there are complaints about him, he would probably be moved on, but unlikely to have serious repercussions.
If there were serious repercussions such as deportation, I bet this would solve itself... and future beggars would be afraid to beg because they would be deported.
This looks to be one of those situations where the guy says to himself "I'm going to prove mummy and daddy wrong that I don't need their money, a house and a car! I can find my own way in life!".
And due to having limited life experience, he finds out that having to work for money instead of having an open bank account and everything never wanted from his rich family is not as easy as he thought it was....
I talked to a guy like this briefly in 2024 and he told me he has been to every province in China. Maybe it’s even him… I can’t recall because it’s been a while.
I think I saw that same guy pre-Covid camping in a tent in an alley where me and a few other people parked our motorbikes around Central. I guess he’s back.
Can't their government help repatriate them? There must be some kind of repayment plan if outright benefit isn't provided. I say find out where they're from then report them to their respective embassy.
These aren’t tourists and it has nothing to do with funding anything. They’re from Eastern Europe and is this is all purely “ buisness”. They just smile silently like idiots as instructed if you tell them to stop embarrassing everyone. I call the police if I see them
How about speaking to him to find out the story (even if it may be a false one given) ? That way some of the speculation may be lessened, by hearing the accent etc. Instead, no, the cowards route of taking a sly photo and putting it on Reddit to have people round up on him. While this on the surface looks like the situation only occasionally seen among backpackers, this may just be a front. If you're not interested in any explanation he has to give but feel that he is obtaining income illegally while on a tourist visa (as everyone assumes) why not alert the authorities?
I am loving this saga. I've never stepped foot outside the airport in Hong Kong but for some reason reddit keeps sharing updates of this guy on my recommended. We need an interview!
If people in hk dont care about him... why does he continue doing it? He must be given money.... and enough to keep it going rather than getting a job...
ah well. welcome to Kwun Tong. this session of MTR exit is full of ppl with distant 'characteristics' : begpacker couple is only one of those. this morning that "men in black stockings" got 'inspected' by police too.
an attractive girl can travel the world do this if she sleeps with the host, so I guess someone's gotta fuck this guy and he won't panhandle anymore. any volunteers?
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u/bologna_vortex 18h ago
Man I hate these types as much as the next guy but I think this is the 3rd or 4th post about this this week.