Begging in Dubai is illegal, but since I've been in Dubai I have experienced many different types of scams.
Sometimes I feel sorry for the old beggars and give them some money, however I am sure there are charities that would help these people. I know they are illegal but I would feel really guilty about calling the police about them.
Once I was coming out of the supermarket and a covered lady carrying a baby approached me. She spoke very good Arabic and English and was asking for money as her baby was ill. I ignored her and then she stopped me from getting into my car. That made me even more determined not to give her money. I am positively sure that if her baby was really ill a hospital would not let the baby die!
The first time I was asked for money was the first week I arrived in Dubai. I came out of work and a car stopped beside me. It was an Indian family and the man said he needed money for petrol to go to Oman as their visas had expired. I just laughed and said that I didn't have a visa yet and haven't been paid as I had just arrived. Then I just walked away. Another colleague had the same experience and reported them to the police.
Now sometimes these people do tug on my heartstrings but other times you can tell it is a scam and they are lying to get a few extra dirhams in their pocket. I have heard about other scams going on; women and children knocking on doors, suit scams, fake wound scams and so on.
At the end of the day if a person really needs money then there will be a charity to help them. If they do not have visas and are here illegally then they need to either find a job or go back to their country. I guess some people could say just give them some money it's charity! I think my negativity stems from when I lived in England and some beggars would take money given to them to get their drugs fix rather than buy a meal for their family.
I wish I could help everyone!!!
Yesterday I was in a shop looking at dresses and a lady with a pram approached me and asked if she could borrow my phone to call her husband. Automatically I told her to ask the person at the cashier if she could use the store phone and I left the store. I don't know what she could have done if I had given her my phone...maybe she would call a number to take all my credit...maybe she would run away with my phone...perhaps she was actually an innocent lady needing to call her husband. Who knows? You can never be too careful!
Sometimes I feel sorry for the old beggars and give them some money, however I am sure there are charities that would help these people. I know they are illegal but I would feel really guilty about calling the police about them.
Once I was coming out of the supermarket and a covered lady carrying a baby approached me. She spoke very good Arabic and English and was asking for money as her baby was ill. I ignored her and then she stopped me from getting into my car. That made me even more determined not to give her money. I am positively sure that if her baby was really ill a hospital would not let the baby die!
The first time I was asked for money was the first week I arrived in Dubai. I came out of work and a car stopped beside me. It was an Indian family and the man said he needed money for petrol to go to Oman as their visas had expired. I just laughed and said that I didn't have a visa yet and haven't been paid as I had just arrived. Then I just walked away. Another colleague had the same experience and reported them to the police.
Now sometimes these people do tug on my heartstrings but other times you can tell it is a scam and they are lying to get a few extra dirhams in their pocket. I have heard about other scams going on; women and children knocking on doors, suit scams, fake wound scams and so on.
At the end of the day if a person really needs money then there will be a charity to help them. If they do not have visas and are here illegally then they need to either find a job or go back to their country. I guess some people could say just give them some money it's charity! I think my negativity stems from when I lived in England and some beggars would take money given to them to get their drugs fix rather than buy a meal for their family.
I wish I could help everyone!!!
Yesterday I was in a shop looking at dresses and a lady with a pram approached me and asked if she could borrow my phone to call her husband. Automatically I told her to ask the person at the cashier if she could use the store phone and I left the store. I don't know what she could have done if I had given her my phone...maybe she would call a number to take all my credit...maybe she would run away with my phone...perhaps she was actually an innocent lady needing to call her husband. Who knows? You can never be too careful!
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