To Multisync
Heavens forbid 'they' should start breeding! They must surely be sub human and not fit to do so ? We all know what the Nazis thought about beggars and gypsies!

Question for you-
Are you also castigating all pregnant women you see in the street smoking-or is it reserved for just BI sellers and their 'look-alike' sisters?!

Vipes-you are correct-utter racist bilge!

IN DISGUST!

What's wrong with disapproving of smoking while pregnant?

And why are Vipes and Christianna attacking Multisync? I haven't read all his/her posts so don't know the content of them, but this is the only comment he/she has made on this particular thread and it doesn't warrant the vitriol unleashed by Vipes and Christianna. Accusing someone of racism shouldn't be taken lightly and I think you owe Multisync an apology.

So what exactly was the point of this posting? I see the BI seller (s)EVERY day outside Sainsburys as no doubt we all do. I'm assuming it's a family concern. Is the issue that she's wearing colourful local gypsy costume and therefore so similar to the other women that you cant tell the difference betweeen them? or smoking whilst pregnant? who cares either way? - stressed pregnant smokers often take a drag. the NHS has a lot more than this to worry about.

Multisync defend yourself![/quote]

Agreed that accusations of racism should not be taken lightly!

As you have stated re Multisync this appears to be the only posting about BI sellers.

Why do you assume it is a family concern?

This and other comments here echo " All blacks look the same to me".

As someone who is of Jewish descent and married to a Black man for 27 yrs I have unfortunately come across statements like this before and it is racist!

No apology.

As to smoking while pregnant-her choice as others do but I see no comment about them. I personally don't like it when I see it but it is none of my business - their child, their bodies whoever they are.

blushingsnail is the comment "I do'nt know if it's the original lady or not as they all dress the same way" neutral? Nope. Ambiguous? Nope. Offensive? Yep though it seems you disagree. Give me a break.

I would assume its a family concern as they look alike and you dont get too many gypsies in local costume in Forest Hill. Why wouldnt you assume that?

Definition of the word 'bigot'-Oxford concise dictionary
One who holds irrespective of reason,and attaches disproportionate weight to some creed or view.

I have just spoken with the office of the Big Issue and they do indeed help families and with several members being BI sellers so therefore being a family concern.

What is the problem exactly?

Perhaps we could learn by example about the strong bonds these families maintain in the face of adversity.

From the Big Issue web site today

Tributes pour in for murdered vendor Tuesday 12th of May 2009

Tributes have poured in for The Big Issue seller brutally murdered last week, as the public show their support for vendors living in fear of assault and verbal abuse.

Fears for the safety of those living homeless on the streets have been stoked by the savage murder of a Big Issue vendor in Bournemouth, followed by another assault in the town only days later.

Big Issue seller Ralph Millward, 41, was a well-known character around his pitch outside Marks and Spencer in the Westbourne area, where he also slept and where his body was found on Friday morning.

The tributes that have been left at a memorial outside the shop, including scores of flowers and cards, demonstrates the support for those homeless whose life on the street puts them in perpetual fear of verbal and physical abuse.

May you never have to walk a mile in their shoes.

Whaaaaat? No one has attached disproportionate weight to anything. It would seem that I am probably correct and that they are most likely a family. So what? Calm down dear.

You mentioned it - why I ask?

It disturbs me that the fact they might be a family/related appears to be being used against them by implying they are not acting in accordance with BI rules.

Not true!

205 posts complaining about a couple of people selling a magazine, I would suggest, is disproportionate. I think that's the point. Bigotry indeed.

Er, actually, quite a number of posts in the past were made with reference to having babies and young children stand all day on the pitch with the sellers; something which is not within BI policy and is most certainly illegal. There were also many posts relating to the overtly aggressive sales tactics of one or two individuals which were contrary to BI policy and likely to harden public opinion against other vendors. Generally a lot of comments critical of certain behaviours were made in the vein of general support for the BI and the work it does.

I believe it was clarified quite early on in this thread also that this was one family, again within BI policy, as Romanian families tend to operate this way for personal security reasons, as sellers tend to be a soft target for muggings and other attacks, like the unfortunate gentleman in Bournemouth seems to have been.

I would have thought the greatest risk to this woman's health and pregnancy was more having to stand there all day breathing in traffic fumes than having the occasional cigarette but then I don't suppose she has the option of a workplace risk assessment like most working women in the UK, or in fact, many options at all. I have stared at women smoking and drinking heavily whilst pregnant as I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but whether someone makes it their business to point it out to them is up to them; personally I think its likely to land you a smack in the mouth and achieve nothing.

Well said Roz!

Unfortunately it's seems to be just human nature to only comment when something wrong is done by one person - which then tars all others with the same brush.

Bad apple policy rules-shame!

However I have never seen this Lady and/or others on any pitch behave in any way that is against the policy set by BI.

She is always unassuming, makes her requests to buy a copy of the BI quite discretely really.

I also thought the beautiful velvet outfit she was wearing the other day looked wonderful - made me feel quite drab.

Good luck to her and all BI sellers.

I totally agree with you Roz.

It's easy for people to accuse others of bigotry or rascism for what appears to be no reason at all. This in itself is offensive to those who were not meaning to be so in the first place! No surprise this thread causes more response than others.