Begging Is A Criminal Offence !

At least, that's what the poster at the railway station tells me. Its displayed in a nice frame, next to the far more lavish poster extolling the virtues of the first class lounge which I would be able to sit in, if I had a first class ticket, which I don't.
You will, I'm sure, have your own views as to whether begging should be a criminal offence or not. I don't think it should unless we first of all properly deal with the state of affairs that makes it necessary to beg.
It should be a criminal offence to charge me forty quid for a train ticket and then make me stand up in a ridiculously overcrowded train for over an hour, but it isn't and I have accepted long ago that I'm not going to make much progress with my campaign to make it so.
How then, was it so easy to make the far less irritating activity of begging a criminal offence? Does the sight or sound of someone asking for a bit of small change really cause such offence that it has to be a criminal act?
When I finish my morning train-based endurance test and reach my destination I disengage myself from the scrum that has formed in the vestibule of the train where i stood with all the other standard, (second), class passengers and on to the platform.
Thank goodness I have the security of knowing that the station will be free from criminals.
However, when I step outside the station and start the short walk to my office they start to show their criminal faces, occupying the shop doorways and other prime locations in the city centre, claiming to be homeless and in need of a hot drink, something to eat and somewhere to spend the night.
One of them that I often see has a dog which he hugs almost constantly, as if both their lives depended on it. His head is bowed so as not to make eye contact with his intended victims, those who might, of their own free will, deposit their spare coins into his waiting criminal receptacle.
Almost apologetically I put the loose change from my pocket into the crumpled cup that he has in front of him. It doesn't amount to much but he mumbles a thank you, the dog says nothing and carries on with the hugging, which he seems to be enjoying.
What I'm not sure about here is whether my generosity makes me an accessory to the crime, am I a criminal too, or is it just him? The bloke that looks like life has given him a bit of a kicking and will probably be back to give him another one tonight.
My friends and colleagues are quick to point out that these criminals are not really homeless, it's just a scam, the money just goes on drugs and alcohol and I shouldn't give it to them.
Well that may be true, at least some of the time, but in many cases I believe that it isn't. It's just too cold, windy, wet and bloody uncomfortable to sit in a doorway all day in the hope that a few people might give you their small change.
In any event, they're not going to get much in the way of drugs and alcohol with what I'm able to give.
There's an old saying, "there but for the grace of god go I." That may not be exactly right but it's near enough, and its true. In my past I did experience a catastrophe that could so easily have ended that way, were it not for my ability to adapt and for the love, kindness and compassion given by my wonderful partner who picked me up and got me back on track again.
There's only one thing worse than being homeless in my view, and that's being friendless. I was and now I'm not and I have her to thank for that.
So, you see, I came perilously close to being a criminal myself because when all else fails and you have to eat and stay warm you may eventually have to ask for help - lets call it begging for the benefit of the police.
So, in answer to my own question, if we need to make criminals of anyone there are plenty of other miscreants to choose from, many of them are conveniently located in a large building in London with a riverside location and a big clock. Given a choice between being robbed, raped, mugged or begged, I'll take the latter every time.