Even if nobody told you it was a public holiday you’d only need to walk out of your house to know something was different. It’s hard at the best of times, to walk in a straight line down the street but this morning the crowds were dense and slow moving making progress difficult.
This morning there were two of my favourite snakes – lines of students paid a pittance to hold aloft advertising boards and not to look too bored. I have not a clue what they were advertising.
Then as I made my way towards Gulou I came across one of the most annoying beggars in Nanjing. I call her ‘The sad school girl’ – she is usually sitting on the pavement with head bowed and a message asking people to give 2rmb (for something – not sure what).
She plays the part of a poor students by sitting with her school bag on – it all helps with the appeal I suppose. I see her regularly and could even be a copy cat beggar inspired by the ones you sometimes get on Nanjing Xi Lu in Shanghai asking for some money for the bus home.
Recently we have been presented with a more imaginative type of beggar – the ones I call ‘The bikers’. These two young guys wear their cycling gear and have their cycling clothes on (even helmet) and use their bicycles as props. You would feel sorry for them if you hadn’t seen them begging in the same way several months ago.
However a new sport theme beggar turned up yesterday – ‘The hiker’. This young man was on Zhong Shan Lu and was using his hiking gear as props for begging. He had his hiking boots on and his backpack by his feet with a note explaining why he needed money.
It makes a change I suppose from the family of beggars who go around in a wooden ‘coffin’ on wheels. I am getting a bit fed up of them. The father puts the children on the street near the coffin and makes them lie on the pavement pretending to do their school work. The fact that they beg during school hours is a bit of a give-away.
These are beggars who pull at the heart-strings of caring parents who feel compelled to give money. It’s quite clever and often the parents leave the children to play/study quietly on their own while they keep a distance a short distance away. It’s quite a slick affair which is designed to wring as much out of caring but unsuspecting Nanjingers.
Public holidays bring thousands of shoppers and day trippers onto the streets but there’s a corresponding number of beggars and pickpockets also hoping to have a successful day.
Keep your hands on your wallet and don’t fall for the begging tricks!