The Business of Begging

The other day we were in the center, waiting in the car for a traffic light to turn green. At some point, a gipsy kid comes and starts cleaning the windscreen. I doubt he was older then 10. His cloths were all dirty and almost turned to shreds.

In the middle of cleaning the windscreen he stops and starts looking for something in his small bag. Then, he takes out a phone and starts talking while passing impatiently in front of our car. When he finished, he put the phone inside his bag and continued cleaning the window. We were both watching him stunned...

Digging through my old emails I found a short movie with a similar situation. The only difference is that the scene takes place in the subway, in Bucharest.

If I had any doubts before now I'm pretty sure that there is such a thing as the business of begging and they must have international conventions because the strategies and the approaches are always the same no matter the country. I guess it's safe to call it the most blooming business during crises.
 

An incredibly realistic movie about this business and how well organized the whole system is, is Philanthropy. You might have a rough time finding it since it's a Romanian movie but if you have the opportunity to see it, don't hesitate. It will really change the way you think.


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