Local people are extremely angry following a local Wetherspoons’ declaration that they do not allow homeless persons in to be served. This has lead to a letter being sent to their CEO John Hutson. Below is the letter and details of the incident.
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to you not only out of frustration and anger but also of hope.
I frequented one of your establishments last night with a couple of friends looking forward to an evening of food and beer and good times at a branch that will remain nameless for the moment.
As I rounded the corner, sat outside your pub was a guy who was clearly homeless and down on his luck and I’m one of those people who can’t just walk by without helping if I can, in any way shape or form. I would hope you too would be of similar mind set.
I sat down with him on the pavement and started to chat to him and he told me of how he’d become homeless and had just lost his father, all the while fighting back tears, this man was clearly very upset and in need of support or maybe just someone to talk to which I was more than happy to help with.
He wasn’t begging, just sat outside your establishment.
As we were sat, the bouncer for this particular branch came over and informed us that we’d both have to move on which, I can kind of understand as you couldn’t possibly have people (especially the homeless kind) sat outside of your classy chain of pubs now can you, what will the neighbours say?
I obliged, stood up and offered to take the guy into the pub so as to remove him from the street and to give him a hot meal as, I’m sure you are aware, winter is upon us and the nights are very cold and only going to get colder.
Nope. Not allowed the bouncer told me.
I’m sorry, but why not? I am paying for the meal, he is a member of the public. We weren’t causing problems and were therefore perfectly and legally entitled to enter your establishment and eat a meal.
Nope. Not allowed. Manager said so, the bouncer replied.
Again I told him I am a paying customer and we’d like to get some food just the same as anyone else in the world is allowed to do at your pub.
Nope.
Why not?
BECAUSE HE’S HOMELESS was the genuine reply I received???
I’m afraid at this point I started to lose my rag.
HOW DARE YOU. Is this policy for all of your pubs? You can’t enter unless you are a homeowner???
He simply repeated that we we not allowed into the pub to buy a meal and this was the managers stance and it wasn’t going to change.
I continued to “discuss” the matter with the bouncer but he simply would not change his mind.
Now, either this was an over zealous bouncer with a complex trying to assert his authority or this is genuinely your policy…you can’t eat at a Wetherspoons unless you own a home????
I find this rather hard to believe as noone could be so callous as to deny a homeless man a warm meal on a bitterly cold winters evening now would they?
Needless to say we parted ways in a not so friendly manner and I wished the bouncer slept well in his warm house having had a warm meal while this gentleman would be sleeping on a beach in Winter.
He simply stared at his shoes knowing what he was doing and was either too ashamed to look me in the eyes or just didn’t care.
I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was too ashamed as I don’t want to believe we live in a day and age where a down and out guy is denied a free hot meal on a cold winters night.
Surely we haven’t become so detached from reality that we only look after ourselves and everyone else can go screw themselves? Surely that can’t be possible?
The “I’m alright Jack” mentality can’t be THAT deeply entrenched in the human psyche that we have all simply given up on caring for others less fortunate than ourselves while we sleep safely in a warm bed tonight and eat hot food, as long we’re alright? Can it???
This bothered me greatly. In a time of austerity, where millions decide between heat or food. While hundreds and hundreds of thousand rely on food banks for their next meal. While tax credits are going to be slashed and the poorest are yet again blamed for the financial mess this country is in while those in power eat swans at gold encrusted banquets telling everyone else to tighten their belts.
We are ALL the same. EVERYONE. Some are less fortunate than others and some are more fortunate but we are ALL HUMAN BEINGS and we should ALL be looking out for one another and helping where we can and not kicking homeless people while they are already going through unimaginable things you or I or that bouncer know nothing about.
It was a disgusting show of just how selfish and uncaring we have become as a nation and as people in general.
So, if I may, I would like to propose something to you?
In the USA a guy has a policy in his pizza restaurant and a few other places have a similar policy and it’s really very simple.
Pay it forward. Buy two coffees and take one. Leave one behind the bar for someone to come in and ask for and have it already prepaid. Same goes for a slice of pizza or a burger or whatever people are willing to donate.
Think about it. It costs you nothing. You give away free refills on coffees anyway but this is paid for. No cost to you.
Think of how many branches you have and how many people this may help just get a hot meal or a hot drink during the coldest and most bleak time of the year which is rapidly approaching.
You get to publicise the fact that you do not turn people away from your establishment because they simply don’t have a home despite them having money and being able to pay for their meal, but that you actually care about these less fortunate people and are willing to go that extra mile to lead by example and show the rest of the world how it should be done.
Showing compassion and love for your fellow man who has fallen on hard times and not kicking them while they are down in a time of austerity and greed and selfishness.
You will be the shining light that may even lead others to do something similar to help.
Again, this costs you nothing, the public pay for the extra meals. It helps countless people up and down the country as you have many many establishments and your reach is country wide.
Your sales would surely only increase as people like companies with good hearts, think of it as a great marketing campaign for you, you help the needy at xmas, not turn them away because they are homeless. You get increased sales also as many many people would be more than happy to pay for an extra coffee or a burger thus giving you a sale you wouldn’t normally have had.
The government doesn’t care about these people. Many companies have been laying down metal spikes to prevent the homeless from sleeping anywhere near their properties. Bouncers are turning them away from your pubs despite them having cash.
Just who exactly is going to help these people?
YOU can. YOU can help turn this around.
I urge you to consider my proposal as it’s already starting to get very cold, and while thinking about this, imagine it was your life that was turned upside down and that it was you who had fallen on hard times and that it was you sleeping in the cold tonight and being denied a warm meal simply for being homeless. This guy was an adult. Imagine how many children are also sleeping rough this winter? Imagine they were your children…
Sleep well in your warm bed tonight but please, please, please at least consider this proposal.
Yours very, very hopefully but not holding my breath…
