Gerd * is only too well acquainted with passengers ' silence. They look down when he flits with his papers in his hand in ir subway wagon. Gerd confronts people with a reality that most like to displace.
Gerd is 55 years old and homeless, after decades in a fixed job and a marriage Berliner lost a few years ago only work and n his wife. Now he sleeps with his bror on couch and lives from what he deserves with sale of street paper and with begging. If it is still warm enough, it stands on Berlin Alexanderplatz. Between skyscrapers on large, draughty square, Gerd is quite lost with his newspapers. Hardly anyone comes to buy him one, and he doesn't like to impose himself. But now that nights are long and days are cold, he has to pull through subway wagons to get rid of a few newspapers at all. Most people ignore him. Or even insult him. There are people who think y're better off, and y don't kieken me with ass.
Begging men and women belong to everyday life in Berlin and or big cities, in subways, on street, in front of supermarkets. What do you think about those who give m money or ignore m? And what about your own situation?
"This is a tough program," says Gerd in his deep bass in Berlin. "Ick Jeh in evening at ten to bed and at six stand Ick Uff, n breakfast, n Jeh ick ba, dress me up, get newspapers and sales newspapers or try to get money orwise and in evening at seven am ick back." And next day again from front. Since 1974, "Silent begging" in Germany is no longer punishable. However, loud and intrusive begging can be punished as an offence.
"What can mean 20 or 30 cents"However, Frieda does not stop it from becoming louder at times. The 24-year-old wears lear jacket and green Iroquois cut, with three or punks and her two dogs she sits on a blanket on Warsaw Bridge in Friedrichshain. They pass by party tourists and tired craftsmen, hipsters from a vegan supermarket and drug dealers.
Some people ask Frieda for money several times. Usually she knows before, who gives something and who does not: "People who do not have it easily, often give more," says Frieda. They know from ir own experience what a shit it is to have to get along with so little coal. This also applies to you: "If someone in street asks me for 20 or 30 cents, I'll give it to him because I know what can mean 20 or 30 cents." The difference between hunger and two buns from cheap baker for example.
Just Who could afford to do so would usually have nothing, says Frieda, her gaze goes towards vegan supermarket: "There are people who just in manager's floor and like to look down on me from above and n demonstratively in front of my nose with change In bag Rumklimpern. " That makes m angry. There are really many so arrogant assholes. So people who barely see you and say ey, what are you for a piece of shit, y can n me sometimes.
* All names changed.
Date Of Update: 25 December 2017, 12:02
