One good thing about being in the ranks of the unemployed is avoiding the daily trudge into and the daily battle that is London.

Aside from the lack of pollution, more money in my bank account, no early mornings and avoiding the 90 minutes on the train then x minutes on the tube, there is a distinct lack of beggars in my little part of middle England. However this seems to be changing.

I'm not talking about the homeless, that's an emotive topic on which I have no knowledge of, I am talking about charity begging. Over the last year or so charities have taken to the streets, more accurately charities have taken to paying companies to annoy people on the streets on their behalf. They're hard to avoid, teenagers in day-glo vests with charity logos printed on them and clipboards to make them look official. "Can you just spare a moment for", "Would you like to contribute to", "This will only take 5 minutes".

The stupidity behind all this is that they appear at rush hours and lunch times in the middle of the City of London. This is the banking district, 5 minutes at lunch or 5 minutes when starting the journey home is something people don't have. Every day another day-glo vest, another charity logo. When the media starting showing pictures of starving African children in the early 80s it was shocking, hearts and wallets were opened. As the starvation continued and the news updated with more dead and dying people started to become immune. As charity begging continues they run the risk of developing immunity. Add to this the fees these begging companies keep back (rumour has it some can take over 50% of monies raised) I am beginning to despise the site of these shiny happy charity beggars.

(I lied about the lack of pollution, hand me another Malboro please, and the more money, let me buy some more DVDs, and the early mornings, here dear , have a coffee, but honestly, I am avoiding the tube).