I PASSED a Big Issue seller in Bournemouth Square today. He asked me if I wanted to buy one. I didn’t. So he said, “Have a good day.”

And some people, it seems, find that a problem. They think it sarcastic. How odd.

I take people as I find them and most Big Issue sellers I come across deserve my respect. They are, I find, mainly courteous people whose lives may have taken a dodgy turn. And they are doing their level best, often against the odds, to sort themselves out.

I went back to that Big Issue seller and bought a magazine from him. “How’s your day going?” he asked. “Pretty well,” I replied. “What about you?” “It’s a lovely day,” he said.

Why would anyone object to that?

It appears some do. A range of measures is being introduced in Bournemouth to tackle breaches of the code of conduct and identify those acting antisocially while purporting to be Big Issue vendors. Fair enough if it deals with bad behaviour causing problems, but let’s not demonise genuine Big Issue sellers just because they are selling Big Issues. We should be applauding them for their efforts to pick up their lives.

If you don’t want to buy a magazine, just say, “no thanks”. It’s easy.

I have no time for inebriated idiots of any kind who cause trouble for others and we all know there can be bad apples in any group. But be fair. Who deserves our respect most? The Big Issue sellers earning an honest crust. Or the people who treat them with rude contempt?

After all, what’s the bigger issue here? Being asked to buy a magazine? Or being homeless?