Would you give cash to this fellow?
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So a few days ago, a total stranger rings our door bell. He has some sob story, saying that his girl friend has his credit card and for some reason he could not get cash out of his bank account and he has to drive to another city some 100 miles away. Could I help him with the necessary cash to buy gas (petrol). When confronted by a total stranger whose credit cards are likely maxed out and who has no cash in the bank, and who desperately needs cash, a "likely drug user" flag goes off in my head. So I declined to help him. What would your reaction be? Would you hand him cash, knowing that you can probably kiss it goodbye?
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
I don't give money, regardless of the story. 100 miles can be arranged without money if need be, we're not unfriendly. Someone who is in trouble can always be helped - sit down, I'll make a sandwich and pour some coffee :)
Cornelius Henning wrote:
Would you hand him cash, knowing that you can probably kiss it goodbye?
What he/she spends it on is not my concern. Five euro's for a beggar (if they don't ask) is not something I'll be missing hard. I'm also not interested enough to demand they only use it on sea-weed or some comparable crap. If it is an actual drug-user, then there's even more chance to a conversation; being someone who gets a lot from his pillpusher I find it quite amusing. It also gives them a chance to tell their story, and you'll find that is often a lot more complexer than "I want booze". ..next to that; "And homeless near a thousand homes I stood, And near a thousand tables pined and wanted food." Seems like you want to feed them, if they just had not been "junkies" :D
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
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So a few days ago, a total stranger rings our door bell. He has some sob story, saying that his girl friend has his credit card and for some reason he could not get cash out of his bank account and he has to drive to another city some 100 miles away. Could I help him with the necessary cash to buy gas (petrol). When confronted by a total stranger whose credit cards are likely maxed out and who has no cash in the bank, and who desperately needs cash, a "likely drug user" flag goes off in my head. So I declined to help him. What would your reaction be? Would you hand him cash, knowing that you can probably kiss it goodbye?
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
It's a scam and a very old one.
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Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
I have been lucky in life. Very lucky. I am well aware that others aren't so blessed
All luck, huh? Nothing to do with hard work and making good decisions?
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Him? No. There's just something about that, that puts me off. Have I given cash to people knowing I wouldn't get it back? People who might be using it to buy drugs, but who have told me they are hungry and just want something to eat? Yes I have and I will do so again. Why? I have been lucky in life. Very lucky. I am well aware that others aren't so blessed so if I can do something, anything, to, even for a moment, bring some happiness into another persons life, then that makes me happy. Does this make me a liberal? Possibly. Do I care? Nope.
This space for rent
Years ago, I saw a co-worker being approached by someone asking for money. As my co-worker was reaching for his wallet, we were interrupted by the beggar's iPhone. After he was done, the conversation then turned to how happy he was with it (I can't recall which generation, but it had come out a few days prior). Then my coworker finished the discussion with something along the lines of, "well, if you can afford a brand new iPhone, you're better off than I am right now", and we walked away...
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Once I donated 20 bucks to some charity, they put my number in some database and since then I got called for donations a couple of times every week from various charities. I had to switch phone for it to stop. Since then no donations no more.
The sad part here in the USA is that a great many charities use professional fund raiser companies to elicit for the contributions on their behalf. The problem is that the fundraisers (quite legally - how stupid the law is at times) keep around 90% of the funds they collect and only transfer about 10% to the charity. When I learnt this fact, my wife and I stopped all contributions to charities, since you cannot distinguish between efforts by the charity itself, and efforts by professional fundraisers. Therefore: Fundraising for charities is just another BIG BUSINESS! They don't get a dime from me!
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
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Much respect from myself. Much respect. I have a weak spot around drug abuse. A girl I knew years ago, oh, she was a lovely girl; came from one of the nicest Irish families you'll ever meet. She got into drugs and we lost touch. A couple of years later, I bumped into her and she was telling me about how she was turning her life around. She was back in contact with her family and she did look like things were turning around. A week later, she was found dead in her flat. Thinking about this, 30 years later, it's still hard. I still keep in touch with her sister and brother.
This space for rent
I lost 5 school mates before the age of 21, I know what it is. The second last once tried to rob me, when I spoke to him and he recognised me... he went away crying. If I had not known him, the situation would have ended fully different for me. Exactly for that I respect so much when someone comes to a stranger and say the truth, their lives are already dificult as hell, but at least they go straight and try to not hurt people. And this is somehow to be "rewarded", so yes... to those, I give the money.
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
Thinking about this, 30 years later, it's still hard.
For me will be 20 soon
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
I still keep in touch with her sister and brother.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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To be fair, no one has ever told me they need the money for drugs.
This space for rent
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So a few days ago, a total stranger rings our door bell. He has some sob story, saying that his girl friend has his credit card and for some reason he could not get cash out of his bank account and he has to drive to another city some 100 miles away. Could I help him with the necessary cash to buy gas (petrol). When confronted by a total stranger whose credit cards are likely maxed out and who has no cash in the bank, and who desperately needs cash, a "likely drug user" flag goes off in my head. So I declined to help him. What would your reaction be? Would you hand him cash, knowing that you can probably kiss it goodbye?
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
Cornelius Henning wrote:
What would your reaction be
Errr...I would not have answered the door bell in first place.
Cornelius Henning wrote:
Would you hand him cash, knowing that you can probably kiss it goodbye?
Probably? You had an expectation that they might give it back some day? Sometimes I give money on the street when accosted. I had one girl approach me three times on different occasions with exactly the same story that she was out of gas. At the same location. That was a bit much for my patience.
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Hoy! I used to like Portland OR. Now you've done gone spoiled it for me! :)
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!