Fail (Or: I am not a Good Samaritan)

[funnel101]

Drove past a hitchhiker, didn't stop to pick him up. I know there are tons of safety reasons not to do that, especially for a woman alone in a car who's physically incapable of defending herself, but what it boils down to is that I didn't help someone who needed help. I drove right by

Comments

[mareserinitatis]

I have tried offering pan-handlers food. They usually do not want it.

When all the flooding was going on up here, some guys went around and asked some of the panhandlers if they would come to help dike. The salvation army was feeding all of the volunteers. All of them refused.

I think most panhandlers/homeless need help, but it's not the kind of help that a handout will fix. Also, when I lived in CA, I was told not to give money to panhandlers. Many of them have drug/alcohol problems, and giving them money just feeds their addiction.

[marzipan_pig]

I've never had someone not take food I'd offered

[sageincave]

I have also given food and had it accepted.

Here people often hit me up for bus fare. Sometimes it's for real, sometimes not.

I sometimes am secretly relieved when I'm not carrying cash, so I really *can't* give. :I

[greyorm]

Once, years and years ago, I was in Duluth and there was a homeless man on the street, begging for change for food. I think I gave him some of the change I had, but just a little while before, someone else I was talking mentioned the homeless shelter and soup kitchen in the area. Stupidly, I never mentioned the shelter or kitchen to man and didn't think of it until much later.

I felt really horrid about it, like I'd missed an opportunity to help that had been provided to me. I'd failed another human being. I still feel pretty bad about it.

[sageincave]

An old woman in the drug store asked me to help her. When I went over, she wanted me to buy her some laundry detergent. I said I couldn't help her. That was totally not true.

She probably had serious $$ problems and asked because I looked like a kind person. I wasn't kind enough. I said no automatically, it was a kneejerk reaction. I should have been more connected to her and at least made a choice. It was the cheapest detergent in the store - only $3.

I've always regretting walking away that day. And since then I've more than once given money to people who are 99% likely faking distress out of guilt, and fear that maybe I am judging them wrongly

Hmmmm! This is a valid question

[fullyjoyfull]

I give whenever I have it. I have even given my to so many, that I had nothing left for myself