Being nice used to be a no-brainer

[j00licious]

I hate, hate that the world is such that I have to stop and evaluate situations before trying to do something decent.

Saw a "beggar" today, on the way home from the Farmer's Market. A woman with a dog (a well-fed dog), and a cardboard sign: "Just passin' thru: Outta luck and HUNGRY. Plz spare some cash. God bless!!!"

Naturally, my gut's immeadiate

Comments

[choperena]

Beggars have always ticked me off. This is because, in Mexico, scammers will go into neighboring villages, throw a bunch of farmers in a truck, and take them in to town to pimp out and beg, when they could otherwise be working their fertile lands. It is a scam, they are abused, and they don't even get to keep the money (like prostitution, without the sex). So I can't help but be bitter towards them. Also, back then, I didn't feel I had the right to give away my mother's hard earned money to someone who could be working themselves (if it was my own money, then there would be grounds to consider it). I'd rather volunteer or donate directly to causes and shelters and the such, where I know there are better tabs kept, and the fruit of my efforts will be accounted for.
/rant.

[smarriveurr]

You didn't ignore her or her dog. You made a careful evaluation and determined that this person wasn't actually in "begging on the street" levels of need. The signs you point to, while yes, theoretically, they could all be wrong, they distinctly point to someone who is at best only recently down on their luck a bit. "Passin' Thru" there might just be backpacking around and begging to defray the costs. Or just a college kid who lost their summer job. Or a number of other even less innocent things.

[gonadsandstrife]

Point of interest: Scumby bums for change all the fucking time. Half the time he remembered me, half the time he didn't...but he always asked if I had change.

[midnightranter]

If anyone said being or doing good in this world was easy, he or she was lying. That's why we remember those who did good and did well at it.

[giftofamber]

When was that bar/bat mitzvah we wanted to go to?