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I gave money to a guy begging in front of a gas station and holding a gas can.
Before I drove off, I saw him walking out of the convenience store with a brown bag (at the time - the way malt liquor was purchased and carried) and no gas can.
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That guy is seriously industrious.
You know where the gas can was?
The next guy had it and he was acting out his drama now. 
"All the world's a stage." ~The Bard
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My wife used to say if there was a beggar around, he would find me.
I used to help a lot of folks, just because I could. I've since learned to give to specific charities instead of guys on the street. Now if someone wants money, I can offer to help them by directing to said charity.
If learned a lot of people don't really want help!
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Pualee wrote: learned a lot of people don't really want help!
Yes and it is unfortunate. I (and many others) have learned the same thing.
Here's another story.
When I was 20 I went to a Music College right in Boston -- in the middle of the city.
One time I went into the Store 24 and there was another music student in there.
We happened to walk out at the same time and the student (who obviously had some kind of problem) pulls a sub sandwich out of his shirt and says, "I don't know why but I just stole this sandwich. I'm not even hungry."
I had no words.
Then there was a beggar to our left who said, "Change? Any money?"
The music student said, "Hey, you want this sub?" and he tossed it to the beggar.
The beggar caught it, threw it onto the sidewalk and said, "Give me money. I don't want your f#@!ing food."
Quite educational.
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Cornelius Henning wrote: What would your reaction be?
I would not give him anything. I would tell him to leave or I would call the police.
If I were JSOP, then I would shoot him where he stood for trespassing....or something like that. 
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Quote: Would you give cash to this fellow?
It depends on how heavily he is armed.
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No I would not help him.
I have helped people knowing that I would not get it back but someone coming to my door asking for money...NO!
Someone's therapist knows all about you!
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This happened at my house on Christmas eve around 11pm. Got the late night knock, guessing he could see by the lights that we were up and about. Gave him some money "for gas" and wished him a happy holiday. I was too tired to validate his claims, and worried about the stuff sitting out after we went to bed.
Hogan
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Yes on a few occasions and only one outright negative experience:
I was taking a walk during lunch.
A car pulls up and in it are a middle aged man with a young family.
The man opens the door, steps out and in an Irish accent tells me his wife and children have not eaten, cue the big doughy moist eyed act from the young woman and children.
So I dig in my pocket thinking I want to be rid of this chap.
I give him £1 after feeling a £5 note in my pocket. He looks at me and as though psychic says "Come on you can do better than that!"
I lie and tell him that's all I have, walking away fairly quickly thinking that was a lucky escape.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Something very similar happened to me at the central train station. A guy with a suitcase asked me for money. He claimed to have fallen asleep in a train, missed the station he wanted to get out and slept all the way to Munich, where he was woken up by the train's conductor and fined for having no valid ticket.
Poor sob. He wanted cash, nothing else. Perhaps we can go over there and buy you a ticket? No? Why? You know what? Let's go over to the police office. They will help you when you are stranded.
Suddently he had something important to do - somewhere in the opposite direction. A few months later, same place, he comes and tells me the very same story. This time I needed only two words to send him running: "What, again?"
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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You should take a photo and go to the police. 
Press F1 for help or google it.
Greetings from Germany
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I have not seen him since. Still, I don't want to turn my back on people who really need help.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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in todays world any buddie of him could send him money like per Paypal. And if his friends wont help him, I would guess for good reasons.
Normally it is scam. Offline scam 
Press F1 for help or google it.
Greetings from Germany
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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.
modified 20-Oct-19 21:02pm.
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No, not like that.
This is a known scam and he/she will continue doing that to other people.
I'd rather be phishing!
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Not a ssssingle coin. There are too many con-men and other kind of unsavory people who do this kind of activity daily (seriously, you can't walk the two central main streets in my city withouth being stopped and/or harassed at least 4 or 5 times by evident drug users, with so much as pens to sale "to help orphans" or similar bullsh*t).
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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back a few years in vegas (freemont st) some homeless type girl (20+) comes up to me and asks for a cigarette, so I gave her one.
I keep walking but along she comes, wouldn't stop yapping, story about how nice I was and what other people have said blah blah.
I offered her the pack if she would stop talking to me and go away.
it worked!
they were duty free; pack cost just over $1... and I had bought the wrong sort anyway
Installing Signature...
Do not switch off your computer.
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People never ask me for money... I must have one of those faces... 
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Quote: I must have one of those faces
Ahoy friend! Clue me in! I need one of them faces! 
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
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I was in Bath City Centre a couple of months ago and this guy was shouting 'Big Tissue' too everyone at the top of his voice. Everybody was just walking past him and ignoring him. So I proceeded to give him a 'biggish' tissue, in fact the only one I had. Judging by the fact he through it back at me I guess it wasnt big enough. I also understand why everyone was ignoring him.
(I'm ashamed to admit I actually did thus, but hey ho I get in some states sometimes).
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That story sounds very fishy to me. He has to drive 100 miles to get some money? I doubt it. The part about ringing your door bell is rather annoying too. That is highly unlikely to happen to me but, still, that story is just too weird for me. I wouldn't get involved. I might give him sack of cans to redeem and that's about it.
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It's a scam intended to prey upon good-hearted people. It happens a lot in grocery store parking lots too. So if you want to be scammed, then by all means go for it.
Jeremy Falcon
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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" 
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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It's a scam and a very old one.
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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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