Story has nothing to do with signs.

[threeputt]

So Saturday I'm having coffee with my guys at Starbucks. (there's six to eight of us who drift in and out, after chatting for a while anywhere from 6am to 8am)

We're all about my age and quite capable of solving all the world's problems before we go about our usual Saturday chores.

So anyway, I leave the group and as I'm walking to my truck, this guy sidles up in his car, rolls down the window and says, "hello, do you think you can help me?"

I give it the once over, he's about 40, by himself, dressed in a coat and tie, driving a new vehicle.

I mosey over and he says that he's on his way to a wedding in Tacoma (about 100 miles north) coming from Portland (about 50 miles south) and just realized he doesn't have his wallet with him. And his car is nearly out of gas.

Well as scammers come and go, this one doesn't quite fit the mold. I open my wallet and then remember I don't have any cash because I used my debit card on this particular morning. He says, "oh well, hey thanks anyway".

I then remember my good ol' buddies sitting inside and say "hey, wait a minute, I can go inside and introduce you to some pretty good guys and we'll thing of something".

So he comes in and I quickly relate the story. He talks with them for a few seconds and two of them give him ten bucks each.

He's grateful and asks by the way, if any of us need a broker. I thought that was a bit odd, but he looks the part believe me. (nice clothes, expensive shoes, etc.)

Well he leaves and the guys are talking "good samaritan", "pay it forward" etc.

What do you all think?

 

[Bigdawg]

I am personally a firm believer in pay it forward... good karma will come to all of you! Good for you guys!

 

[jayhawksigns]

We had something similar happen, though the guys wasn't dressed nice, was walking down the street, and seemed far less believable.

I'm a Scoutmaster for a local Troop and one night a guy came up to us after the meeting and gave us a line about needing to get bus fare to make it to some other city to see his dying mother. I think that someone might of given him a little bit of money and he left. About a month later he was back, with the same story. Apparently didn't realize that I was one of the people he told the exact same story too a month earlier. Ended up calling the police (don't know the guy and there are kids around) and apparently they had been looking for him for complaints of harassment.

You want to help people and do the right thing but when you run into the few like this guy you start to get less wanting to help because you just don't know.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

In these hard times I don't trust anybody anymore.

 

[Marlene]

I am so a person who wants to believe the world is full of wonderful people (you and your friends are) but I question this as if he really did need money and just didn't have it with him, you would think he would consider it a loan from friendly strangers and would make sure it got back to you. either way, what you did was great. you trusted in a stranger's story and helped him out. that is nice and it helps people like me continue to believe in the good in this world.

 

[Gino]

Ya know, I'm the same way. I've gotten to the point though, I can't always tell if I should or shouldn't trust someone. It doesn't matter what clothes they're wearing, but...... what is in their voice and eyes. This kinda stuff has happened quite a bit to me and my wife. It even happens with friends and then it really becomes sticky.

I'm glad to hear happy endings to these kinda stories.

It's the ones around my town, if someone comes up to you..... ya better have your gun ready. And I ain't kiddin'.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

We had something similar happen, though the guys wasn't dressed nice, was walking down the street, and seemed far less believable.

I'm a Scoutmaster for a local Troop and one night a guy came up to us after the meeting and gave us a line about needing to get bus fare to make it to some other city to see his dying mother. I think that someone might of given him a little bit of money and he left. About a month later he was back, with the same story. Apparently didn't realize that I was one of the people he told the exact same story too a month earlier. Ended up calling the police (don't know the guy and there are kids around) and apparently they had been looking for him for complaints of harassment.

You want to help people and do the right thing but when you run into the few like this guy you start to get less wanting to help because you just don't know.

this one's a classic. I rode public transit for 3 year in Dallas and got the going to visit someone dying story all of the time, even daily from a couple people. The best thing I learned was when was asked for bus fare, to tell them to keep their 50 cents or whatever and I'd do them one better by giving them my day pass if I was home for the day, I came to love the look of hope upon the "I'll do you better" then the disappointment that followed when I gave them what they claimed they ultimately wanted.

When I worked in food service I would actually take a sandwich to give to people who "just need a dollar or two to eat", I only had 2 people seem to appreciate it over the 9 months I did it.

Its shame we have to skeptical of people asking for help.

 

[threeputt]

Ya know, I'm the same way. I've gotten to the point though, I can't always tell if I should or shouldn't trust someone.

Yeah, and that's the point. You really can't "KNOW" it's just one of those gut things.

Believe me I'm approached all the times at malls, box stores and the like with some doe-eyed girl saying she's out of gas, can I help her make it to the next town, whatever. (I must look like a chump)

Usually you get a pretty good read on these people, and decline.

 

[Sign Up Graphics]

Sign Up Graphics

Nice happy ending!

 

[Mike F]

Nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you've personally helped someone out who really needed it. Reminds of this one time I was driving home from work this past summer. I was stopped at the light at the end of the exit ramp I get off of, and there was an older guy standing in the grass median. Had a sign that said "disabled vet, need $ for food", looked the part too, old beat up camo jacket, long scraggly grey and white beard, etc., judging from his age I'm guessing he fought in Vietnam. Anyway, called him over, handed him a few bucks, stuck out my hand and shook his, looked him in the eye and said, "Thank you for your service, sir." He was already starting to say thank you when I handed him the money, but when I sorta cut him off and said that, the expression on his face looked like I just handed him a million bucks. Drove off with the best feeling I'd had in years.

 

[TheSnowman]

We had some snow here and I was out plowing, and had to fill up my truck. It's a diesel, and when you fill it, you'd better have $100 on ya. I went in to pay, and there was a lady and her dad I assume in there. The guy asked me if I was from here and I said yes, and he said "that's too bad!". I proceeded to ask him why, and he said "after 55 years of living here, this is all I have to show for it" and showed me about 45 cents in his hand.

After they used their food stamps to buy big gulps and Doritos, they were a few dollars short of getting their cigarettes. They turned to me and said "do you have a few dollars you can give us?" I looked at him and informed him that I had no dollars, and all I had was a company gas card. He wanted me to give him that, and I informed him that he must be crazy. He then asked me for whatever change I could scrounge up. Me not able to stand smoking proceeded to give him a couple dollars in change I scrounged up in my truck so he could buy his cigarettes.

He said he was 55, he looked about 75 and sounded like he was 90. I'm sure a life full of capable and good decision making got him to his $.45 at 55 years old, but it kinda ticked me off the more I thought about it that they "can't afford food" and they're at a 7/11 buying fountain drinks and doritos for like $5 each, then trying to hit me up to support their habit.

I'm a firm believer in paying it forward and helping people out who can't survive on their own and are trying...but to me, Big Gulps, Doritos, and Cigarettes don't seem to be "needs" to survive. There's been lots of times I'd have liked to splurge on that stuff, but I don't NEED it, so I save it for when it's a NEED on something.

Not sure what this rant was about...just something that happened this week that I'm trying to decide how I feel about "government assistance" and how it's able to be used.

 

[threeputt]

"after 55 years of living here, this is all I have to show for it" and showed me about 45 cents in his hand.

You could have replied, (after making a point to eye what he's buying) "well....I can see why"


I'm pretty sure he's used that "line" before on someone.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

That same father & daughter were here in Chicago last week, It's all a frickin scam

 

[TammieH]

I work part time at the mall, and you get people coming up to you all the time, with a similar sad story. If I have a buck on me I will usually give it to them, but I often wonder what would happen if I had the time... ask them to follow me to the nearby gas station.

Orrrrrrrr, should I stop being selfish with my time and arrive about a half hour earlier just in case someone needs to go to the gas station.