Maybe I've been in a big city for too long, but it's really heartwarming to see how many people in the wiki comments were taken in by her story and gave money to her so generously.
It's been years since I've given money to anyone on the street, and I'll never do it again. I've seen it all--the guy who stands outside Wawa all night and then goes around the corner to his car and drives home. The guy who got me to buy him a hotdog who I later found out had more than enough money to buy dinner but was saving it for heroin. The thousands of people who just need a "bus transfer" or got stranded by their boss/girlfriend/boyfriend. The kids from the suburbs who play homeless for a few hours in the morning so they can buy some Starbucks after shoplifting all afternoon.
Anyway, I gave up on listening to people asking for money. All they get out of me is "sorry, no cash." It's nice to see others are more hopeful.
The only time I've given money to someone on the street he gave me a lengthy story which boiled down to "I just got into town and I need $5 to stay at the hostel down the street". (I was aware that such a hostel existed.)
I wouldn't have believed him except that he said "I figure that if I can get 20 people to give me a quarter each..." -- I figured that a scammer wouldn't have concocted such a complicated story just to ask for $0.25.
So I gave him the $5 he said he needed, and the look of shocked surprise on his face -- and his effusive thanks -- convinced me that I was right to believe him.
I used to be that way, but now I just don't worry about it. $10 to buy someone some food at Taco Bell isn't going to break me, and there's a chance it will help someone, so why lose sleep over it?
It's been years since I've given money to anyone on the street, and I'll never do it again. I've seen it all--the guy who stands outside Wawa all night and then goes around the corner to his car and drives home. The guy who got me to buy him a hotdog who I later found out had more than enough money to buy dinner but was saving it for heroin. The thousands of people who just need a "bus transfer" or got stranded by their boss/girlfriend/boyfriend. The kids from the suburbs who play homeless for a few hours in the morning so they can buy some Starbucks after shoplifting all afternoon.
Anyway, I gave up on listening to people asking for money. All they get out of me is "sorry, no cash." It's nice to see others are more hopeful.