WOW, am I a sucker...

[kscatlady]

I went out with my sis and some friends, two separate cars. We get to our destination before the other car and this maroon monte carlo pulls up. This lady, obviously doesn't have too much money gets out and tells us she needs money for gas to get across town to pick up her daughter. She's almost out of gas, blah blah blah! I immediately reach in my purse for cash, so do two other people in the car that have cash, we give her about twenty dollars total. Then she zooms off. Our other people show up we tell them what happened. My friend says, "Was she in an old monte carlo?"

"Yes."

"She needed money to pick up her daughter?"

"YES!"

"Yeah, she did that to us last month."

UGH! We go in and tell the security guard, he says "She's back?!" and kind of scolds us. He says she uses the money for meth!

I just supported someone's meth habit!!!!!!!

[DaniMarie]

Oh goodness.... don't be too hard on yourself!!!

You have a big heart and so do your friends.

I have a tendency to give money when I have it as well, but usually to people on the street...or young people asking for train money (which I come across a lot in Boston as kids run out of money and can't get back to where they came from, so we have bought train tickets for kids after theater shows).

If someone bombarded me with a sob story, and especially if I were with my girlfriends...I have a feeling we would all give in.

It's interesting that this lady pulls this scam at the same spot all the time. Must be very successful. Addiction is a horrible disease.

[carolinalima]

It happens.... That's something I learned a while back... When someone asks me for gas, or for food, I actually go into the store and buy for them...
But don't feel bad... You did it from the goodness of your heart. You are not a sucker - just a good person

[Nekomania]

Live and learn I guess.

I don't give money to strangers just because of people like that.

[farleyv]

Ditto Nekomania. Used to be a softie, but not anymore. Just jaded I guess.

[MonaxLisa]

Uggg, some people!

[kscatlady]

I was thinking about it, and I'm not really sorry. I'm sorry I helped her buy drugs. But maybe someday, taking advantage of the kindness of strangers will get to her and help her to stop.

Also, I would rather accidentally help the wrong person, then accidentally NOT help a person who does need it.

[Nes]

At least she's not stealing or hurting anyone to get the money, think of it that way.

[krazy kat2]

Don't feel bad. I am constantly being hit on for money, and usually give something. Like someone else said, I would rather help the wrong person sometimes than turn down someone that really needs it.

[Natalie_ca]

I never give money to strangers anymore because you just don't know what they are going to do with it.

Earlier this year there was a guy going car to car in a parking lot of a hospital I was taking a 3 day conference. They guy had a package of cigarettes (which I saw) on him and was smoking as he was asking around. I told him that I wasn't going to help him support his cigarette habit!

There are other times where I found out that the money I was giving wasn't going to food/clothing/bus.

Now if I see someone asking for money, if I have time I will physically take them into a restaurant and buy them a meal and pay for an extra cup of coffee or 2 if they charge for refills. If they say it's for the bus, I tell them to hang around and I'll pay their fare once the bus arrives. But I don't just hand out cash anymore.