Would You Help A Stranger?

preethanju!Did you forget that you are a man too?Earlier in another post about being considerate you have told that you will not be considerate towards old men at all.Why this hatred towards men?Will you be helping the girl alone in that couple?Strange!

They are a couple. Would you stop and help the woman and not help the man? how would you do that? Just curious? So I am guessing that your answer, because she has a boyfriend, would be that you would drive by them and not help. If he hid and she was alone...you would in fact help??

Yes if he didnt look like he was going to kill me lol

You know men cheat more then woman...How do you know this? Is it because you cheat more then your lady friends? I "think" woman are more manipulative then men. This does not mean I should help them.

Even if they are dressing up like that to what...take advantage of your generosity and really they live in a mansion in downtown LA or something...They must still need the money more then I do if they go through that much trouble to get some.

I would give them food, and offer to help get their car repaired, or fuel if the car was fine. I never give "money" to strangers or beggars. I help them all the time, I use the TOOL we call money, to buy things for them. Usually food, if they refuse to accept food, then they do not really need help.

Cheers.

I totally agree with you CJscott...the tool money is to buy us something to help others we have to find exactly what they need and try to fulfil their need to an extent and if it is in our perview and not to blindly trust people and give them money just to mis-appropirate the same. It is as good as encouraging strangers and way farers to just start stealing others if they thus get addicted for easy money.

Great points CJ. I have often given money to people and later discovered that it went to enable a habit of theirs or something.....not always. I actually not long ago bought one beer for a seemingly desperate lady. I stressed afterwards if I maybe had done wrong in that. The addicts are people too. I have such a hard time walking away from someone asking for my help. Someone mentioned the scammers that use the money they beg off of people to fatten their bank accounts & the ones that use kids to do their begging.....now that angers me so much more than the addicts. You know that saying...hate the addiction but love the addict. tough call, isn't it?

hi there advokatku,

Oh yes...of course we helped them. We went and got them some lunch and brought it to them. I hope it helped them out. They seemed happy with it.

Well, they were travelling quite a distance from home. I know this because I checked the license plate. I did not look at it as they were being lazy. They were very young and maybe just didn't plan well enough for their trip. I don't really know. I did not ask them questions.

I do know what you mean. I don't stop for hitchhikers unless I know them or anything like that. These kids were in walmart parking lot. It was very busy. It was not like they were on a remote road somewhere or anything like that. I am pretty sure that they were not out to harm anyone. They just looked very tired.

Oh...I bet you'd get a lot, Andalond. I can't imagine driving by a woman with 5 kids. Ok on a serious not...these kids were actually traveling. Their car was packed up with clothes and things.

I have seen cars packed like you said with things on the top. I think the best thing that you did was buy them food. People nowadays use all kinds of gimmicks to get money that it is hard to determine who really needs things. Our neighbour down the street I encountered at a local market crying to people saying her family member is stuck in a nearby city and has no way of getting home. Actually crying, sobbing, etc.... but she always does that because she has a drug habit. A woman gave her five bucks. She went to the local churches telling the same story and they even did an offering for her.

Oh that is horrible. We had a woman once outside the store that I work at begging every customer for money claiming to be hungry. Once she got enough, she came in and bought beer. The police finally put a stop to her. Thing is, the drug addicts are just as desperate as the hungry people.

Talking about drugs and hitchhikers and people stranded on the roads and car parks and outside supermarkets asking money for various reasons...Let me narrate a small incident which is exemplary..." It all started on a hot sunny day when two people in a desert were travelling in the land of Arabs (Saudi Arabia) where drugs is taboo and persons possecing the same are punished by beheading them. On the way they met this two strangers possesing some drugs who wanted a lift to the nearest place where there is civilization and on reaching the destination the got down from the car and they left some drugs in the car without the knowledge of the person who gave them a lift to help them and unfortunately he was arrested on the tip of information that he was carrying drugs. He was arrested and given the judgement to be beheaded. "
So the moral of this incident is if you do good to strangers it might turn out to be very bad sometimes, and one may have to pay with his life for helping strangers.

I know what you mean. It is so hard to know when to give a hand and when it is best to keep on going. I have read so many horror stories like you described. I don't put myself in situations to be alone with people that I don't know although I did when I was younger. I don't pick up strangers on the road. I don't stop and help anyone in a secluded spot. If they appear to be stranded, I will call the police to go check and see if they need help. It is sad that we have to be this way but we really do.

Hi there,

That is exactly what we did. We went and bought them some lunch and something to drink. It was very hot and they did look exhausted. I didn't try to guess their situation. If it were my kids...i'd really want someone to help them out.

You have done a nice thing.They would have appreciated and grateful for your timely help.Feeding a hungry stomach is a godly or motherly thing to do.And hats off to your thinking towards how your kids should act in such situations.We have to train them like that to be good humans.Cheers!

Exactly Jathop! I would not enable someone if I knew for certain that is what I was doing. These people really looked as if they needed some help. Their license plate told me that they were indeed traveling. Their car was packed to the max of personal belongings.

Yes Jathop paying it forward. I try to help when I can and I have been helped before and it brought tears to me eyes. Despite the world and the doubts of many there are still good people out there that are willing to help others and I am grateful for what help I have gotten and the joy I have felt when I could do for someone else.

I would really like to point out to you, that yes you want to do whats best for them, but some towns do not have those sorts of resources, and not all of those resources take everyone in, my family was homeless when I was a little girl and we lived in a town that had none of those resources, so we had no choice but to collect cans and make due with whatever we could. My parents never asked for money, the reason was that we lived in a snobby town where people where cruel if you even asked. I know that you have the best intentions in mind, but not everyone falls into the same category, if my family had lived in a town that had kind people, then maybe I would have had decent meals from time to time while we were homeless. You just need to really know their story first.

Hi there roberten,

I understand your stance on this. I work too hard for my money to just hand it over to someone else's bank account. We actually don't have many panhandlers in my area. It is rare that we see signs like this. There are many homeless but they don't usually stand around asking for help. Spicey has a good point also...not all have the same situation. As for these people, I saw their license plate...they were a long ways from home. Our local agencies only help residents who have a legal address. Maybe the soup kitchen would have given them a meal. I didn't think of that but it was Sunday...not sure if they were even open. Thank you, Roberten, for your insight and input.

spicysweetie21, no one knows homelessness more than I. I have spent many days living in a vehicle or in a motel or in a house without utilities or running water with three small children to care for. Yes, I collected cans and anything else I could recycle. I walked parking lots and searched the streets for loose change. I stood in food lines, sometimes having to listen to preaching before I would be given the leftover groceries, some which were barely or not edible at all. I walked miles to ask for a donation of clothing and household goods to the care of my wee ones. I was turned down again, and again, and again for public assistance; I did not seem poor enough to be helped. I met many good people who were just getting by like me and a few who were taking advantage of the system set up to help the helpless.

That panhandler that I mentioned with the sign about needing a beer, his street name was Steve and I considered him a friend. He did not have to live on the streets, he chose to. So, spicy, I do not need to be educated on being down and out since I have real life experience in the matter. I know that once you get down, it is terrible difficult to get up-especially with children in tow. Some never make it out no matter how hard they try or how deserving they may be. I get it; I've lived it.

I found the way out of poverty was to educate my children and help them achieve personal and professional success and I have succeeded at that goal. I never panhandled on the streets but have some friends and even more acquaintance who have. I have been exposed to this lifestyle from all directions personally and professionally. My practices dealing with panhandlers is more than just my opinion, it is a result of my life and having been without myself. I know what you can do to get by. I have picked up old vegetables off the street and planted their seeds so my family could eat. I know the pain of going to bed hungry, thirty, dirty, smelly; I know it all, and knowing what I know, I still would not give cash money to anyone panhandling unless I am prompted to do otherwise. I will take them out to eat if they are hungry, but them clothing if needed, etc., etc., but I will not put money in the hands of anyone I feel will do themselves harm by having cash. I have paid for a room for "Mr. George" and have discoounted them for countless others. I am not hard or heartless, I am realistic about what really happens on the street. No one is more helpful than I when it comes to helping people in need but I try not to help keep people in their mess by feeding their addictions.

So before you judge me, spicy, you should know that I too have walked in similiar shoes. May you never be as unlucky.

You have a sad story but some good came from it as you are a very compassionate and caring person. I'm the same way...I don't ask a lot of questions or try to judge what the reasons are for their situation. I know that every story is different. I just try to help out what I can. It only takes one bad set of circumstances and any of us could end up on the street. Thank you for your insight, spicy!

Hi riezen,
It is good that you want to help the disabled and elderly. Still, lets not forget that some men are asking for help, not because they don't want to work but maybe they can't find work. I don't usually ask questions of these people but if I am able to help in any way, I usually do. I don't assume that most are out there just to scam people out of a buck although I know some are.