What do you do if you see an old man sitting at your gate for hours?

right and it is better to be cautious most of the time than to make a mistakes which in the end would be full of regrets for being kind has its limit too as it is better to be active in selecting a few person to be trusted then discard the rubbish one..

Yes, under the above circumstances, I wouldn't allow anyone to come inside the house, although I would give him food and drink,too. It would be different with someone younger. The old man didn't ask to get inside the house, we were the ones offering him to do so. It would have been different if he was the one asking to stay inside. That would have placed him under a cloud of suspicion already.

Hi, darkmarixx. We are in the same country. Yes, we observed him all the time. He was just seated in the sala and in a few minutes dosed off. He was too tired. Thanks for your suggestion. We have confirmed that he was indeed coming for his son who is our friend who lives across our house.

Yes, you are right. We were all home at that time and I wouldn't invite someone to get inside the house if I were alone. Maybe, I will still give him something to eat at the gate. Thanks!

Yes, I know what you mean. I have always been cautious and careful about people and events in my surroundings because of a difficult and unfortunate incident in the past. I was cautious about this thing with the old man and I was not alone in the house at that time. I felt for him and saw he was really tired and hungry. When our house helper saw him to the gate and on the house across us, the son thanked us for treating his father kindly. It just felt good.

All 6 of us were in the house at that time and I wouldn't let anybody in if I were alone. He was too tired and a few minutes when he sat down, he felt asleep. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for your opinion. I will consider your suggestion should someone suspicious will be at the gate for hours. Thanks!

I am glad that you also would feel for him. He actually has a home and was only visiting his son (whom we only know by face). It was very untimely that he arrived when there was nobody at the apartment where his son arrived. The apartment where the son lives is located along the road and doesn't have much space for someone to stay outside. So, he sat on a stone just outside our gate. As I went inside the house, I was told that the old man had been there for some three hours already. We immediately gave him water and bread. Then, after we had supper, I remembered about the old man (our house is quite far from our gate) and asked our helper to check if he was still there. It was sad to know that he was still there seated on a stone. With so much prodding, he consented to go inside the house all because it began to rain. We gave him supper and he had to wait for his son till a few more hours. He was not taking advantage. I just trusted him immediately because he was so frail, tired and hungry. He even dosed off while he sat in our living room. It always feels good to help anybody in need.

I thought he must be very tired sitting on a stone without a back rest. I told our helper to invite him inside the house. The house helper came back saying the old man said he was alright there. I insisted to bring him a chair with back rest and bread and water to eat. The house helper kept him company at the gate and they only came inside the house because it rained. He had supper after so much prodding. He was really in a pitiful sight. I remembered my own father whom we lost last year.

I know what you mean. If there is anyone who would be cautious in any situation as can be, that would be me. I had been in a very difficult life-threatening situation and had been very wary of my surroundings. I can sense the "legitimacy" of the old man's presence in our gate that was why I offered food and a few hours' stay in the house. Immediately after what happened to me, I suspect anyone who even stares at me and more so, if I notice someone taking time near our gate. In one of those circumstances, I had even requested a police patrol car to come to the house and investigate a car who was parking near our gate for hours. I suspected he could be "observing" us from outside. This was a different case with the old man. Thanks!

It's a normal feeling to be scared because they are strangers. He was frail and tired and I suspect he can't even run far if he tries to do any harm to us, lol. All he did inside was sit and dosed off in just a few minutes.