Would u give $1 to able-bodied men who says they need $ to take MRT (they ask u for $, not trying to borrow from you)

[Chucky2007]

Hi, in recent months in singapore, i have been encountering strangers stopping me and asking me for spare coins.

 

Their reason they gave is that they are short of $ to take bus or mrt. They simply ask "excuse me, i need some $ to take mrt, i am short of some, can u give me some coins?"

 

i am sure sometimes we may be stuck in this situation, i can imagine myself forgetting to bring wallet and short of coins and may need help. If i am to approach a complete stranger, i will be asking him for a loan, get his contact number. Be it 20cents or $1 and will definitely pay back the amount. If the strangers are really kind and generous, they may tell me to keep it, no need pay back etc. but those that i met are well bodied, mature middle age men. they simply expect me to give them $$. What's the difference between throwing away self-dignity and begging for $ in these cases? and trust me.. i have been in that situation once. i tried to borrow $1 from a guy and insist that i want to pay him back and he simply smile and say its ok and walk away, leaving me feeling grateful.

 

in the 90s when i am a student, i was always super broke, ever lived on bread for days, and having not enough to take bus. There was once i only have less than $2, i boarded an SBS bus from clementi mrt, heading towards Bendemeer to meet a classmate to borrow $20 to tide over. then when i reach orchard, a bus inspector came onboard (i paid the minimum fare, as not enuf $ for next ride), i have to get down and i dun have enough to take the next bus to my friend's house. i got stuck in orchard at 1030pm!. the only option is to walk to bendemeer, call him hoping he can come to my rescue, or ask strangers for $. i chose to walk and after some distance, i decided to call him for help. Thank god he is going out for supper with his dad (and they are driving), they drove to orchard to pass me the $ but i was so embarassed but i was grateful.

 

i seriously hope those men that i have met are frauds, who simply cook up some lies to earn $, rather than those who throw away their dignity and beg for $. If their case is genuine, shouldn they be calling whatever help they can find like calling family and friends 1st rather than asking for spare coins and simply do not expect to return?

 

i am pretty disturbed by these encounters.. if those guys come up to me and tried to borrow some $1-2 from me, i would gladly help them and wouldn't expect them to return the $$, i believe what kindness others have shown to me, i should show them to others. but they are simply asking me to give them the $$ which is against my principle. i would give $$ to real beggers, disabled, unfortunate etc but not abled-bodied men.

 

have u guys encountered this before and what would u do?

[Porker]

My friend asked the dude (who asked for money to get to AMK from Orchard) to run after bus 132 cos thats where its headed. Mighty good answer if you ask me.

 

Its not easy to distinguish between real beggars and fraudsters so use your experience to judge.

 

Kindness to the wrong people/situation does more evil.

[Shorty]

i've been asked a few times.but so far kena from old ppl.jus a few days back,while walking at my void deck returning home, came across dis 2 small kids.mayb 1 is 5yrs old n de other 6 yrs old.should b siblings.when i was approaching them, they nonchalantly asked me..."got $2?"..i was taken aback.dis kids,dressed well,one eating a candy floss,asking me for $2 like she knows me very well.

 

den i said..."don hv...go ask ur mother la".i know i sound cruel...but i nvr like ppl begging or asking for money.den she answered..."don hv mother...only left 2 of us only"... i dunno wat to say sia.dunno she bluff or real.how can 2 small kids live on their own rite?some more well dressed...

[Simplyme]

i will help tat person pay leh ... saw sm1 late for wrk/sch den no coins for bus ezlink card no $ i jus pay for her... cos if is me i late liao no money take bus i sure hope ppl will help me.... tat ger din even say thx

[Guyver]

Very simple ....

 

If they asked for $$ for a bus/train ticket ...

 

I'll tell them that I'll go with them to the MRT station and buy the ticket by making up the shortfall for them there and then.

 

Normally .... if you insist all the way ... they'll give up.

 

Because what they actually want is ... money.

[RadX]

How come no one approach me ah.....

 

even those selling flag dun dare approach me..

[Kwchan]

i am pretty disturbed by these encounters.. if those guys come up to me and tried to borrow some $1-2 from me, i would gladly help them and wouldn't expect them to return the $$, i believe what kindness others have shown to me, i should show them to others.

 

i encountered the same guy TWICE at city hall, using the same excuse that he got not enough $$ to take MRT

 

so the first time i gave him my lose coins (close to $2 altogether), but he said not enough and ask me for $20 , i said dun have but he still ask me to give some more.

 

obviously he was lying, he was well-dressed/groomed and yet going around asking for $

 

I bumped into him the 2nd time, but i just ignored him

[Beei]

i will do what guyver do..

if ask for money for MRT, i buy the ticket for them..

if ask for money to buy food, i buy for them..

 

but i will not give them any money.. not even 1 sen..

[Silver_blade]

I would not even consider at all..no way that I'm going to give them.

 

I would have done that if I'm still in my teens. Since then, I've come to realise that giving them $$...is not really helping them at all.

 

I have people coming to me asking for $$$ for meal and transport, etc... But on some occasions when I offer to buy them lunch or offer to drive them to their destination (instead of giving them $$$)....none has accepted.

Edited December 7, 2007 by Silver_blade

[Smiley]

prices are going up up and up. life is hard fr everyone. i dun trust these people.

[Typhoonz]

You have the menacing look mah...

[RadX]

my face like ppl owe me $$$ one

[Typhoonz]

I'll probably give if I have some spare coins...

[Typhoonz]

Actually it's more like "Ask me and I'll break your face" look...

[Keppy]

A few yrs back kena 1 old ah ma at ECP behind mac that stretch at 12plus midnight asking for $2 say she no hse stay no food..Best is she was wearing damn thick white makeup with SQ red lipstick (look like ghost actually) and I gave her and walked away.... abt 20mins later saw her outside mac counting her notes and its 1 stack!!!!!!

 

 

Another time at amk mrt again a old old ah ma asking ppl for $5 to take cab home cos her leg very pain but ppl jus ignored her, she loooked like she in pain too limping and hunch n very frail looking.. gave her $5 and left.. she was behind me walking very slowly towards the taxi stand waved to a guy also old but not as frail looking saying "got liow got liow" in hokkien... This time shake head.. dont know what to say...

 

 

sometimes very gek sim cos know kena cheated... but alway think no choice who knows one day I might need ppls help too... end up ...

[Wry85]

Something similar happened to me. That time i was at the busstop when a young kid asked me for 30cents cos he short of 30cents to take a bus home, and i gave it to him. I think there is no reason for him to cheat me of 30cents.

 

There was another instance when i was on my way to sch for my exam. There was this lok kok dirty looking auntie going from passenger to passenger in the fully-packed bus asking for $2 fr each passenger. When she asked me i told her no v loudly. I also scared that she touch me or tap my shoulder when she was approaching me, cos i scared she pass all her bad luck to me and I'll perform badly for my exam.

[Togas]

If an able-bodied man ask for $ to take train from Orchard to Redhill.. I will in turn tell him after I gave him the $, I need to borrow $ from him to take train from Orchard to Jurong..

 

Likewise.. nowadays if I encountered flag raising or donation drive while eating at hawker or walking.. I will ask fund-raiser to get $ from the ga-ment.. they very rich why need my few coins? Afterall all charitiable organisation get $$ from ga-ment not enough is the responsibility of ga-ment why keep so much behind.. 1% lo can save millions..

[Nkps]

How come no one approach me ah.....

 

even those selling flag dun dare approach me..

 

they either know:

 

1) you are male geisha, money hard to made or

2) you sell coffin, suey lah tok to undertaker...