Unbelievable experience!!

[SkyRider]

Here is another story from the street. When I am walking behind a woman alone late at night, I cross over to the other side so she won't think she is being followed. Of course, she then crosses over to the other side of the street as well:frusty: .

 

[Spacealien2]

I used to be like you. Trying to help anyone who's in need. But as I grow old I have become jaded with humanity. No one can help everyone. At this moment I only lend a helping hand to my close circle of friends who I know would get off the ground rather than dragging me down with them.

 

[freedom3]

What a lot of people don't realize is that the homeless/poor are working. Begging/welfare is a job. An employee who was handed an apple by his/her boss would also react very negatively.

Mistake: "There but for the grace of god go I."
Correct: "He makes his/her living by portraying himself/herself as sympathetic as possible so suckers/government will give him/her free money."

 

[MRBJX]

good on you for doing something nice for someone, sorry to hear he was an ass, but poverty does foster a different mind.

 

[GPIDEAL]

OTOH, this is true too, and also what Ceiling Cat says as well.

I recall a homeless person who killed a guy with a brick in the Jane-Lawrence area after he had an altercation with that passerby when he was looking for a handout.

I have my own story. Once, a woman standing in the shadows outside an ATM startled me when she said hello.

It was a cool night and I asked her if she was ok. She just said she needed a taxi to get home. I asked her where she lived, and it wasn't that far. So I drove her to an apartment building about a KM + away. When I dropped her off, I gave her a $50 (she looked frail). She thanked me profusely, and wondered why I didn't ask her for a blow job. I chuckled and said 'No, I'm good thank you'. Just said good night and she left quietly.

There have been times where nut cases asked me for money with a little hostility in their voices, and I just ignored and got away from them, so you have to be careful.

Actually Jane-Bloor area.

 

[Berlin]

I keep a quote from Mother Teresa with me at ALL times:

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do it anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.
It was NEVER between you and them anyway.

That's a good one.



Live and learn , stinky. We all do.

I'm sure next time you will cope with situation like this better.

 

[Asclepius]

I was crossing Dundas at Bay one busy summer day as a stooped-over, rough looking, older woman was dragging a suitcase across in the same direction as I was going. She was having a lot of trouble pulling the suitcase over the streetcar tracks and the light was changing. Trying to be helpful, I instinctively grabbed the handle of her suitcase to pull it to the curb for her.

But, instead of accepting my help with her bag, as I expected, she screamed. It wasn't a normal scream. It was this incredibly loud, horrible, crow-like scream. It startled me and I let go of her bag. She was strangely oblivious to the traffic. To her, I was a thief and she had just driven me off.

By now the light had changed and she was in real danger, still pulling her bag. The traffic was quite aggressive and she was so small and low to the ground that the cars, distracted by each other, might not see her.

So, instead of trying to help her directly, I just stayed with her. I stood up tall, raised an arm to get signal the drivers and walked slowly beside her while she pulled her own bag. She remained oblivious to my presence, so I just walked away when she reached the curb.

It took a minimum of my time and effort and I doubt that I took much of a risk. My actions might not have mattered, or they might have. It doesn't matter. What matters is to try, even just a little bit. And when a direct approach to help, backfires, try an indirect approach.