again not to be a cynic but i don't agree with this. you have to be weary who and want you hand money over to. in JFK there were these folks trying to raise money for children, they were a legit organization. after 9/11 it turned out the vast majority of that money was going to terrorist orgs.

i agree i am an *******, i'm cynical, i have little to no trust or love for my fellow man at all. but that doesn't mean everyone shouldn't be a little more aware of these situations and be taken advantage of.

 

Amazing. The OP stopped and helped someone who apparently needed it, and he's a sucker because the guy he helped is a scammer, shouldn't be smoking, should know better than to get tattoed, shouldn't have piercings, etc. Sounds like he helped an old skool biker down on his luck to me. Then again, most people who post on here wouldn't consider the guy a biker unless he's riding the latest and greatest. Gotta have the Mc Mansion. And the trophy wife. And all the toys. WTF. Limited number here who know the real deal. The Harley boutique and the dealer atmosphere is relatively new. Bikers have been around a long time. And the OP did what a biker would do. Which is the way it should be.

 

I lived in Tampa Fl for a few years.
One day I went to get fuel in my truck, had a guy come up and said he just got out of the hospital a couple days ago and hadnt eaten in those two days.
I thought, yeh right, you just want some wine or something.
He said he had been shot was why he was in the hospital, I had my doubts and im sure he could tell I did.
The next thing I know he pulls up his shirt and theres a recent bullet wound, so I asked him, "do you have any problem eating roast beef?"
He said "no sir"
I told him that there was an arbys right next door, go in and order your food, sit down and start eating, if you leave without ordering and eating, ill run your **** over.
I then gave him five bucks and he went over ordered and sat down and started eating his meal, he looked out the window at me and gave me the thumbs up sign.

Came back to NC for a visit with the folks, saw a guy, looked rough, had the sign will work for food.
I didnt have any work for him to do, but me and the wife were stopping by burger king to get whopper meals, so I bought an extra one with a coke.
We stop by and I offer it to the guy, told him I was he visiting and diddnt have any work for him but wanted to help him.
He tells me "I dont eat burger king burgers"
So I say" how about the fries?"
"I dont eat fries"
I told him if you want a damn bottle be a man and just ask for one!
The one that looked like he needed help was a scam and the one that diddnt look like he needed help did.
Moral of this long story is you cant judge a book by its cover.
Good job OP, you will be rewarded for you deed, even if the guy did scam you, its what was in your heart to help a fellow you felt was in need.

 

Thanks for helping him out. The fact his bolts where sheared, he defintely was gonna need a tow, just wondering how he was gonna get it fixed if he had no money...

Wife and I were on the bike headed to son's in NC. We stopped for gas and some woman with her daughters were begging for money to everyone there because there debit card got lost. Well I asked how far they had to go, and put enough in their gas tank to get them there and some. What upset me was another gentlemen came out and gave the woman some cash and she thanked and blessed him and shoved the 20's in her bra strap. That just blew me away she accepted charity once she had already gotten the help she "needed". That just ruined it for the next person that asks me for help, as I will be less likely to be charitable.

Regardless, hope that guy made it to where ever he was headed.

 

That screen name brought something to mind;

 

Yeh JollyRogers, That would bother me also.
Also when I lived in Tampa there were panhandlers on the street corners, not all of them but there were several areas that must have been gold mines.
There was one woman, her hair was pure white, I dont know if she dyed it or it was from the sun, but she was red from the sun, always out there on the corner begging for money.
She had a sign, 5 kids, no job, need help.
I always asked myself, were are the kids?
I mean, during a weekday I could see them being in school, but on the weekend?
Then one day I got stopped at this light and saw her walking across the parking lot across the road, she got in the drivers seat of a pretty nice car and drove off.
A guy I worked with said he was gonna quit working and panhandle, he said his buddy was raking in 5 to 7 hundread a week and didnt pay taxes and here he was working and paying taxes and only taking home a couple hundred a week.

 

Leanog, since you are in the Tampa bay area, are these people still on the corners or have they put a stop to it?
Its been 15 years or so since I lived there.

 

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Really good thing you did. Who gives a crap if the dude was legit or not. The fact you helped a fellow human out says a lot about your upbringing and character.

 

At the end of the day each of us is going to do what feels right. I've helped out lots of people and walked away wondering if I just got scammed. Thought about it a minute and was satisfied knowing that I did what I thought was right at that time. If I got ripped off then it's on them - not on me. Shame on them if that s the way it is. In no case shame on me. If I reach out and help someone I don't lose anything.