No good deed goes unpunished. Seriously, you done good.

 

u r a nice guy

 

I share your perspective. There has been a couple of times that I felt that I may have been taken but take solace in the fact that I did something as opposed to doing nothing.

 

+1

100% correct

 

Bingo! right on the money. I'd have done the same as the op. My life is pretty good right now but it wasn't always that way. I know what it feels like to be down to my last buck or tank of gas. I'm sure I've been scammed a few times, in fact recently I gave a few bucks to an old aquaintance I hadn't seen in years, he gave me some bullshit story about why he needed the money, I knew it was crap, but I gave him the dough and wished him well. My wife gave me the "look" afterwards, but I just shrugged it off.

 

I see people everyday runnin' scams like this, and yes, they are scams.
If doubting the sincerity of one of these folks makes me an ***, so be it.

I'll help anyone with a legitimate need, but I don't care to be taken advantage of by someone too lazy to help themselves.

 

i don't give cash to individuals - cash goes to charities, they'll make better use of it and make sure it gets used for the intended purchase.

I don't know how many bums have asked me for money for "food" - I offer to buy them some food, and they either refuse - or cuss me out and then refuse.... they want cash for drugs/booze ...anything other than food. Only once when a guy asked for money for food did he take me up on it - i offered him some of my lunch from home, and he gratefully accepted so no problem if they actually want a meal, but no cash.

A news station did a story years back where they watched a "bum" panhandling at the offramp of an interstate (at the red light) - then watched him a few hours later walk up the street and get into his luxury car (believe it was a lexus) and drive off... guy was clearing something crazy like $60k or more a year it turned out (tax free of course).

I break my own rule on occasion - gave some money to an older lady trying to get metrofare back home...everybody was walking past her, myself included out of habit (lots of bums in DC), but then I thought about her and walked back to pay her way - sure wouldn't want my mom to have to stand in a crowded subway asking for a few bucks just to get home... sure, it could've been a scam, but as with the OP sometimes you do it and just leave it up to karma or whatever else is out there to decide if it was the right thing to do.

 

I've never been down on my luck on purpose, but I have hit hard times. Been laid off for 7 months now, and behind on my mortgage. But that's another story.

I hope I never have a breakdown that I can't fix out of pocket or my own skills around many of the people here. I might have to put up a mailbox there.

 

Yah...and YOU would have been one of the jerks who just rode on by...right?

 

A similar thing happened to me a long time ago...I had money when I left, but problems came up.....I spent two nights sleeping on the ground at two different rest stops....It could have been legit......I'm glad not everyone thinks like you.....