MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you give a stranger £3?

loveheartz_2

I always get approached, I just look soft. Before reading the replies I would have done so without thinking about it, if I had it on me.

Many ticket inspectors are absolute !!!!!!, who would charge a genuine non-scammer a penalty fare (even when you go to find them on the train to buy a ticket), and just tell others (who would probably jump off the train or just give false details) to get off. I would much rather ask a stranger for money if I was stranded than beg staff at a railway station.

That being said, there's always someone who's soft enough to give money (whether or not it is a scam), so from now on I'll try to be stronger, and certainly think twice before even removing my purse from my bag.

Thanks for making me think!

clouds21

My initial reaction is "it depends". I live in London and see these scams every day, they're not even particularly secretive about it. So, normally I would say, "sorry, I can't help you".

Last night we went for dinner in Soho and sat at the restaurant's outside tables for about 30 minutes. We were approached by 8 different blokes asking for money or cigarettes, all of them looking pretty ropey. To be honest, living in London you get quite hard-nosed which is probably not good but I don't want to subsidise their addictions and it irritates me when I am on one of my few outings which I've saved up for all month to be pestered for money for their quick fixes.

I originally come from the country and have travelled all over Europe, and have found myself in situations where kind people have helped me out with a few coins or a lift when the last train had gone. So, generally I would say "yes, I would like to help but it depends on the individual situation".

Sadly, I doubt I'd ever get my purse out in front of someone asking me for money in London, I'd find it too dangerous.

My penny's worth!

clouds21

Matty_B_3

NO - because in Birmingham where i worked this was a running scam by a well-dressed couple who did this in and around the station until the police caught up with them!!!

rainbowangel

Has to be a scam... I would never ask a stranger for money and would always either phone someone I know to help or get something paid for over the phone.

When I was younger I got caught out in a scam like this where they said they were from Birmingham and needed to get petrol to get back.

Like others have said I would purchase a ticket and if they object then they are not genuine )

queenmedusa

Bargain_seeker wrote: »

Why don't they not call a friend using reverse charges and get them to pick them up? And if they make a story up about an emergency and that they can't wait to be picked up, distrust them all the more!

Interesting comment as you're making an assumption that everyone has someone they can call. I do have sympathy that this has happened to you though

If it happened to me locally I may help out as this isn't the kind of area where it's likely to happen although I'd wonder why they were in the middle of town asking for train money since they'd have to walk miles to the station anyway. If I was in a big city I'd be more apprehensive.

merlinormartin

Yes... i would give some money but not the whole £3, perhaps £1.50. I would rather be a few ££ short because i was "scamed" than refuse and spend the rest of the day wondering if she was geniune need.

One afternoon, while sunbathing i noticed a guy appoaching people; each person he approached shook their heads.. anyways he eventually approached me and asked if i had a mobile phone he could use. he claimed he had arranged a "suprise picnic" for his GF but had forgotton forks/knives and wanted to call his friend to bring them before his GF arrived. My friend quicky made some excuse about not having credit/power in her phone and gave me the "say no" eyes.. i decided to risk it and handed over my phone.. turns out the guy was geniune.

angelarad

I was approached by a 'student' type (Nottingham train station) asking for 64p to make up his train fare home, I re-directed him to my SO, as he was carrying the cash. The student obviously thought I was brushing him off, and didn't approach my hubby. I updated hubby and we found the student together, explained I wasn't brushing him off, and we were 'happy to help'. The student trotted straight to the ticket booth and bought his ticket home to ma and pa!

Even though I work in the NHS and consider myself cynical, bitter and twisted due to the number of dodgy folk I come into contact with daily, I suppose that I also consider myself a reasonable judge of character, and that we all have bad days and need a helping hand sometimes.

thisisace

Waiting for my bus in the city centre, I get asked this regularly. It's a con. Say no and they will move on to someone else.

thisisace

merlinormartin wrote: »

... i decided to risk it and handed over my phone.. turns out the guy was geniune.

You were lucky it wasn't someone wanting to steal your phone ! :eek:

mlfan54

Our church used to get asked for help like this all the time - Lost wallet, need to get home, etc. Not wanting to turn down people who were genuinely in need of a ticket, we came up with the following policy. We would buy them a ticket on our credit card, and write their name on the ticket. That way it could not be refunded for cash or sold on for cash. Usually when this was explained to the asker, if they were not genuine they would say, "No thanks."