MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you contribute to a stranger’s train ticket?

bigw81

Amen to that Ellie - think it must be in the Irish genes to help out without question....... so maybe we are taken advantage of? I can live with that.

piglet6

bigw81 wrote: »

I paid his £5.60 fare to get him home - he offered to post it to me, blah blah - I just told him to 'pay it on'. ie: if ever he sees someone in same position, really stuck and looks genuine, to help them out. You've no way of definitely knowing if its a con, but I for one am prepared to take a punt on helping someone out.

Exactly! I think the phrase is "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me". It is a sad and cynical person who chooses not to give somebody the benefit of the doubt the first time - if they are a con-person, then at least you have a clean conscience (and may they have trouble sleeping at night...!!).

Piglet
x

P.S. Just for the record, it would make no difference to me whether the lady was English or Irish (or Scottish or Welsh!) - I would still help out if I was able to...

TEssery

If the situation looked genuine, I'd definitely pay up. And I applaud the moneysavers who are suggesting "give it to charity" or "pay it forward" instead of reimbursement. But I thought you might be amused by this recent news story:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3172548/Commuter-threatened-with-arrest-for-helping-elderly-passenger.html

The good samaritan was a comedian who has now turned his experience into an act which was presented at this year's Edinburgh fringe. Hopefully that embarrassed Virgin . . .

Rlscann

I am 32 now-when I was 13 I was in the Sea Cadets,and a ceremony ran late.By the time we got out it was after 10pm,and when we got on the bus we discovered that child fares were no longer available.None of us had enough money,and the driver wouldn't let us on-the dock gates were closed and this was before mobile phones.A wonderful elderly man paid the difference in fares for all of us-there were about 6 of us-to ensure we could get home safely.In nearly 20 years I have never forgotten that man,and I only wish I could have repaid him.His gesture contributed to who I am today,and I will always be grateful.
Give that tenner if you can afford to,you could be making more of a difference to that woman than an easy journey home.
PAY IT FORWARD......:A

barnaby-bear

elsien wrote: »

Not sure - a bit too reminiscent of the cons where people pretend they've lost their wallet/tickets etc.
If I really thought she was genuine I'd help out, but being skint I'd be unlikely to have the full £10 anyway.

There's a shaven head youth outside our office who approaches our secretaries - al
always for 90p for the bus home - given this has been going on 4 months I'm wondering why he hasn't walked - he's usually got a fag in hand knd of wonering why 4 months of ciggies won't cover the 90p bus fare (which is below the min. charged in this area)..... having said that a seemingly genuine tourist in tears probably yes... I once did something similar for a girl in Barcelona but then she pestered me by letter for months - she dubbed south american soap operas to german for a living.....

jojo2004

Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but no, I wouldn't. I've just got off a train back from Oxford, and despite asking the eight German kids behind me to be quiet (and stop trying to break the table by hitting it with their fists), all I got was abuse. In English and German.

Train passengers rarely if ever pay any attention at all to others, I've been shoved, stepped on and generally made quite cross countless times; why should I help someone who might well have been one of them? I get sick of being nice to people, only to get treated like poo in return. So, no, it's easier to be mean/not care, and since that seems to be the attitude of everyone else on the trains, why shouldn't I follow suit? It's much easier, and I've got plenty of other things on my plate.

philadelphium

Yes I would pay the £10 as it is a small sum sum relative to my personal situation so would cause me little hardship and I would like to think the deed would be reciprocated if positions were reversed.

pandora205

Yes i would if I could afford it. I'd give the person the benefit of the doubt and try to help.

I gave some money (not much - just the change I had, about £1.50 I think) to someone the other day who had been thrown off a train as he'd lost his ticket and had to get back to Dundee. I saw him being escorted out and he was upset. I just thought of my teenagers who travel a lot on the trains and that it could easily be one of them. I hope someone would help them in the same situation.

jenniewb

Strange question!

I join the Money SAVERS website to save money as I have none. You ask me if I would have a spare tenner to give to someone who is able to afford a train ticket- I have no spare cash! The only time I would be able to even travel on a train is if someone else has bought my ticket (eg I won a competition, a relative wants to see me or I am at voluntary work) I have no spare cash to buy food every day of the week- why on earth would I give a whole £tenner to a complete stranger? thats 3 whole days of food!

Brightness

ellie1764 wrote: »

Initially i thought to myself, yes, i would help out. then thought - if it was an irish woman would your contributors be so quick to offer assistance?

being irish, its a no brainer. we irish know well what its like to be the underdog in a foreign land, so help would be at hand, regardless of nationality. tenner would be produced - and without condition.:A

Actually Ellie, it wouldn't matter a jot to me what race the human being was from. If someone was in genuine trouble I would help them if I could, no question.

Saying that, if you're ever in Stratford Upon Avon and an old guy asks you for 50p to help him get his bus home - don't!!!!! We watched him scam about 20 people one day and most were handing over notes. He then started muttering about it being a good day and wandered to the offy opposite for a pack of strong lager and a filled french stick. Wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't pulled out a wad of notes to stuff in his other pocket before starting again after having his 'refreshments' :eek:.

I wasn't purposely watching him btw, he was right in front of my car and my friend and I were sat in the sunshine doors open, waiting for the kids to get back.


Incidentally, we were recently in Cornwall and a lady on the next table outside the hotel looked cheesed off so I asked her if she was OK. She explained that her suitcase with everything in it had been left behind by the airline in Dublin and though she had money to get stuff to tide her over, she had no way of getting anywhere to buy it (a taxi would have been extortionate).

My hubby and I immediately offered to drive her to St Austell to get essentials and she was over the moon. It was about 25 miles e/w but what the heck. A fellow human in need etc. We also learned a lot about life in Southern Ireland which was lovely

I'm not trying to say I am a saint but if someone is in need then help them out - it could be you one day :beer:. I also agree with 'pay it forward'.