I need to vent!

[GoktimusPrime]

Takara used FedEx to ship my MP Convoy spare parts to me - they were pretty darn good. <shrug>

Today some young dude (oily face covered in acne) came up to me -- whistled loudly to get my attention. Despite being fully grown (heightwise) he was riding on a kid's BMX bike... I suspect it's his childhood bike. What is it with grown men who ride kids bikes?!? It looks so stupid... like as if they can't afford to get an adults bike. <sigh> Anyway, so he rides up to me with a ciggie in hand and asks me for money...



...didn't really offer any particular reason (like needing food, water, money for transport etc.) - just asked for money. At this point I'm looking at him and I can't help but suspect that he's just trying to bum money off me to buy more smokes or alcohol (or drugs), and I really don't feel like parting with my hard earned money to strangers for no good (unessential) reason. So I told him that I didn't have any cash on me.

<sigh> The truth is that I did have cash, but I was on my way to buy nappies and I only had enough cash on me for that. So I told a white lie just to get him off my back, although it's not something I usually do.

Usually when a stranger asks me for money I ask them why. If they tell me that they're hungry then I'll buy them some food. If they're thirsty then I'll buy them a bottle of water. If they want a train/bus ticket then I'll buy them a ticket. I will NOT give them cash. The genuine ones are grateful and thank me, and the non-genuine ones decline my offer and move off. But as I said, I was only carrying enough money on me to buy nappies, and quite frankly I just wasn't in the mood considering that I was on my way home from work. I must confess that a voice inside my head just wanted to yell to this guy, "GET A JOB!"

After I said no to him he rides his bike inside the shopping centre... rides past several other people and at no point does he stop to ask anyone else for money. So I'm thinking gee... he can't be that desperate.

I'm sorry if my actions sound heartless, but I was tired - and most importantly I actually _couldn't_ spare the cash. IMO my child's need for nappies supercede a stranger's random need for cash.

[kup]

Given your description of the guy, it was not heartless. He was very unlikely to use it for food or some other necesity.

In a sense the white lie may not be a lie at all but can be interpreted as truth. You said you didn't have any money to give him because in reality you had none to spare.

Remember a couple Fairs ago at Parramatta when that fat lady bum came to me and begged for money because she was thirsty? I offered to buy her a bottle of water and walked with her to the nearest shop to buy it but when I asked the shop lady for a bottle of water, the bum said that she didn't like water and prefered a high energy drink instead. If she were really thirsty she would have been grateful for anything she could drink.

From then on I have ignored her when she begs me for money with thirs or hunger as the excuse because I know that she doesn't really need it and is all a scam.

[1AZRAEL1]

Long rant on some douche asking him for money

Funnily enough, I had the same sorta situation happen to me yesterday after I had just got off the train to go home. It had been a long hard day at work, and I just wanted to walk home, listen to some loud music on the way, and ignore people. Some guy walks up to me and stops me and asked for money. Really I had no money on me anyway, but I was annoyed that he stopped me and my music. I know that sounds selfish, but all I want to do was just get home, while listening to my music. I too wanted to tell him to get a job as well. After I finish work, I just want to go home and not be annoyed by people.

Rant about woman in Parra

I think I know the one you are talking about. She often comes up to me as well when I am in the area.

Now I may sound like an a** here, but in all honesty, I hate when people coming up to me and asking for money. I always think, have they even tried to get a job? Or has there lifestyle become this way because they don't want to have to work for their money. Now I work really hard to earn the money I get, and every fortnight I get paid, and after bills and everything else, I am left with sweet FA for another 2 weeks. But at least I work for that money to keep me going. If I see they are genuine, I would do as you guys do and buy them what they need, but I don't see many who are genuine.

[blackie]

id give money to this guy for creativity

[1AZRAEL1]

id give money to this guy for creativity

haha ditto

[1AZRAEL1]

Senator Conroy is a complete w*****

Google baulks at Conroy's call to censor YouTube

Does he realise he is becoming, if not already, the most hated man on the planet?

[kup]

That article shows how blinded Conroy is with Righ-wing extremism and his really poor understanding on how the World Wide Web works.

You can't censor the whole world just because it offends Conroy's sensibilities. I hate it how he is arguing for the filtering as if he is representing Australian values.

The sad part is that you can't vote them out of Government and expect a change since the Liberals are every bit as Right Wing extreme as Labour - look at Abbott.

[Lint]

Today some young dude (oily face covered in acne) came up to me -- whistled loudly to get my attention. Despite being fully grown (heightwise) he was riding on a kid's BMX bike... I suspect it's his childhood bike. What is it with grown men who ride kids bikes?!? It looks so stupid... like as if they can't afford to get an adults bike. <sigh> Anyway, so he rides up to me with a ciggie in hand and asks me for money...

...didn't really offer any particular reason (like needing food, water, money for transport etc.) - just asked for money. At this point I'm looking at him and I can't help but suspect that he's just trying to bum money off me to buy more smokes or alcohol (or drugs), and I really don't feel like parting with my hard earned money to strangers for no good (unessential) reason. So I told him that I didn't have any cash on me.

<sigh> The truth is that I did have cash, but I was on my way to buy nappies and I only had enough cash on me for that. So I told a white lie just to get him off my back, although it's not something I usually do.

Usually when a stranger asks me for money I ask them why. If they tell me that they're hungry then I'll buy them some food. If they're thirsty then I'll buy them a bottle of water. If they want a train/bus ticket then I'll buy them a ticket. I will NOT give them cash. The genuine ones are grateful and thank me, and the non-genuine ones decline my offer and move off. But as I said, I was only carrying enough money on me to buy nappies, and quite frankly I just wasn't in the mood considering that I was on my way home from work. I must confess that a voice inside my head just wanted to yell to this guy, "GET A JOB!"

After I said no to him he rides his bike inside the shopping centre... rides past several other people and at no point does he stop to ask anyone else for money. So I'm thinking gee... he can't be that desperate.

I'm sorry if my actions sound heartless, but I was tired - and most importantly I actually _couldn't_ spare the cash. IMO my child's need for nappies supercede a stranger's random need for cash.

You did the right thing. Though if you had some spare cash, you should have bought him some antiseptic wipes