I gave a girl (25 ish) $20 in the PetSmart parking lot that appeared to be stranded missing everything but a cell phone saying her car was broken into/purse stolen and she needed gas money to get home. She didn't "look" like a bum and I had heard her on her phone earlier on my way in an obvious panic...am I a sucker?
It doesn't matter if you are or aren't you did what you thought was best and that's it. You're a good person.
- Steve C, Team Marina
There was a famous story a decade or so ago about someone who was doing research into how the way we present ourselves colors people's response to us. He dressed as a bum and walked around Penn Station in New York, asking for money. Some people gave him a quarter, some ignored him, and some said verbally abusive things. The next day, he showed up clean-cut and clean-shaven, in a polo shirt and slacks, again asking for money. This time, most people engaged him in conversation, and the average amount of money that people gave him was about $1. On the third day, he was impeccably dressed in a designer business suit and tie. People said things like "I know how you must feel--I lost my wallet once." and gave him enough money to buy his train ticket, lunch, etc. She may have been legit, but she could also have been a clever scammer. One possible test would have been to offer to follow her to a gas station so you could put $5 worth of gas for her onto your debit card. If she were a scammer, she would have made some excuse to not take you up on it.
- Jeff Bigler