Would you help a gentlemen if he needed money for gas and could not pay you back

1. 71

   Matthew RNposted 9 years ago

   Would you help a gentlemen if he needed money for gas and could not pay you back?
   
   Had this happen to me today.  An older gentleman was in a bind, he needed gas to get home, but forgot his credit card to get the gas.  To make it worse, no one he knew could come and help him out.  Lastly, why would you help or not help this guy (no wrong answers here)?  Note: he did not ask for your help, you notice the desperation in his voice on the phone and his demeanor.

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2. 61

   RLWalker LMposted 9 years ago

   Definitely, if I had money to spare. I think old people are like children and can become afraid and distraught more easily. For that sake alone I would put my money to good use.
   
   If he specifically asked you then that might call for a little more thought, but even then if I could reasonably determine that he probably wasn't lying, I would still give him.
   
   If not he might have to leave his car, hitch hike home, take a bus or cab back to retrieve his car. That sounds like a whole lot stress even for me.

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3. 72

   dashingscorpioposted 9 years ago

   
   
   The old "he needed gas to get home" story.
   Unless I was actually looking at him standing in front of his car I would assume he was panhandling. Most men keep their drivers license in their wallet which also hold their credit cards.
   Secondly most cars have gas gage and an "older gentleman" is far more likely to (know) how much gas he has in his car at any given time. If you know how far you're driving the first thing you'd do is check to see if you have enough gas to make there and back home. That's commonsense.
   "Note: he did not ask for your help, you notice the desperation in his voice on the phone and his demeanor." This is called "dry begging".
   Essentially you tell a person about your hardships and let (them) volunteer to help you out. Even family and friends are sometimes guilty of this. If you ever call them on it the first thing they will say is:
   "I never (asked) you for any money or help!"
   If the older gentleman had access to a Triple A card or road service card he could have had his car towed back home or he could have had a taxi take him home to get money/credit card or to a family member/friend who could help him out. It's also possible he could have taken a taxi to his bank and they could have pulled up his account using his driver's license after explaining the emergency to the branch manager.
   Something tells me if you showed up with (a gallon of gas) instead of money the "older gentleman" would have been disappointed!
   Don't get me wrong, I have given money to strangers on the street before but not if I believe it's a scam. Generally the mood I'm in and the amount of cash I have on me determines  whether I'd spare a $.

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   1. 71

      Matthew RNposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      We drove to the gas station and he received no money, just gas

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   2. 72

      dashingscorpioposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That's great!
      However for your own safety you may not want to let a stranger get into your car. These days you can't be "too careful". Glad it worked out.

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4. 61

   vickiholderposted 9 years ago

   If I had money available, I would help him. I would much rather be taken for a few bucks than risk turning my back on someone truly in need. None of us knows when we may be in a position where we need the help and kindness of a stranger.

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5. 92

   Kryssy OSullivanposted 9 years ago

   I'd give a few dollars of a donation, if I had it. I'm not the richest person in the world, but I believe in that what you do for others, eventually comes back on you.

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