joseph asked:
Last night I came across two women on the street. They said they used up money and they were very hungry.They begged me to give both some money to buy food. I gave both more than 10 kuai in total. I am a thrifty man. Later I talked to a Security Guard who happened to see I give both women money and he said that I was swindled.How silly I was. How stupid I was. I am to blame.I feel shame. I regret for my action. How can I protect myself from swindling on the street in Mainland China hereafter/henceforward?
Last night I came across two women on the street. They said they used up money and they were very hungry.They begged me to give both some money to buy food. I gave both more than 10 kuai in total. I am a thrifty man. Later I talked to a Security Guard who happened to see I give both women money and he said that I was swindled.How silly I was. How stupid I was. I am to blame.I feel shame. I regret for my action. How can I protect myself from swindling on the street in Mainland China hereafter/henceforward?
You can’t…….
If you feel that your being cheated offer them food not money, if there really hungry then they will not complain about what food they get.
You can also give them your empty plastic drinks bottle, most beggars collect these to sell for recycling.
Do not feel bad.
My experiences:
These young girls work in pairs (normally) and zero in on their mark (usually foreigners) first by assuring you that they don’t want any money. but please to buy some food (bread or meal) for them as they have no money to eat. Feel sorry? they are kinda pretty. Here’s what I did – okay follow me let’s walk to the pastry shop together; after awhile they asked: where’s this shop? oh further up… they lost interest in the cakes, did not ask for money because I reminded them they didn’t want any money remember?
As they were slowing walking away from me, I approached them, smiled, and gave them 10 yuan each.
Of course they were begging for a living; swindling if you like – i knew it the minute they snugged up to me. Let and let live, what they are doing is wrong but they didn’t fleece you for hundreds of yuan. You just bought them a meal, that’s all!
It’s too bad that there are so many swindlers around and yet also many ppl in actual need.
I usually will not give money, and would rather give food (non-monetary) instead if they said they were hungry.
A couple of years ago at an airport in Indonesia. Two women came up and told me that they lost their passport, ticket, money, etc, and their friend who’s supposed to pick them up didn’t come. They actually wanted money, quite a bit actually, around 20 bucks, so I gave them 2 bucks and walked off. I felt sorry for them that they have to beg for a living, or to be more precise, lie for a living. Though of course this does not encourage these people to get honese jobs.
I learnt from that one time and now I offer them help instead of money, which should sort out the needy from the swindlers as you call them.
you are responsible for giving any money to any person… how can you protect yourself?… nobody is threatening you… what you did you did voluntarily… there is no way to protect a person from acting the way s/he wants… you wanted to give money so you gave it… if you didn’t want, you wouldn’t