What you would you? Would you have done what OE did? A poll question..........

What would you do?

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#1
OrangeEmpire

OrangeEmpire

The White Debonair
Joined
Nov 28, 2005
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#1
Background........So the family is out grocery shopping on Saturday and we are in the check out lane. A lady in front us looks terribly stressed and concerned while her things are being rung up. The cashier is finally done and she gives the lady a total. The lady hands the cashier an ebt card, food stamps, and it is not enough to cover the food. She pulls her purse out and all she has is $4.00. I told the lady buying the groceries not to worry about it and I paid for every thing. She thanks me and I told her is not necessary and I check out.

We are walking out and my wife says hey, isn't that the lady we bought groceries for. I turned and it sure was the lady and she was gracefully getting in her Cadillac Escalade.

I chalked it up to a lesson learned...........

:hi:
 
#2
#2
I would have not gave her the money in the first place if I were you, since you already paid for the money she did have on her food stamp card.
 
#3
#3
I thought I was helping her out.............. can't stand to see someone hungry.......
 
#4
#4
I had a guy stop me in the Kroger parking lot the other day. He asked me for $2 bucks. He said he was out of gas and needed to get home. I asked him four times to tell me the truth about why he needed the money. He lied to me all four times. Then I told him that I had a $5 I'd give him if he told me the truth. He said he needed cigs and I gave him the $5. He apologized for lying, and I told him to shut up and go take care of his business. It was worth the money watching him backtrack...

It was probably worth whatever you paid to keep the cashier from taking stuff off of the register. I've thought about buying groceries for people that still write checks just so I could get out of the store.
 
#6
#6
I had a general rule for buying food for someone when I know they were going to get food. If someone asks me for food, I'll go to a fast food joint with them and buy them something to eat. Talk with them for a bit and then hand them a card from church.

In my mind it was no different, the person needed food and I wanted to help.

As for charity organizations..... in my mind no better than organized crime.....
 
#7
#7
Lexvol said:
I had a guy stop me in the Kroger parking lot the other day. He asked me for $2 bucks. He said he was out of gas and needed to get home. I asked him four times to tell me the truth about why he needed the money. He lied to me all four times. Then I told him that I had a $5 I'd give him if he told me the truth. He said he needed cigs and I gave him the $5. He apologized for lying, and I told him to shut up and go take care of his business. It was worth the money watching him backtrack...

It was probably worth whatever you paid to keep the cashier from taking stuff off of the register. I've thought about buying groceries for people that still write checks just so I could get out of the store.
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I would have said sure, I would have asked him where his car was and went from there. In the past I have had a good track record with witnessing and getting people involved my with churches Stowe Center, it is a place for people to try and get back on their feet.

After Saturday, I really have no desire to do that any more.
 
#8
#8
OrangeEmpire said:
I had a general rule for buying food for someone when I know they were going to get food. If someone asks me for food, I'll go to a fast food joint with them and buy them something to eat. Talk with them for a bit and then hand them a card from church.

In my mind it was no different, the person needed food and I wanted to help.

As for charity organizations..... in my mind no better than organized crime.....
Click to expand...

They can get free food anywhere. Free liquor and cigs...that is another story.
 
#10
#10
OrangeEmpire said:
Background........So the family is out grocery shopping on Saturday and we are in the check out lane. A lady in front us looks terribly stressed and concerned while her things are being rung up. The cashier is finally done and she gives the lady a total. The lady hands the cashier an ebt card, food stamps, and it is not enough to cover the food. She pulls her purse out and all she has is $4.00. I told the lady buying the groceries not to worry about it and I paid for every thing. She thanks me and I told her is not necessary and I check out.

We are walking out and my wife says hey, isn't that the lady we bought groceries for. I turned and it sure was the lady and she was gracefully getting in her Cadillac Escalade.

I chalked it up to a lesson learned...........

:hi:
Click to expand...

You did the right thing OE.

It's a perfect example of the problem with modern society. Many scrounge off others or the Government and believe that they are entitled to something. Unfortunately there are also needy people who truly need help. This has been something that has bothered me for a quite long time, and is something that is butchering our political process. Many on the right believe Social Darwinism if you will, that a good percentage of these individuals are bums who are not entitled to anything and are perfectly able to work -- this may be true to an extent, but there are many others who cannot work and who are weakened by misfortune or other unfortunate events, individuals who need help, or require assistance to get themselves back on their feet. Of course many on the left or rather, it is believed that many on the left believe that this is true for 99% of cases, which in a perfect world it would be.

Unfortunately, if we all went around doing things out of the goodness of our heart we would be back stabbed by individuals like the lady you mentioned. It's an unfortunate series of events reoccurring in many places in the United States and around the world for that matter. People just don't do things with common courtesy or decency any more.

It's not your fault, but essentially her fault and societies fault for failing to prevent this.

Perhaps when our fellow poster is in trouble one day, or peradventure that he leaves his wallet at his house someone would be there to provide assistance, but I think out of karma alone, there will be no assistance. :thumbsup:
 
#11
#11
OrangeEmpire said:
I had a general rule for buying food for someone when I know they were going to get food. If someone asks me for food, I'll go to a fast food joint with them and buy them something to eat. Talk with them for a bit and then hand them a card from church.

In my mind it was no different, the person needed food and I wanted to help.

As for charity organizations..... in my mind no better than organized crime.....
Click to expand...


Maybe some, but there are really good and worthy organizations.
 
#12
#12
OrangeEmpire said:
I had a general rule for buying food for someone when I know they were going to get food. If someone asks me for food, I'll go to a fast food joint with them and buy them something to eat. Talk with them for a bit and then hand them a card from church.

In my mind it was no different, the person needed food and I wanted to help.

As for charity organizations..... in my mind no better than organized crime.....
Click to expand...

I can imagine Vito Corleone giving to the needy. :p
 
#14
#14
it's the reason I won't stop on the side of the road anymore ....

I had a young guy come up to me at a Pilot one night and say that he needed money to get gas so that he could drive over to Clinton or somewhere ... I gave him a couple of bucks ... then I look over at his gf's car sitting at the pump ... she had just bought some cig's and a big gulp ... he gets in the car and they leave ...

it's frustrating because there are a lot of ppl who really need help like bam said .... you get to the point that you think airbody is scamming you ....
 
#15
#15
Daddy Gee said:
it's the reason I won't stop on the side of the road anymore ....

I had a young guy come up to me at a Pilot one night and say that he needed money to get gas so that he could drive over to Clinton or somewhere ... I gave him a couple of bucks ... then I look over at his gf's car sitting at the pump ... she had just bought some cig's and a big gulp ... he gets in the car and they leave ...

it's frustrating because there are a lot of ppl who really need help like bam said .... you get to the point that you think airbody is scamming you ....
Click to expand...

dumberBG.jpg


Woah, Big Gulps, huh? All right! Well, see ya later
 
#16
#16
OrangeEmpire said:
I doubt you would be able to name 20.

It is very rare the money ever reaches any one who needs it.
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Either way, you just helped a woman on food stamps pay her escalade payment.

I would rather give my money to charities that I know are valid, than to some crack head on the tax payers dime.
 
#17
#17
Was she driving the Caddy or was she a passenger, possibly catching a ride from some good Samaritan like yourself?
 
#18
#18
What happened is a great opportunity to educate your kids about this type of thing. Use it, allow them to lear from it, and continue to have character.

Thats a class move you made.
 
#19
#19
Drives an Escalade and is on food stamps? That is ridiculous and clearly Obama's fault.
 
#20
#20
the ones that get me are when they check out twice at the register. Once for the stuff that can be charged on the card and the second time for alcohol they pay cash for. Still mad at myself that I've never had the guts to call them on it
 
#23
#23
lawgator1 said:
Drives an Escalade and is on food stamps? That is ridiculous and clearly Obama's fault.
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This was happening when I was a cashier at a grocery store about a decade ago.

utvolpj said:
the ones that get me are when they check out twice at the register. Once for the stuff that can be charged on the card and the second time for alcohol they pay cash for. Still mad at myself that I've never had the guts to call them on it
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I would (even once I was old enough to scan alcohol) call a manager over to scan the alcohol and then be delightfully ignorant and ask, rather loudly, why they couldn't have covered alcohol with their food stamps, WIC, etc.

Nothing ever came of it and the person was never embarrassed, but I hope that if I raised awareness for one person than I did my job... if not making my doldrumatic shift more enjoyable.
 
#24
#24
I would've offered to cover the difference or pay for the groceries that were left over but only if it didn't include alcohol or cigarettes. After seeing the Escalade, I would chalk it up to a lesson learned.

A few years ago a girl came up to me on a Boston subway platform. Sob story that her friends left her and she need a $1 for the fare. In a weak moment I gave her a dollar. Then she walked 10 ft and asked another couple. I yeLled don't give her any money, I just gave her some. She got mad but it made me feel good.
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#25
#25
My son and I had just finished eating lunch at Lenny's on Clinton Hwy. (it's no longer there) An older black gentleman approached as we were getting back in the car and asked for money to get something to eat, all he had was a pocketful of tootsie pops. My first instinct was to tell him "no". Second was to walk into Lenny's with him and buy him a meal, third was to just give him some cash.

I went with the third choice, and felt pretty good about it when he walked right back to Lenny's and proceeded to order.

That's been the only time I've helped someone and it turned that they truly needed some assistance. Told my son that sometimes you take a chance on somebody and they don't disappoint you, but it's the exception and not the rule.
 
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