What would you do?
Suppose a mid-40 woman came up to you, just outside a subway station. She asked you for $25. What would you do?
Suppose she offer to pay you back, stating her name and address, telephone number, and even willing to prove with a tax statement of her valid address and ID number. What would you do?
Suppose she needed the money for taxi fare, because it was an emergency situation. It was 10:20pm, she was unable to get money as all banks are closed. What would you do?
Suppose her mother who was taking care of her children passed out suddenly, due to a chronic diesease, and was sent to a hospital, leaving some young kids un-nursed. The taxi was to bring her children from her mother’s house to her own home. What would you do?
Suppose you think of it as an investment, it is one with high risk, and low/no rate of return since the borrower is a stranger. It is probably the worst investment that one can purchase. However, if you see it as a donation, or doing it for a good cause, becausing you believe that your money can help in the situation. Now what would you choose to do?
Suppose this all happened to me. What do you think I did?
Jack says:
Take something from her as a deposit…her ID plus something on her that seem to be worth more than $25…like, a watch?
and lend her the $25.
Or, ask her to take the taxi and when she gets to her destination, get money to pay the taxi driver.
It probably depends on the impression she gives you there…
What did you do?
on Dec 22,2006 11:19 am
one says:
Well, I did end up lending her the $25, written down her information and contacts. I tried to call her in the following two days. Never reached her, although the voice messages still sound genuine. I didn’t call her again. It’s all good. It’s Christmas, and may it be my Christmas gift to the stranger.
on Dec 22,2006 11:48 pm
Basemah says:
=)..this is so Patrick…
actually i think what she said just doesn’t make sense…1, how can the lady’s mom go to hospital if she passed out suddenly while taking care of the kids? 2, if the lady’s mom passed out with chronic disease and got pick up to hospital…the paramedics who took her mom to hospital should have got the un-nursed “young kids” to hospital instead of having them staying home un-nursed…3, even if the banks r closed…she can get money with her bank card?….unless she has no money..4, if the lady’s mom didn’t pass out at home…which means her “young kids” doesn’t need 24 hr on guard protection that….she probably need a token to go home to get her kids…
but…in spite of above….i think i would trust her…and drive her to her home to pick up her “kids”….
on Dec 26,2006 1:16 am
Aggie says:
At one of the church services, the priest ever told a story of a man who keep asking people to lend him money but not return it. One day he ask the priest for money to help him. The priest really lend him some. The others who don’t trust that man ask the priest, “why you lend him the money? That man is not trustworthy!” The priest said, “At that moment I trust him, I really think he needs help, so I help him. I won’t look back or regret. Because I do my part to help the others. If he lies to me it’s him who should think back of what he did. He knows and God knows what he did.”
I had talked about this topic with my co-workers. They said if someone on the street ask for money for help, she will give that person the money. Because who knows who are the ones really need help, and who are the ones faking it. If that person in front of her is the one who really needs that money and she refused, then it’s she who’s not being nice, it’s her problem, and that person might not get the help and live in misery.
on Jan 1,2007 11:17 am
one says:
As the priest in Aggie’s comment said,
That’s what I felt then, and lending the money was my response. It is all that matters.
on Jan 2,2007 11:43 pm