Monday, October 31, 2005
Charity? Compassion? Being considerate? Bah! ... overated...
How many of us were approached by stangers in public asking for small change, a spare stick of cigarette, and stuff like that? I have, and I bet many of you have too.
On one occassion, I was asked by an old man (who looked like he's lived forever) to spare a cigarette. I did.
On another, I was asked by a lady on a bus for a dollar so that she could make her way home, I did. (Without wondering how she got on the bus in the first place.) Silly me. When she opened her purse to stuff the dollar in, it was oozing with one dollars!
Then I was at the bus stop outside Hotel Meridian Orchard. Another elderly man approached me to ask for coins, so that he could take a bus home. He spoke in perfect English and sounded pretty educated. I could be in the same situation. I game him $2 in small change... Two weeks later. I was in the same bus stop, ans so was he. He asked me for small change again, obviously not remembering me. I told him off... he just walked off the the next guy in the bus stop and started his sales pitch again... I went home more cynical than before... ah, may the higher intelligence bless his poor soul.
Then I was at MacDonalds' East Coast having lunch with Pamela, a good friend of mine when again, an old man approached us for small change to buy food. Pam's the best. She refused to give him a cent, but offered to buy him a loaf of bread from 7-11. She did. I thought that was brilliant. For slightly over a dollar, if he really needed the food, he'd appreciate it. If not, he'd look really stupid walking around with a loaf of bread and asking for food money... heh heh...
Then, on another day, a young guy came up to me to ask for cigarettes, said that he was really stressed out after losing a job. I was down to my last stick. So hey, self preservation right? I refused. I got an earful from this guy!
Last week. As I was driving, an auntie stopped my car at the road junction. Asked me in perfect mandarin if I speak mandarin. My reply, "I'm sorry, I don't understand." I don't really care if she had an emergency. There's just no point anymore. There'll be some others to help. Otherwise, petty con artists won't be thriving in Singapore.
Yes, I shall be super evil to any strangers who approach me for favours in the streets henceforth.
# Crapped by Toadjuice on 10/31/2005 09:47:00 am
<< Home
