Don't help, it's a trap?

[nekolux]

I was once approached by this girl who appeared to be really lost, she asked to use my phone to call her friends. I was worried of course that she might just run off with it, and with my laptop in my bag i cant exactly run after her. The big softy in me prevailed and i lent her my phone. Turns out she was genuinely lost. After being unable to reach her friends i helped her find the way.

I got a little less cynical that day. =)

Oh and as for cripples begging for money, i general spare a dollar or 2. I decided that i cant possibly inspect all of them to see if they're genuinely crippled. So i even it out, rather than giving 5 bucks to one guy i just give 1 or 2 dollars to those i see. Half of them might be fakes but hey, i helped some at the very least.

 

[USSR]

No, I don't go through similar thought processes, but I guess I should just stop helping; the species doesn't deserve it anymore...

Exactly, well put.

 

[pantsoffdanceoff]

No I've stopped doing favors, you will get fucked over 99% of the time. NO good deed goes unpunished.

No, I don't go through similar thought processes, but I guess I should just stop helping; the species doesn't deserve it anymore...

Essentially that.

 

[Toynip]

There's a lot of cynicism and apathy in this thread. Where's the love?

I don't post often, but I have a couple stories relating to this so here's my contribution:

I was stopped by a young lad whilst I was walking the last few hundred yards to work, and he seemed genuinely upset that he couldn't get a bus as he'd forgotten his money so I gave him a couple of quid and he shook my hand and thanked me profusely before getting on a nearby bus. Gave me a nice warm glow for the rest of that day.

On the other end of the spectrum I saw a guy drop his keys whilst he was running to catch a bus one early morning, again on my way to work, so I stopped and picked them up and walked to the bus I saw him jump onto, announced to the passengers that I had someone's keys, then returned them to the guy that stepped forward. Prick didn't even say thanks, just took them out of my hand and sat back down.

Generally speaking I help people out when I can. I'm always wary of giving money but I can't stand to see people struggling, whether it's with a heavy load or trying to get a good holiday snap. On the whole, people appreciate it.

 

[mattttherman3]

When i saw this thread i thought it was a star wars refference

 

[new_age_reject]

I always try to help, contrary to popular belief, 99% of people are actually decent human beings.

 

[new_age_reject]

Sure you should 'help' if you want to play the good samaratan and all that, but lending someone else a hanky is just gross. If I had asked someone for a tissue, and they said "No, but you can borrow my hanky" I'd think theyre were weird. Hankies are gross anyway, as you are basically carrying around all the germs with you instead of throwing it away as you would a tissue.

I am fortunate enough to live in the UK.

Here people thank you for helping them, it's something I rather like about my country.

Wow thats sanctimonious, apparently another trait of us English is to think were a cut above our 'boorish American cousins'.

I take offence to that, We SCOTS think we are above the boorish americans too!

A lot of us English also believe a lot of you Scots believe that you are above us boorish English that think we are above the boorish Americans... or something like that?

 

[ShadeOfRed]

I've tried, but I always seem to have this look of annoyance on my face after doing it. "Thank you," isn't a completely different language that I won't understand.

 

[Rednog]

This post isn't directed exclusively at Sennz0r but s/he provides a good starting point:

I hate the fact that people don't help anymore because they're afraid of lawsuits but I naturally hate the people who sue the helpful ones even more.

To be fair, many (not all) of the frivolous lawsuits you hear about are made up or reported inaccurately. For example, the guy who sued the mobile home manufacturer because his car crashed when he put the autopilot on while driving down the freeway and went back to make a drink? Never happened. The woman who sued McDonald's because she spilled take-away coffee on herself? That happened, but she had some legitimate complaints - the coffee was superheated, for one, not just boiled.

Which is not to say that people can't be dicks.

I was sitting with a couple of girls on a bench in the city when a homeless guy leaned in and asked, fairly politely, if we could spare any change. He said he had epilepsy. From what I know about epilepsy it's hardly the kind of illness that makes you homeless, but whatever, he seemed ok so I had a look in my wallet. I had a handful of really small change and a ten dollar note, so I gave him the coins and said "not much, but I hope it helps". This guy stared at the coins and then stared at me with this look of absolute hatred - I mean a really furious dangerous look, I honestly thought he'd pull a knife on me. He kinda forced himself to smile and said "nah, nah, I'm not going to rob you... but if I WAS gonna rob you I'd do it like this" and he proceeded to step over to one of the girls' bags and grab it and make like he was about to run off. He blabbed some more about how "I won't rob you", still holding the bag, before tossing it down and walking off in a fury.

In that situation I would've given him a beatdown when he grabbed the bag and if the law was ever involved I'd claim, well officer I heard him say "gonna rob you" and he grabbed the purse and it looked like he was about to runoff before I put my boot in the back of his head.

 

[Limos]

I don't believe in helping people. You never know when one of them will sue your pants off for it.

 

[sequio]

This post isn't directed exclusively at Sennz0r but s/he provides a good starting point:

I hate the fact that people don't help anymore because they're afraid of lawsuits but I naturally hate the people who sue the helpful ones even more.

To be fair, many (not all) of the frivolous lawsuits you hear about are made up or reported inaccurately. For example, the guy who sued the mobile home manufacturer because his car crashed when he put the autopilot on while driving down the freeway and went back to make a drink? Never happened. The woman who sued McDonald's because she spilled take-away coffee on herself? That happened, but she had some legitimate complaints - the coffee was superheated, for one, not just boiled.

Which is not to say that people can't be dicks.

I was sitting with a couple of girls on a bench in the city when a homeless guy leaned in and asked, fairly politely, if we could spare any change. He said he had epilepsy. From what I know about epilepsy it's hardly the kind of illness that makes you homeless, but whatever, he seemed ok so I had a look in my wallet. I had a handful of really small change and a ten dollar note, so I gave him the coins and said "not much, but I hope it helps". This guy stared at the coins and then stared at me with this look of absolute hatred - I mean a really furious dangerous look, I honestly thought he'd pull a knife on me. He kinda forced himself to smile and said "nah, nah, I'm not going to rob you... but if I WAS gonna rob you I'd do it like this" and he proceeded to step over to one of the girls' bags and grab it and make like he was about to run off. He blabbed some more about how "I won't rob you", still holding the bag, before tossing it down and walking off in a fury.

Reminds me of when i was riding greyhound bus and at one of the stops some guy approached another guy and the second guy pulled out his wallet. It looked like he was taking a dollar bill out when the first guy snatch the whole wallet out of his hand and ran off with it.

 

[Simriel]

Sure you should 'help' if you want to play the good samaratan and all that, but lending someone else a hanky is just gross. If I had asked someone for a tissue, and they said "No, but you can borrow my hanky" I'd think theyre were weird. Hankies are gross anyway, as you are basically carrying around all the germs with you instead of throwing it away as you would a tissue.

I am fortunate enough to live in the UK.

Here people thank you for helping them, it's something I rather like about my country.

Wow thats sanctimonious, apparently another trait of us English is to think were a cut above our 'boorish American cousins'.

I take offence to that, We SCOTS think we are above the boorish americans too!

A lot of us English also believe a lot of you Scots believe that you are above us boorish English that think we are above the boorish Americans... or something like that?

Actually know... We scots just believe we are above EVERYONE in the world. Come on we Do have the worlds sexyest accents

 

[new_age_reject]

Come on we Do have the worlds sexyest accents

I couldn't disagree more =]
The female Italian accent however...

 

[Simriel]

Come on we Do have the worlds sexyest accents

I couldn't disagree more =]
The female Italian accent however...

A scottish guy can get layed anywhere simply because of his accent, Fact. Even the most ugmug mofo like myself is sexy to europian, american, and canadian chicks simply because of the accent

 

[new_age_reject]

Come on we Do have the worlds sexyest accents

I couldn't disagree more =]
The female Italian accent however...

A scottish guy can get layed anywhere simply because of his accent, Fact. Even the most ugmug mofo like myself is sexy to europian, american, and canadian chicks simply because of the accent

Tbh I've always found the accent mildly sickening. Just really dislike it.

 

[Devil's Due]

Ah, yes. Suicidal people. That is something I just do not put up with. Waste of breath, imo.

You have issues if you think anyone is a waste of breath. Just because suicidal people have problems doesn't mean that you should shout "DO IT! Worthless people!"

Seriously, learn to help others, or just stay out of their way if you are negative enough to ignore them.

As for the thread at hand, I help anyone I can. I do not give out money though, most of the time due to I really don't carry it on me.

 

[742]

help anyway, just dont give your name. or just dont help assholes. that works too.