Cool On The Exterior, Warm Within
Believe it or not?
Sunday, July 15, 2007 @ 6:54 PM
She came to me at the traffic light, a plump, middle-aged figure looking anxious.
In halting speech, she asked, "Sisss-teerr, caaaan...can you give meee $10 for me to take taxi?"
Taken aback, I was speechless for a few moments. Then I asked, "What do you need it for?"
"I am going to... Changi. I need... need to buy food for my mother and father..." she beseeched, walking towards me till we were two steps apart and then knelt down.
The sweat was glinting off her face. She was simply too close for comfort. I had to retreat a few steps away from her as I wondered if she was telling the truth. Did she need the money? Or was she pulling a quick one on me?
In the midst of my indecision, I noticed an old lady gesturing to me in the background, shaking her head at me.
And so, my common sense took hold of me as I rejected her and she promptly took off in search of the next target. After which, the old lady with the kind intentions pulled me aside and advised, "Don't entertain this kind of people in future." I murmured a heartfelt thanks.
Even now, there is still the slightest doubt nagging at me. Did I deny help to someone who desperately needed it? How do we tell them apart from the scammers?
My friends know that I find it hard to say no. Which is probably why I've been scammed before, a particularly memorable one being this ah peh who asked for coins to take the bus. When I opened my wallet to retrieve my spare coins, I caught him eyeing the rest of my cash. I promptly regretted my decision to help. Strange that all these incidents have happened at traffic lights so far. Danger zone indeed.
