After finishing a shift on a Saturday morning, I somehow managed to make my way over to the train station and await my subterranean chariot home when a youngish man in his early 20s walked onto the platform and loudly announced, “Guys, I’m sorry to bug you but I desperately need $9.25 to pay for my train home. I got smashed last night, I acted like an ass and my ride left me here. All I want to do is go home so please please spare me some change”. Some people got uncomfortable and left, some just ignored him and a few gave him some coins. I got the feeling that this guy was genuinely just looking to get home. True, he could have called a cab home, but if he lived really far away, that would be an expensive endeavour. Likewise, he was asking for a very specific sum instead of ‘some spare change’. Myself and another passenger gave him a toonie* each before he walked to the other end of the platform where he asked other people. That’s when I saw two guys throw some coins at him and told him to pick them up if he wanted the change. He bent down to pick up the change while the two guys laughed and swore at him. I was disgusted by that entire exchange. It was incredibly unnecessary, needlessly cruel and unbelievably mean-spirited. What was the point of belittling a stranger in distress? My granny once told me that one should judge a person’s character on actions that they don’t think are being seen. If that’s the case, those guys are vile. I really hope that what goes around really does come around and the stranded guy got home.
*Two dollar coin in Canada. The name is dumb but endearing. The coin has a picture of a polar bear on one side and Queen Elizabeth on the other side. I like the polar bear side better.
2 hours ago
6 comments:
A bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde going on here....
I refer to the "Public Transit Hissy Fit" entry awhile back!
Now I don't know what to think! Bad mood one day, more compassionate the next? Hmmm.
Don't get me wrong! I like your blog. It's just a bit curious.
i would have paid for his ticket before i gave him change. i would have said come with me and gone to the ticket counter and asked him where to? and if he got a little worried...then he was scamming..if not he would have had a way home..
I agree with you. Throwing the money is offensive. The fact that he bent to pick it up demonstrated his need.
That is totally disgusting. I got hit up in a parking lot once. Either the guy was a great actor or he ws truly needy. Either way, he needed the money badly...and that day I had some....I totally believe in karma and i am sure the train was late for those jerks...
Liz - I just found that there was no need to throw money at the guy and while he was bending down to pick it up, laugh and swear at him. Other people declined to give him money and he moved on. My bad mood (referring back to the public transit hissy fit entry) was caused by the guy yelling in my face when I clearly wanted to be left alone! But I suppose people on that train must have thought I was a complete b*%&h!
"one should judge a person's character on actions that they don't think are being seen".
I thought i was a fairly decent person but I guess I need to work on myself a bit more.
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