Boards
grifting
So, today on the way out of work I was confronted by a well dressed woman with her kid. Normally I'd just ignore people who try to talk to me uninvited (mp3 player on, head down) but for some reason today I stopped...
Anyway, she starts telling me some sob story about how she's down from Hemel Hempstead to visit her sick mother in hospital (I work in said hospital) but they've had an argument and now she's got nowhere to stay and needs £36 for the train back home. She's been trying since 12o'c to get the money from strangers, would I kindly chip in?
Now she was obviously lying, not least because she said the kid was her brother which nearly made me lol (I'm not joking he was about 8, she was 30+) Anyway, out of pity for the kid more than anything, and also to get her to leave me alone, I bundled a pocket full of change at her (can't've been more than about £4) and was on my way.
No problems so far. Except when I got to the tube, I felt really guilty like I should have said or done something for the sake of the kid. He was clearly mortified/miserable at being dragged arround by his "sister" robbing strangers. And why wasn't he in school etc...
Anyway, now I feel kinda responsible (...is this mad?!) although I don't know how else I could've dealt with the situation.
Sorry for the rambling post, I just wondered where dis' moral compass points on this one... how would/have other people have dealt with the situation?
Alternatively, tell me some funny grifting stories of your own to make me feel better...