Stranger in the Night

[sparx]

When I was a district manager for a retail software chain I was at a gas station in Little Rock when a guy approached me for money for food, as he said he hadn't had a bite to eat all day. I mentioned that I would be happy to buy him a sandwich and a milk or soda and to just let me know what he wanted to eat, but he refused saying he wanted the money instead and would buy his own dinner. So, I told him that he must not be THAT hungry and refused.

After I got laid off of a 10.5 year job with that company due to downsizing and my wife and I moved to Arlington, we were at an Albertson's and a lady approached us in the parking lot when we were leaving requesting $5 or more as she said that she and her husband had "just been kicked out of their hotel room for no reason, and needed to pay a $15 deposit to get back in so they could at least get their stuff." I mentioned that I wouldn't think that a hotel would, or should, just kick them out onto the street "for no reason", and told her that although I wouldn't give her the money directly, I would happily follow them to the hotel and talk to the manager myself, paying the deposit if needed just so they could at least get their stuff back. She and her husband sure did a good job of "losing" us along the way, and upon returning home and checking the yellow pages found there was NO hotel by the name she gave us!

[Venus Pax]

Longtooth, what you're doing at your church is very wise. There is only so much you can do with the tithe money, and God would want you to be a good steward of it. Your method is a good way to separate the moochers from the people that are willing to help themselves.
I've gotten to the point that I don't personally help people either. I direct them to churches that I know help with wisdom or to the Salvation Army.

Dh & friends go to downtown Houston often to witness to people going to clubs. A lot of the homeless will come up asking for money. I told dh that I didn't feel right not feeding people if they ask for food, so I bought cheese crackers and have the guys give them packages of cheese crackers before directing them to the nearby Star of Hope shelter. I know that at the shelter, they will have a safe place to sleep, a good meal, and will be required to hear the Gospel while they're eating.

[Kalrog]

My strategy in case my alarm is tripped is to basically barricade my bedroom door with the wife

Well, that might work if she is big enough. I know, my bad. Sorry. Couldn't stop myself.
Paul

I actually got a laugh out of this one. Not a fake laugh either. Ouch, my sides hurt.

[xenatexas13]

Friend of a friend used to try and lecture me about the importance gun control. About a month after she moved into a swanky new apartment she had her mom over and they were making dinner. They had not thought to lock the front door. Suddenly a man tried to open the door and step into the apartment. They managed to through themselves against the door and get the guy locked outside. The man began screaming wildly and pounding on the door demanding to be let inside. They called the cops and hoped the door didn’t give way. After they spent several minutes screaming the police are coming over and over the man gave up and went away shortly before the police arrived.

I listened to the story and then asked politely, “So tell me did you wish you had a gun?� Her answer “YES, will you teach me how to shoot one?� Count one won over to our side.

[Rugrash]

Too bad they had to learn the hard way. My mother and father-in-law were convinced they needed "something" (bought a Glock 19) after watching all the Katrina drama on TV. They live in MD in the burbs but you never know what can happen. I mean they're not going to get a deadly hurricane, since they're pretty far inland, but because they're between DC and Fort Dietrich in Frederick they need to be concerned and prepared.

Rug

[KBCraig]

I was at a gas station in Little Rock when a guy approached me for money for food

Last time I got hit up, it was in Little Rock. It was 3am, we were on vacation and stopping for gas. I'm on alert just because of the hour and the location. Three guys (two white, one black) were at the next pump in a mid-size truck piled full of junk. The black guy approached me for two dollars spouting some line about gas money, and he didn't even bother trying to make it believable.

I told him I had to buy my gas, so he had to buy his. He started in with more spiel. I fixed him with a good stare and said, "You ain't got nothin' comin' around here."

He said, "Aight, boss, you right," and went on his way.

For those of you who didn't catch the undertone, that was me telling him that I recognized him for a jailbird, and him acknowledging that if he kept on, he'd be headed back to jail.

Prison culture is an odd thing to learn.

Kevin

[xenatexas13]

I told her that if you do not have a way to defend yourself than your just ‘playing the odds’ that the bad thing will happen to someone else and not you. My uncle is a Vietnam vet and former Air Force pistol champion. He said to me recently, “You almost never need a gun, but when you do you need one REAL BAD!� I thought that was the perfect way to describe it.

[Boma]

I've gotten some rings at night time too. Scary. Had no firearms then.