How sure are you that this wasn't a practiced sob story designed to extract money from passerby?
I've heard many such stories just like this. Criminal beggars will A/B test and refine their story over years to optimize results.
I've heard many such stories just like this. Criminal beggars will A/B test and refine their story over years to optimize results.
It's people who beg for money that have a story that makes them sounds like they're down on their luck that I think most people are wary of.
(I was bit by the 'thought I had more cash in my wallet, trying to get to a city 40-50 miles away but don't have gas' story. And heard the bus ticket story quite a bit. But if someone told me they had gotten out of jail on a long stint and the world changed on them while they were inside, and the system doesn't care ...)