I’m on my way to my mum to sort out the last few boxes that are still there. I’m on the train when I write this. The train is delayed but I don’t mind because it’s a beautiful sunny but windy autumn day and I’m enjoying my trip so far. Something got me thinking just now because something happened a few minutes ago and on other -previous- occasions when I was on the train as well. I’m not sure if I was rude or not but let me explain first so I can draw a conclusion after.
A person walks by through the aisle and puts a note on a seat near me, most of the time without saying anything. This person will then continue to walk in the same direction thus disappear for a while. He or she is in the next carriage to put these notes on all other available seats in view of those sitting nearby. This person wants people to read the note but I found myself ignoring it this time as I know very well what is written and I was busy doing other -more important- stuff.
Basically what it comes down to is that men as well as women beg for money using some kind of a sob story. I’ve experienced other versions as well where the guy -today it was a woman- would leave a package of tissues on the seat so it doesn’t come across as begging. Of course commuters have seen it before so most ignore it like I did today. The guards also mention it through the intercom when beggars are spotted by them or people on the train.
I once read the note just to see what it was about, I had a one euro coin ready to give to the tissue guy but I had to get off the train and he wasn’t back yet so he never got the euro. At the time I thought it was a one-time thing but a few weeks later I saw the same guy on a totally different train to a totally different destination. I then realised it probably was some scam. I’ve checked the website of the railway company and noticed their article about this situation.
They tell you to warn the guards on the train the moment you see these beggars but they can only really do something about it when the guards catch the person red-handed. They will be guarded by the police out of the nearest train station and get a fine. But these people are either illegal thus have no work or they’re part of a large criminal organisation that makes lots of money through this scam. Either way, they’ll probably laugh at the fine and take the next train elsewhere.
Today when the woman came by, I was busy doing stuff and ignored what was going on. The moment I noticed the note on the seat opposite of me I realised it was ‘one of them’ again and I continued doing what I was doing. When she came back to collect the note I ignored her til the very end but she then asked me something and I had to look up and look her in the eyes. She had a friendly face and was smiling, I shook my head for a split second and ignored her again.
Right after she’d left I felt guilty for some reason, I felt I had been rude to her and wondered why I felt that way. Probably because she seemed friendly and somehow genuine while at the same time my gut was telling me I did the right thing. I somehow can’t stand people who beg. There are also homeless people near the entrance of supermarkets selling magazines but at least they do something for a living and I don’t mind buying them food or giving them one euro.
They are also polite and friendly but I never feel like they’re trying to scam me somehow. I guess that’s the main difference and I guess I shouldn’t feel guilty about not giving a friendly smiling scammer one euro, after all no matter the friendly face, a scammer remains a scammer.