Strangers Asking For Money?

[Smowball]

I'm not talking about general begging here.
I was out with somebody ages ago shopping, and I could see what looked like a distressed schoolgirl asking people for money, and they all seemed to either pretend they hadn't heard her, or they said no. Anyway, I had to walk past her and as I got closer she did appear to have been crying. She was about 16, quite a big girl. Was bigger than me. She then stopped me and said could please give her a pound or two and she had lost her phone and had to call her mum. Without giving it a thought, I took a pound out of my pocket, which I always keep in there for supermarket trolleys, gave it to her and went on my way. My friend asked why I had 'fallen for that act and she was clearly just trying to get money' and I just said but what if she was genuine? It was only £1. What would you do?

[Brinjal]

I'm from Zimbabwe and have seen every scam. I would have offered to call her mum or given nothing

[Peter Pedant]

You were being 'worked' bocksie
I had a girl approach me in the Children's Hospital car park (Manchester again) for the train fair to Derby and I said you are miles away from the station....and she gave an anodyne answer and said, go to the ward where your child is admitted and you can get a pass or warrant
and she said oh my child isnt an inpatient......
[and I told her to find her own way to Derby....]

oh did I tell you about the fainter in the pub ?
regularly taken in I am
she used to do it on a weekly basis.....