There was once when I was walking back towards my campus, I was approached by a guy. A skinny, average height, albeit taller than me, guy. He was wearing a worn-out shirt and a jeans, and looked like a smoker (no idea how I came out with that thought). I was just walking back in from outside, in front of the hospital building, slightly past the entrance. He came over to me and asked if I had change for one ringgit. He wanted to make a phone call, it seemed. I exchanged a few coins for his note. He then went ahead, and I continued my walk along the side of the building.
After some ten twenty more steps, he turned around, and came to me, this time asking if I could pay 7.80 ringgit for the X-ray fee of a relative of his. He said he didn't bring enough money to pay the fee, and that he was embarrassed to call home to ask his family members to bring the money. I suggested that he just call someone and that there was no need to feel embarrassed. He didn't want to.
I guess he must really feel ashamed of it. I didn't know what to say, and I'm a bit reluctant to pay the fee for him. After all, how was he going to pay me back. Even if he asked for my contact number so that he could reach me to return the favour, I didn't believe he would do it, in the end. Sorry for my negative view on humanity, but that's just reality, I guess. If I were the one, I would have definitely returned it full and proper. Many of my friends would probably have done the same, but a stranger like him (again, sorry for the prejudice), I do think it very unlikely. Plus, giving my phone number to a complete stranger was a definite no-no. There was, however, a part of me which felt like helping him pay the fee. It was just a little less than ten ringgit. But I couldn't go out giving money to everybody who come asking - I'd be broke.
So, I gave him the cold "No". He asked where the phone booth was, I pointed, and he was gone.
After that, my friend who was also there with me said the guy probably saw that I had some notes in my wallet when he asked for a change, and hence, asked the second time for me to help pay the fee. Well, I hadn't bring much money out, they were just small notes, but I guess they look like a lot. Thinking back, if the incident were to happen somewhere less public, it could be dangerous flashing your wallet like that. And I wasn't even paying any attention to him when I was rummaging in my wallet for the coins. He could just snatch it away and make a run for it. Paranoid eh? Haha. A guard just walked by and it happened in a hospital compound, the guy would be an idiot to attempt such a foolish action. It was just a thought.
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