I'm a big believer in helping people out who are in need. Although I know that giving money to people begging can give them encouragement to continue in this lifestyle, sometimes I see no harm in emptying the coins in my pocket to someone who looks in need. So I recently got back from a trip in the US and something happened that still makes me cringe when I think back about it.
My wife and I were finishing up a long day of walking throughout Hollywood and as we approached our hotel, I saw a man down on his luck sitting in the doorway of a closed shop with a collection of his belongings by his side. He was sitting there holding up a cup and I thought, "Why not", and dug into my pocket and gave him about a couple of dollars in loose change.
However...
As I dropped the coins into his cup, I heard a SPLOOSH and realised that I'd tipped change into his half full coffee cup. He looked up and gave me this confused, kinda sideways look.
Whoops.
in Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA, United States
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