Random Thoughts On Friday

 While on the road recently driving by myself I stopped by a place for lunch.  I don't want to mention the name of the place, but its a small chain with a good reputation.  Counter service.  Think fast food but a little nicer.  A meal is going to cost $15 to $20.  If you go there, you aren't going for a cheap value meal.  You are going for a quality meal.

Anyway, I was there at an off time- I usually stop at restaurants at off hours to avoid crowds.  Well, a couple of guys come in and go to the counter.  They chat a bit, then the employee at the counter rings them up.  One guy pays.  The guy that pays then leaves.  It was something I noticed, but didn't think much about, but me and the one guy (the guy who did not pay) are the only people in the dining area.

That guys comes over to me, after the one employee at the cash register goes in the back for a moment.  He tells me that he is struggling, and he got a meal for his kid, but he asks if I could buy a meal for him.

I don't know if I have brought it up before, but I did social work and worked in mental health for decades.  I consider myself a sympathetic and charitable person....  but I don't give to people on the streets like that ever.

I told the guy that I was struggling myself financially and that I couldn't help him.  He simply walked away.

The boldness of the situation is obvious.  The guy just suckered someone else into buying him a meal that wasn't cheap, and he was trying to sucker me too.

A restaurant employee brought his meal out to him and the guy was out the door.

I asked for a manager and told them about the guy asking me to buy him a meal.  He thanked me for telling him, and he said the staff there was familiar with the guy.  He seems to convince someone every few days to go in there with him and buy him a meal.  They said they couldn't really ban the guy, because he is a paying customer, indirectly.

I know times are tough right now, and I don't know the guy's story (I do have years of social work experience though.....  I am fairly certain that I can guess his story), but if you are truly needy, and your family needs help with food, begging for people to buy pricey restaurant meals for you is not a good use of your time.  Just my opinion.