You know what? The person who coined the phrase ' Beggars can't afford to be choosers' deserves to be hanged and quartered. That has to be the most inappropriate, irrelevant and incorrect phrase I have ever heard. Beggars are some of the choosiest people I have had the misfortune to meet!!
Wonder why I seem to be fuming, ranting and raving about beggars?
Because I had this really strange,hilarious yet humiliating experience with a beggar lady last night.
My friends and I had gone for dinner to this place called 'Eden'. After our meal we were standing below and exchanging meaningless nothings when this old woman came begging for money. I normally have this strict policy of not giving money to beggars.It's not that I don't pity them. I do. But I admire the honest living of a ragpicker more than the aimless existence of a beggar. I give money to really old people,people who are maimed and to kids who sing on trains or sweep compartments and ask for money in return for services rendered.In the latter cases especially, there does exist a satisfaction of money well given 'cause you do recieve value for your money- a refrain or a marginally cleaner compartment.I never give money to people who look like they could earn it.
Anyways, getting back to the point, this old lady came up to us,knocking her cane against the pavement and asking for money.I guess the good food ( the Food at Eden is awesome!! )made me mellow.So I dug into my handbag, hunting for some coins to give to her.The ony thing I could find was one 50 paise coin and a couple of hundreds.Obviously I could not, or rather would not give her a hundred. So I thought , "what the hell? Every paise counts" and gave the coin to her. Imagine my chagrin when she said,"Ayyae!!8 Annas, keep it yourself.Take ( Ayyae! aet anna.Neiyae vaechukko. indha)".
I got so completely pissed off that when she reached the coin out to me, my mind rebelled and I reached my hand out and took the coin back from her and dropped it back into my bag instead of scurrying away from her in embarassment( As they expect you to do). A really cheap thing for me to do(: ) : ) but i'm quite proud of myself ;) ) but I seriously felt that the lady deserved absolutely no consideration from me.
Once a friend of my cousin's wife( just to be precise ;) ) told a small beggar boy to come to his house and he would pay him four hundred a month if he would be a gardener. And you know what the boy replied "Get lost.Just give me your money. Why should I work for you for four hundred when I earn thousands each month this way?".
You would think that a person who does not do a thing to earn their living has absolutely no right to sneer at the leavings of one who does.
That's why I think the person who invented the phrase 'Beggars can't afford to be choosers' deserves to be hanged and quartered.
18 comments:
i totall y agree, especially the beggers in and round adyar beasi!! romba pampered
hehe deepti, i once treated a couple of my frndz at eden, and guess wat i came out a begger with just 3 rupees in my pocket, and the same woman came, and with my darala manasu, i gave her all the 3 rupees and left for home with a hole in my pocket.......looks like tht woman can afford eden for her everyday meal
lol!! i must appreciate your tolerance level for not shouting back at her!! beggers can be real trouble at times.
@ada-paavi - I agree back ;)
@mi- sad :( next time don't ever succumb to giving that femme money!!!!
@arthi - it was a pretty delicate situation.. bordering on embarassment.. i really cudnt afford to scream at her ;)
@sandip- I was a lil bit on the embarassed side... it had nothing to do with tolerance!!!:)
Hi,
I agree with u when u talk abt the whims of beggars these days.
But its also the location where they r begging, a metro beggar wud not b satisfied in 3 rs. but a village beggar may take solace in 50 paisa.
It has also to do with the inflation rate and the purchasing power of rupee.
In these times, 10 rs. wud not even get a proper meal in a metro city, so u can understand the plight of these beggars.
But tht said, I don't advocate begging.On the other hand I don't despise genuine ppl who need help.
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www.anshulseth.com
50 paise and 1 Re have really become obsolete these days. Even in super markets you dont get back 50 paise and if I ask for it they give me a strange look and give me a chocolate instead. I got something home delivered the other day and since delivery charge was also included, I gave exactly the bill amount - some Rs.150.25. and the delivery boy gave me back the 25p and told me to keep it! Whats with that?????????
super...even i don like givin money 2 beggars...only ppl i give money is 2d 3d gender ppl...not bcos i feel bad..just dat i am scared...:(
haha LOL... ya got loads of patience..
And i think "Beggars can't be choosers". Doesnt that mean what ya exactly wanna say?? They sure can't choose. They gotto take what they get!!!!!!!
But nowadays beggars think and act as if they can demand anything they want.
Last year once when our car stopped at the traffic lights, a shabby looking man, say around 35 years, was knocking the closed window panes for money(The ac was on). My dad refused and he went off. Later when we reached home, we found a huge scratch on one entire side..... That guy used a sharp stone to make a huge scratch mark on a shining new silver car!!! Had to get a repaint done......
true true true!
And what about those beggars who actually demand for a certain amount of money?
I was shocked to see that a beggar actually asked me for 10 rupees and nothing lower.
The nerve!
@megha - seriously!! It can so completely piss u off!!!! makes you wonder why you even pity ppl who don't have the gumption to stand on their own feet !!
@aditya- bullshit!! THey def can choose to demand more !! THey seem too!!! how irritating to have ur car scratched!! THe repaint job would have def cost more!!
@1$ - lolz!! :) :) :) dar pok!!
@boo - sounds quite embarassing :) look at it this way..atleast we seem to value money a lot more than they do!! I actually like to wait and collect my change however small it may be than let it go!!!
@asset- define ' genuine people ' .. the demarcation doesn't seem to be too clear these days!! And tell me ... rejecting 50 p from one person is fine .. but 20 ppl *50 p =10 re... which is a decent sum, rite???? So what happ to ' every ruppe counts'????
namakkum eppadi similar experience - we told the begger (he looked healthy ) tht we wont pay him and added that he can rather work .athukku tht fellow said - "kaasu kudurathukku vakku illai ,ethule evolo pechi vera " .
OC la vaazhravangalukku kaasoda arumai theriyadhu!
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The search has just begun !!!
good one
Once, while stuck in the jam near the bus stop that I was to alight, a male begger who was seated on the pavement was pratically pulling pedestrians to his side for money. Here I was already thinking hard how to get away from him as there was no other way but to by pass him to get to college.
Strangely, enough as I walking towards him, he just smiled and nodded at me.
well not just money tehy are chosoy abt food you give them. they expect you to serve them hot lunch or breakfast :P they refuse to eta the last nights left overs
its true..beggers are choosers...even me had a similar experience...
well I am glad you took back the change. If she doenst care atleast you DO and thats what matters.
We dont work hard so that these parasites can enjoy their lives after all. Keep it up.
I was surprisingly reached your blog. It was too good. I liked your way of sculpturing your experience in words.
Good Work..keep it up
Paddhu
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