What would you do if a beggar were to ask you for money?

I was walking home last night when I saw an elderly lady who was selling tissues near the escalator at the MRT station. She seemed to be begging for people to buy tissues from her, at 3 for $1. She was always at the same spot, be it day or night, sun or rain.

I must say, the citizens of Singapore are either too busy or just damn bloody rude. Most of them simply ignored her, or shunned her away, as though she was some pest. Though she was rejected a couple of times, the lady never gave up, and continued to beg, exclaiming how poor she was, that she had no food to eat and that she needed money.


" 我没有钱吃. 请你们可怜可怜我 "(I have no money to eat, please pity me) was what she said when I passed by.

I took out a $5 dollar note from my wallet, and handed it to her, together with some biscuits that I had bought earlier on. I rejected her offer of the 15 packets of tissue, but I told her this: " 我觉得每个人都是穷的. 所以我们去做工. 您已经不年轻了, 所以应该好好照顾自己,而不应该在这里求人给你钱.你的孩子们应该给你钱. 难道他们不心痛吗看你在这里求人? 虽然我们穷,但是我们不应该放弃, 对自己没有信心. 我们应该继续努力 , 来让别人知道我们不会那 么容易被打败的.

(It sounds nicer in English, because my mandarin is THAT BAD: "I think that everyone is poor, that is why we get a job. You aren't young anymore, and should take care of yourself, not stay here and beg. Your children should be shameless for letting you beg here, they should support you and not let you suffer like this. But overall, even though we're poor, we should never give up on ourselves, and we should prove that we can actually live on without having to turn to the worst, begging. We should prove that we tough enough to not be put down easily.")

I don't know if she understood what I was saying, but I think she did, as I saw her eyes getting watery, but she smiled and thanked me.

I don't know if she had misinterpreted my Bad Mandarin, but I hope not. I was not trying to pick at her, or make fun of her, but rather hint that she should expect better care from her kids, as they should return the care she once had for them.


It's been a day, and I've not seen her yet. Maybe she took my advice? Or maybe she shifted to some other place to beg. I don't know. But what would you do if you were in my shoes?