You did the right thing, there's no shame in not being Macho

You don't have to be a saint; some times people have to find their own way out of hell, especially drug addiction. You can try to find this woman again and offer her a ride to a free clinic, but that's as far as compassion can go without you paying for her services

Well, I tend to feel safer when I'm at the ATM late at night because I usually am in my car when I use it...I've been doing this since I was in college and I've never had anybody approach me like that before. I was pretty freaked out.

I just don't think any person who was thinking logically would walk up to a car at almost 3 a.m. where the occupant is using an ATM. That's pretty much why I booked it- I knew I was going to get propositioned in some way, and I just didn't want to even talk. In the afternoon I might have politely declined "giving her a few dollars so she can buy gas to get home", but for damn sure I'm not talking to somebody asking me for money at 3 a.m. in the morning.

I have become pretty much immune to homeless people or junkies begging on the street. Every single day I get asked by at least 4-5 people on the streets for money. I either ignore them completely or if they persist, I just give them a firm "no" with an angry look. They love to make up sob stories about how they are down and out on their luck, and they are trying to get back on their feet. The truth is, most of them are just junkies panhandling for their next fix.

I have become pretty much immune to homeless people or junkies begging on the street. Every single day I get asked by at least 4-5 people on the streets for money. I either ignore them completely or if they persist, I just give them a firm "no" with an angry look. They love to make up sob stories about how they are down and out on their luck, and they are trying to get back on their feet. The truth is, most of them are just junkies panhandling for their next fix.

I know some people who will give them food instead, which is smart.

I just try not to engage at all. And like I said, I'm from the somewhat sketchy part of the suburbs, so I run into people asking for money all the fucking time, especially at this particular shopping center. It's usually during the daylight, though.

Everyone in the city gets those propositions or scam artists trying to make a quick buck or steal your smartphone.

Have you ever wondered why that guy at the Train station keeps asking about the time? If you are the right mark, take out your cell phone, and get distracted by them, then voila, you are short a 500.00 phone. (Happened to someone I know)

Me, I know it's pretty racist thing to do, but I still do it to get out of speaking with people who are scamming:

"Me, no speaky English "

On the other side, I do give food and a few bucks during cold nights, because well, I am not that cold. The summer is more the "fake" beggars market, the winter, it's somewhat more genuine because few people would risk exposure to make $5. Those people deserve our help.

I don't know what I would do if I encountered a homeless person I never lived in the city so I never faced that dilemma. 

I know I have this fear of getting robbed at the ATM at night (even when someone is with me) that it makes me really jumpy when I go at night. Anyway, I think you did the best thing because someone else could been with her and, who knows how that would of ended.

Just reading this kind of freaked me out.