You anin't cheating me

Yesterday, I was approached by a bespectacled, elderly man. He had short hair, similar to mine, ecxcept it's all white. Holding an open black umbrella, which was leaning on his right shoulder, and clad in a simple white shirt and black shorts, he looked like any elderly from the neighbourhood.

He asked if I could speak English. I replied with a curt "Yes". He began by telling me that he lived nearby and had a leg operation. To corroborate his tale, he pointed to his right leg, which had a linear patch that somewhat resembled a scar. Then he popped the million dollar question, "Uncle forget to bring money. Can you give me $2?"

I replied incredulously, "You live nearby, right? Then you can walk back and get the money." To which he said, "Ya, but Uncle leg pain and it's a far walk." At this point, I was pretty sure any more talk would lead to nowhere and I employed the one of the best strategy from the 36 Strategems: Retreat. "Look, I'm in a hurry. Sorry," I muttered and scurried away like a manager faced with new management paradigms.

I encountered countless strangers asking for money. From can-toting kids to pretty ladies to elderly who looks as if they are hit by some incurable disease, I treat them with equal disdain. I see all of them as con men, or con women, if you prefer; swindlers would be a more politically and gender-neutral term.

Seriously, that old man I encountered yesterday needs to brush up on his lying skill, assuming he is a conman. Kudos for his life-like scar but he shouldn't have said, "I live nearby"; hardhearted people like me will simply ask him to trudge all the way back. He could have:

1) Come up with a more credible story, e.g. "I got cheated by some foreign prostitute who claimed to love me. Now, I'm penniless.";
2) Used incentives, e.g. "I've a stash of white dollar bills hidden in a leather case. I need $2 to buy some "special fluid" to wash the bills and make them become real. You can have a share too.";
3)Try something innovative, "Here are some naked pictures/videos of my nubile, 16 year old grand daughter. For $2, you can have exclusive distribution rights to the entire series."

Let's say he is not faking it. Would I have spared him the money? No. He forgot to bring money out and that is his fault. I am not obliged to suffer any monetary loss for his absentmindedness and irresponsibility.

Some people would actually say, "C'mon! What is $2 to you? Just give it to the poor man." This is exactly how these conmen work. By asking for petty amounts, they prey on the vulnerable human psyche of giving up small sums of money. I have never encountered anyone asking for more than $2. Why is that? Simple, if they are to ask for $5 or $10, people are likely to scoff at them and scurry away just like me. Try it for yourself and see if it's true. Of course, remember to return the money to the good Samaritans who are willing to part with their money for your little experiment.

Generally speaking, people who got cheated fall into one of these three categories: Gullible, kind-hearted or greedy. Swindlers may use a combination of techniques but basically preys on these three aspects. For the first two, it's pretty easy to cure. Just be more discerning (easier said than done but it's do-able) and less trusting towards strangers. For greed, let's just say that if it's easy to overcome, it won't be listed as one of the deadly sins.