I could kick myself. A young woman politely stopped me in food store parking lot, needing money

[MineralMan]

31. Could have been a scam or it could be legitimate.

I try to make some sort of judgment in such cases and make a decision.

One time, I had stopped in at a Taco Bell. A guy was digging in their dumpster. There was a car nearby with a woman in it. My judgment was that someone was trying to eat, so I went over and asked the man if I could give him money to go into the store and buy some food. He said thank you, so I gave him $10.

The evidence indicated that there was a real need. I got in my car, and saw the man going into the Taco Bell.

The gas money request is a little more suspicious to me, but I'd make a decision based on the person who was asking. If I thought it sounded true, I'd try to help. If the car was there, I'd ask them to drive over to the pump, where I'd put some fuel in their tank for them. If not, I'd have to rely on my intuition.

I often don't actually have any cash on me, these days. I pay for everything with a debit card, so cash tends to stay in my wallet for a long time. Then, once I spend it, I often don't bother to get more.