Sad But True

[Donnyboy]

Maybe now that Kevin has done this good deed, he will consider tearing down the no riff raff sign and let the young lady and her baby dine at his restaurant.

Is this part of some cunning plan? Opening up the flood-gate?

she probably drinks Leo

[sassienie]

Maybe now that Kevin has done this good deed, he will consider tearing down the no riff raff sign and let the young lady and her baby dine at his restaurant.

Is this part of some cunning plan? Opening up the flood-gate? 

Surely this is double standards. You help this poor woman and child out of a predicament, yet she wouldn’t be eligible to dine at your restaurant.

And as for the child, well, in one of your previous posts you complained about children as being an annoyance to you in your restaurant.

[highlander76]

well done Kevin what I do not understand is why the monks did not let her and the baby sleep inside the temple for the night

[KevinHunt]

well done Kevin what I do not understand is why the monks did not let her and the baby sleep inside the temple for the night

Temples are closed at night.

[473geo]

Maybe now that Kevin has done this good deed, he will consider tearing down the no riff raff sign and let the young lady and her baby dine at his restaurant.

Is this part of some cunning plan? Opening up the flood-gate?

Surely this is double standards. You help this poor woman and child out of a predicament, yet she wouldn't be eligible to dine at your restaurant.

And as for the child, well, in one of your previous posts you complained about children as being an annoyance to you in your restaurant.

Rubbish, you might help a cow out of a hole.......but you wouldn't want it eating in your restaurant!!!!

A kindness is just that, and to belittle it doesn't make you look any better.....

Edited October 4, 2009 by 473geo

[KevinHunt]

Maybe now that Kevin has done this good deed, he will consider tearing down the no riff raff sign and let the young lady and her baby dine at his restaurant.

Is this part of some cunning plan? Opening up the flood-gate? 

Surely this is double standards. You help this poor woman and child out of a predicament, yet she wouldn't be eligible to dine at your restaurant.

And as for the child, well, in one of your previous posts you complained about children as being an annoyance to you in your restaurant.

Me double standards?

On the whole, peolple without money are not welcome in not only mine, but almost every other business. Becoming a 'soup kitchen' won't help my business and in the long run it wouldn't help my charitable intentions either.

I never complained about children being an annoyance! I like children and children like me. In the vicinity of my business I am 'Papa' to all the kids nearby as well as my staff and most of the young folk nearby. Strangely, some of the old folk at the noodle shop nearby also refer to me as 'Papa'?!

A few months ago, I related a story about a very disturbed child almost throwing fits in my place of work, and commented as to how the husband was oblivious to his childs problems, and how his indifference showed a lack of consideration to the people around him. You somehow mistakenly interpreted that as an intolerance to children on my part. If you can find this previous post, maybe you could give me a link so that we can look at it again. Since it was a post about my daily experiences at my place of work, it may well have been deleted or closed by now.

I had quite an amusing experience today, but unfortunately it happened at my place of work.

Edited October 4, 2009 by KevinHunt

[britmaveric]

KH - missed the week part. Definitely done more than most. Hopefully it will get her started in the right direction.

[sagaris]

commendable actions op. i also think the guesthouse should be applauded as they could easily have not allowed her to stay or misconstrued the situation at that time of night/morning.

Which guesthouse was it, if you dont mind me asking.

Edited October 4, 2009 by sagaris

[john b good]

Whilst I can laways spare some change for the genuinely needy, it would seem to be that these people are bordering on being professional beggers and I wonder how much they really are in need. I also wonder how they are able to occupy the same spot on the pavement night after night. Some sort of payoff somewhere?

I would guess that almost ALL beggars here are pros. I lived in Vietnam for a while and realized that that is true there.

There used to be a beggar outside a bank on Changklan Road. He was a cripple and got about on a hand-cranked Tri-cycle. I used the bank occasionally and I would give  him a tip of the hat and a smile that was almost a 'knowing nod' as I passed him and he replied with a wai. I never donated  because my wife explained that he had a nice house just out of town and he wasn't doing too badly.

It got me thinking one day. He's a cripple and his opportunities of employment are very limited , I imagine. So, what should he do? If he starts begging and finds a good spot and does well out of it one day, should he go home and stop begging or stay and do the full shift? Should he only beg on a subsistence level or should he beg a little more in order to treat himself to a better meal, or God forbid, a beer? 

If his options are truly limited because of his physical limitations and maybe lack of education, and he takes the only option available should he strive, like the rest of us, to do his best or is that immoral? Shouldn't he be entitled to enjoy the nicities of life, like the rest of us?

Most people would be quite happy to give him the money if they thought it was for food or shelter or the bare basics, but he shouldn't be enjoying life should he? He shouldn't have a mobile phone or high-speed internet. Or should he? 

Personally, I came to the conclusion that if begging is his only option available, he should do it to the best of his abilities, and good luck to him if it helps him get on in life. Don't forget, he's giving a public service too, in enabling people to gain merit. He''s just as entitled to a good life as I am, surely?

And I thought that it was the 'poms' who were the tightwads and it was the Scots who were generous to a fault.

So I have to say I admire what you did. Regardless of you being a Liverpudlian or whatever.

I may have done it too but I am not usually out and about at 03.00 (way past my bed time)

But on the subject of beggars "of which this girl seemed she was not" and whilst I cannot speak with any authority on the way it is done in CM it is a well known fact that in the 'big mango' the areas are all controlled and run as franchises by mafia folk (probably including the BIB's) and that whatever the days / or night takings are in the beggars hands as much as 70% "perhaps more" has to be handed over to the franchise holder for that area.

This has dissuaded me from feeling guilty about passing these people (the beggars) by without a glance or feeling of guilt.

I don't know if the deal with the night bazaar in general is the same as it was a few years ago when the mafia (at that time, army poo yai) contolled each and every stall holder who had to pay a stipend to be able to operate their stall.

One refused to pay and was put on the contractors list to go down. Problem was the contractor murdered the wrong guy

Again you did good. Now I won't feel so bad when I have to pay for the water

But before clicking on 'add reply' I do still wonder about how this girl and her child have fared since you happened along as a 'good Samaritan'

I hope that she is not had to return to her "hole in the wall"

Edited October 5, 2009 by john b good

[malcy]

Maybe now that Kevin has done this good deed, he will consider tearing down the no riff raff sign and let the young lady and her baby dine at his restaurant.

Is this part of some cunning plan? Opening up the flood-gate?

Surely this is double standards. You help this poor woman and child out of a predicament, yet she wouldn't be eligible to dine at your restaurant.

And as for the child, well, in one of your previous posts you complained about children as being an annoyance to you in your restaurant.

Children usually are an annoyance , however i think kevin is as tolerant as the next man

i haqve taken my son into his establishment many times and once kevin even gave my son

a liverpool shirt to wear.

[Gonzo the Face]

Maybe now that Kevin has done this good deed, he will consider tearing down the no riff raff sign and let the young lady and her baby dine at his restaurant.

Is this part of some cunning plan? Opening up the flood-gate?

Surely this is double standards. You help this poor woman and child out of a predicament, yet she wouldn't be eligible to dine at your restaurant.

And as for the child, well, in one of your previous posts you complained about children as being an annoyance to you in your restaurant.

Children usually are an annoyance , however i think kevin is as tolerant as the next man

i haqve taken my son into his establishment many times and once kevin even gave my son

a liverpool shirt to wear.

Yeah Yeah,,,,,, but did he take it back after you paid your bill.??

[caf]

commendable actions op. i also think the guesthouse should be applauded as they could easily have not allowed her to stay or misconstrued the situation at that time of night/morning.

Which guesthouse was it, if you dont mind me asking.

I agree, the guest house must be applauded for their compassion. Give us the name Kevin so we can patronize them. I would certainly pop in and thank them for their consideration and maybe other expats can too. Nice to have some good news on TV

[KevinHunt]

commendable actions op. i also think the guesthouse should be applauded as they could easily have not allowed her to stay or misconstrued the situation at that time of night/morning.

Which guesthouse was it, if you dont mind me asking.

I agree, the guest house must be applauded for their compassion. Give us the name Kevin so we can patronize them. I would certainly pop in and thank them for their consideration and maybe other expats can too. Nice to have some good news on TV

It's close to the temple, in a small soi. It was open late at night, unlike most guesthouses. That was the only reason I chose it. They're the sort of place that isn't overly fussy about customers and not one that I would recommend. Cheap, but not so cheerful. They did accept a woman with a baby late at night so I can at least commend them for that.

[caf]

commendable actions op. i also think the guesthouse should be applauded as they could easily have not allowed her to stay or misconstrued the situation at that time of night/morning.

Which guesthouse was it, if you dont mind me asking.

I agree, the guest house must be applauded for their compassion. Give us the name Kevin so we can patronize them. I would certainly pop in and thank them for their consideration and maybe other expats can too. Nice to have some good news on TV

It's close to the temple, in a small soi. It was open late at night, unlike most guesthouses. That was the only reason I chose it. They're the sort of place that isn't overly fussy about customers and not one that I would recommend. Cheap, but not so cheerful. They did accept a woman with a baby late at night so I can at least commend them for that.

Thanks for that Kevin. Pity we can't go along and thank them ourselves then isn't it? Quite appropriately you have been thanked profusely, would have been nice to have been able to go along chat to them and thank them too. It would help them to drum up business for even if you do not recommend them they did a good deed. Heaven knows businesses need as much free advertising as they can get.

Again I see why people congratulated you; and I do too for what you did. In your line of business, working anti-social hours, most would have got to bed by 1 or 2 in the morning after clearing up and climbed the stairs to bed.

[KevinHunt]

I just saw the 'Beggars- Raking it in' topic and to be honest I think it's sad. A great excuse not to help anyone. Or to quote Onnut "good news for me because now I dont have any reason to feel guilty for not giving nothing". Actually, not giving nothing is good. It's not giving anything that is the problem.

Do you know what I think is interesting about this post? - You all missed the point. I'm not a nice guy.

I acted only because the elements (the impending rain, the shadows, the whimpering baby) all made it Dramatic. Normally, I pass these people by. Just like you probably. I make excuses to ease my mind or to mask the fact that I'm mean. "They're not genuine. They've hired the baby". All good excuses to do nothing. Why did I act? Because it was dramatic. Would I have done the same in broad daylight, or if the baby hadn't whimpered? Probably not. I had a moment of weakness and that's why I acted.

Gotlost and others are there on the 'Beggars' post justifying why we shouldn't help anyone. Some of them aren't genuine, so we can all sleep at night if we don't help anyone , right? Another day in paradise.

The point about my post was not that I acted, it was that normally, I don't act. Sad, but true.

I have a role model. It is my wife. My target is that, maybe one day, I can be half as considerate to those around me as she is. When that day arrives, I will be twice the man that I am. If you're looking for a hero, you got the wrong one.

Edited October 6, 2009 by KevinHunt

[bifftastic]

I just saw the 'Beggars- Raking it in' topic and to be honest I think it's sad. A great excuse not to help anyone. Or to quote Onnut "good news for me because now I dont have any reason to feel guilty for not giving nothing". Actually, not giving nothing is good. It's not giving anything that is the problem.

Do you know what I think is interesting about this post? - You all missed the point. I'm not a nice guy.

I acted only because the elements (the impending rain, the shadows, the whimpering baby) all made it Dramatic. Normally, I pass these people by. Just like you probably. I make excuses to ease my mind or to mask the fact that I'm mean. "They're not genuine. They've hired the baby". All good excuses to do nothing. Why did I act? Because it was dramatic. Would I have done the same in broad daylight, or if the baby hadn't whimpered? Probably not. I had a moment of weakness and that's why I acted.

Gotlost and others are there on the 'Beggars' post justifying why we shouldn't help anyone. Some of them aren't genuine, so we can all sleep at night if we don't help anyone , right? Another day in paradise.

The point about my post was not that I acted, it was that normally, I don't act. Sad, but true.

I have a role model. It is my wife. My target is that, maybe one day, I can be half as considerate to those around me as she is. When that day arrives, I will be twice the man that I am. If you're looking for a hero, you got the wrong one.

I've read all this thread so far and this has to be the best part, especially the last paragraph...well said that man

[473geo]

I don't think people are looking for a hero Kevin.......

But they do like to take the opportunity to recognise and encourage acts of kindness......

Something which you clearly appreciate in your wife........