Beggars and bar tabs
October 29th, 2008The last time I gave money to a beggar, he and two of his friends followed me secretly until I was passing through a park and then the three of them mugged me.
I only had $40 in reais in my pocket, but they took my pen, compass, and watch, and I had to fight over the key to my hotel safe, which they eventually threw on the sidewalk. This was in Rio.
The funny part was that in my next Portuguese class, we got to Chapter 5, “How to Report an Assault to the Police.” I had fresh details to practice with, and learned that all of my instructors had been mugged multiple times, sometimes at gunpoint, which I guess explains why it’s a chapter in the textbook.
There are a lot of beggars on Sukhumvit Road, but they are generally not just poor. Most are amputees or have otherwise deformed or diseased limbs (and sometimes faces). Giving these people money is easier than deciding what to label it in the expense diary I am keeping for this trip. “Beggar” seems too cold, and “charity” seems too grand.