Originally Posted by Trollheart

I know what you mean. It's slightly OT, but still sort of charity in a way. Up at the hospital with sis, she in the ambulance heading into A&E (ER) and me going to reception to sign her in, I see this guy asking everyone if they have a charger for a mobile phone he can use? He has been stabbed and needs to arrange a bed for the night with one of the local homeless hostels. I happen to have a powerbank, so I loan it to him. He's delighted. But of course it charges slowly. I say "that'll be enough for you to make your call" (about 3%) but then he asks if I have a phone. Well, I wouldn't be carrying around a charger if I had no phone, would I, and after all the guy has been in a fight. He's quite big and I don't know how he'll react if I refuse him the use of my phone, so I say sure and hand it to him very warily, trying to stick close to him while waiting for my turn at the window to sign sis in (there's someone in real pain sitting down there so I'm not about to hurry them up).

Out of the corner of my eye I see him beginning to move away. ****, I think, and follow him, trying not to make it too obvious. Long story short, he gets through and eventually gives me back the phone. Relief. I ask for the charger, he says it's still charging up, can he give it back to me later? "I'm going to be here for a while", he says. I consider, remember I have another one and say "You know what? **** it: keep it." He beams, and asks me if I have a tenner? Luckily just then the other person is done and I can get to the window. "Sorry," I say, "we rushed out of the house when the ambulance arrived, and I have no cash on me. Gotta go."

Lucky escape, maybe. I didn't really want to give him the charger, but hell, it was the easiest option. Sometimes it just ain't worth it trying to help people.