No good deed goes unpunished.......

[Davej_07]

While perusing craigslist looking for firewood to be had, I happened upon another "free firewood wanted" posts. Now usually I read them and move on, but this one in particular struck a chord with me. Older couple, use wood for sole heat source, they'll take anything, etc......
I was feeling in a 'pay it foreword' kind of mood so I hooked up the trailer and went to my storage spot. I loaded up 1/3 cord of ash, and 2/3 cord of box elder, willow, and some pine that has been drying for 2 years. I figured that while I was giving them some scrubby stuff, 1/3. Of ash don't exactly suck. I phoned to get an address and they weren't too far from where I was....the lady I spoke to was pleasant and quite thankful....

Now the fun begins.....

I get to the address and pull into the drive......where I see a shiny newer Ford truck and a full dress Harley parked in front of the garage. Now I didn't get an attitude......loads of people have fallen n hard times and who am I to judge......
The husband comes out and without saying hi or anything tells me "you can stack it along side of the garage" and walks back into the house. I got a little miffed, but I knocked and told the wife that if he wanted to help me stack I'd be glad to help unload it but seeing as I'm GIVING it to you I'm not going to unload it solo. She got her husband to come outside, of course he's not happy......after about 30seconds he looks at the pieces in his hands, smell one, and states "this is freaking pine!!" i take the pieces from him, throw them into trailer and I go to leave. I had to get out of there before I smacked this ass-hat......
His wife calls me a few minutes later( probably from her new iPhone 4) and tells me that I was rude to offer them firewood and then not give it to them. I tell her "next time your husband is n craigslist, tell I'm to sell his Harley and buy some FREAKIN FIREWOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


These folks have REALLY strained my faith in the human race.........I guess this is payback for something I did in a previous life or something......


Dave

 

[Iron man]

Lot of people take advantage of other peoples good nature and ruin it for the ones that really need help.That's never gonna change.Years back maybe 15 years ago I was behind a women in line at a supermarket and she was paying with food stamps to the tune of like $300.Nothing new lots of people need food stamps only she was dressed like somebody you would never expect to see using them.A high maintenance looking women.Well after that in the parking lot I noticed her loading her loot into the trunk of a new cadillac eldorado or whatever not sure what model.Made me sick looking at her.

 

[JRepairsK70e]

most of us here have a story of those same good intentions ,years ago i climbed ,trimmed ,then chunked a 70 ft maple for an elderly couple supposedly down on their luck [tree was threatening to do some serious damage to their house and the neighbors if it came down wrong ] took 2 saturdays with a buddy to complete the task , to this day i dont know what the H.O.s look like ,they nvr came out the house to offer a cold drink, gas money ,or a thank you . my bud took the wood for his stove ,all i took was the risks . if i had dropped that tree on their house i would deff know what they look like . a week later my bud told me the H.O.s had a estimate from the local tree svc for 2500 to do that job ,so now they could go to florida for most of the winter without worrying about that tree ...... live and learn ... chalk it up to good karma .... i sleep well ....i wonder how some of these people do ?? jk

 

[unclemoustache]

Buddy of mine was approached by a young black man with a gas can in his hand, saying that his car ran out of gas and he walked to the station without his wallet. Would my buddy be kind enough to fill it up for him? Fortunately my buddy had his eyes open and saw the guy walk over to that station from the station across the street. The driver had pulled into the station, a handfull of other young black men got out, pulled out empty gas cans from the trunk and spread out, mooching free gas from generous people. Needless to say, my buddy didn't give him any.

 

[s219]

Craigslist breeds beggars and scavengers, and in many cases, they are not needy/deserving people. They're just cheap tightwads with bad ethics and no sense of manners or morality. I have a coworker that fits this mold to a tee. We'll go out to lunch, and he'll skimp on his order, then ask people if he can have half their fries/chips/etc. He actually makes more money than most of us. Big surprise -- he's a Craigslist regular.

 

[JRepairsK70e]

there was a guy near here that used to work that same gas scam at a local mobil ,[usually very early in the a.m. ] he would ask for dollars first ,then get his can while i was gassin up i didnt contribute the first time he aproached ,didnt work the next weekend either . i felt bad the first time but the next time i was just rude to the sob

 

[Garmins dad]

Davej.. it was very nice of you to offer help with some free wood.. You will be rewarded for that.. some day..

 

[wampum]

Yea a few years ago a guy stopped and said he was out of work and wanted to know if he could have a few splits from my pile.I told him okay and I went into the house. I came out about
15 minutes latter he was still there. He had filled the front seat(just enough room to drive)the back seat past the windows and had the trunk almost full as high as the trunk would open.
I chocked it up as experience and told him not to ever stop again. He was nervy enough to ask why.He had to have almost a half a cord in that car. I just told him leave before I unloaded all of it.I do not know how he could have gotten home with out breaking a spring.

 

[originalhooker]

well, i'll vent & clean my mind of it, forgive & live on......
3 weeks before Irene I looked at a job with 2 pines, 1 of them dead between 2 sheds & tight fenced back yard, got the go ahead,
& I told them it would be 3-4 weeks as we were back logged. I left a card with the neighbor as they also had a dead pine 10' from the 2 I would be climbing,
mentioned it also to the customer to contact them, & we could knock em' out together,,,,nada...Day before the storm, please come cut my trees!!!!!
I mentioned the neighbors, "oh yeah they've called several tree guys we saw sevreal of them couple weeks ago, but the dead pine is still there."
We fit them in late a.m. 3hrs before the rains started & since I was up there,,,,figured "ok, I'm up here might as well cut the the top 35' out of the neighbors tree
since "their tree guy isn't showing, & this tree well crush one of 3 sheds in the surrounding yards...." You know the "GOLDEN RULE"

2 weeks after the storm we clean up the trees,,,,go over to teh neighbors to see if they will pay for our services rendered....
"well yes it was a dangerous tree, & we needed it down, but we never contracted with you, & well it's not a good time!" she rudely shifts her attention, no thank you,
no we'll pay later, just rudely goes on about her business, leaving me standing there with the chipper blaring with her dead tree being mulched...
mind you, these were late 20's - 30's couple ......
People are,,,,, well people...........Live with the mindset of high gratitude and low expectation....it's a hard concept to grasp but most people these days are,,,,,,sad.

 

[deerlakejens]

Last fall I was pulling out of my driveway and found a couple guys pushing a newer Honda minivan off to the side. I asked him what his problem was and he said he had run out of gas. I run a landscape business and had two cans of gas in the back of the truck so I stopped and offered him one. He didn't have any cash, only credit cards and insisted on refilling my container. I told him I was in a bit of a hurry so he said he would drop it off on his way back. He was a well dressed guy, (white for some of you guys), with the decals of a family in his rear window, so I said fine. Last I ever saw of my gas can. I always have and still believe in helping where I can but I have learned not to expect it of anyone else. That way I can be pleasantly surprised when someone does respond appreciatively.

 

[avason]

I was coming back from maine last year and needed to stop off in worcester because the kids were hungry and cranky. Stopped at a wendies to get something for them when a guy approached me. He gave me this story about how he was in the military his wife was down the road and his car broke down. He needed money so he could get a ticket back to his base in boston. The guy seemed like a decent guy and not a scrub. He said he needed 10 bucks for him and his wife to get back. At first I say no then started thinking about what you guys were saying about karma. Foolishly I gave the guy a 20...that's all I had. He asked for my address so he could get it back to me along with a poster of the "u.s.s whatever it was" for my classroom. This is actually going back a year to this weekend and Still waiting for the poster. and my 20! :monkey:

Not as bad as some of your stories but along the same lines.

 

[trapshooter9]

My wife was at grocery and a young mother ahead of her in line with 2 young kids and a large cart full of groceries. aher debit card was declined. As she was leaving without the groceries, my wife called her back and paid for the groceries. The lady took my wifes address and said she would send the money. I was very skeptical upon learning of this and told my wife so. A week or so later (much to my surprise) we received a very nice thank you note along with a check. Sometimes it does work out.

 

[JRepairsK70e]

maybe we should change the saying ...no good deed goes without a lesson learned ....jk

 

[Guido Salvage]

Most people who are "begging" will tell you they need money for a specific purpose. I do not mind helping out folks from time to time, but I suspect that most of the money such people receive does not go towards the stated need. You are probably much better off offering to buy the person the item in question than just giving them the cash. Those that really need the item are grateful, those that wanted cash will often move on.

 

[avalancher]

I guess we all have stories that stick in our mind about helping others, but one sticks in my mind that makes me shout to myself, "you should have seen that one coming buddy!"

A few months ago I was in our local grocery store getting a few things, when I noticed a little gal at the customer service counter crying while talking to the manager. As I pulled up to the check out counter, I heard him say, "Im sorry, we just dont do that around here."

As she walked by me, I stopped her and asked her if everything was okay.She said she was just about out of gas, and needed to get home to Cosby,a small town about fifteen miles away.She had no money,it was late, and she didnt know what to do. I told her that I dont hand out money, but if she will pull her car up to the pumps out in front of the store, I would put some gas in her car. She smiled, wiped the tears away, and thanked me. I paid for the groceries, climbed into the truck, and headed over to the pumps.

After she pulled up, a guy got out of the passenger side, and I was little startled. I had assumed she was by herself, and for some reason warning flags went up. But I figured that it made no difference, guess they were just both broke and needed some help.I swiped my card, and the guy reached for the pump handle. I quietly but firmly took the nozzle out of his hand, stuck it in the car, and pumped ten bucks into the tank.

When I pulled the nozzle out of the car, the guy said, "What?ten bucks?Are you kidding?What am I supposed to do with ten bucks worth of gas?"

I replied, "Well, that should get you home" He fumed a bit, then wanted to know how was his wife supposed to get back into town for work the next day? I told him that trip will be on his nickel, not mine.
Then he really got pissed, and started in on how folks are so cheap, wont help when a guy is down on his luck and on an on he went.I finally snapped.

Holding him up against the pump by the throat, I told him just what I thought of him. Sending his woman into the store to do the begging, not making sure as the man of the house that they got enough gas to not only get into town but back home again.Then I popped the drivers door open and holding him by his ear I encouraged him to apologize to his wife for being such a low down sap sucking low life.It took a little twisting of his ear, but he managed to choke most of the words out. I then told the little gal to listen to her daddy next time when he warned her that she was marrying a piece of trash that will probably leave her stranded in a dark parking lot someday begging for gas money.

I was seriously tempted to kick his butt all the way around the car back to the passenger side of the car, but I could see the gal sitting in the cashiers booth already looking really nervous, so I dropped the guy on the pavement, got in my truck, and went home.
Cussing myself all the way there. Should have seen that one coming buddy!

 

[Garmins dad]

. Should have seen that one coming buddy!

Keep in mind you helped out what could have been a gal in a bad spot.. I don't give two craps about a guy truth be told.. We all can find work.. Swallow your pride and shovel pig #### if need be.. Now for a gal.. not always easy to find work.. Feel good you helped HER.. don't think of the useless skin in the passenger seat..




My wife says i am a junk collector.. i say its all good stuff for someone.. and i will find them and give them the stuff.. I was in safeway one evening buying the nessecities. (sp?) and the young gal in front of me with one little boy buying some food. She was short something like 12 bucks for what she had. I handed the cashier the cash and thought nothing of it. They young gal thanked me a few times asked for my addy to send me the money when she can.. I told her i offered it. I do not expect it back.. So as i got out side she was putting her boy in a car seat in a older monte carlo. Horrible tires on the thing. I walked over and said to her.. Here is my number, ask your husband or boyfriend to call me. I have a set of rims off a damaged car that would fit and they have great winter tires on them.. Yours for free.. I have no use for them.. She looked like a deer in the head lights. asked if it was allright to give me a hug. Uhhh.. no not really.. She went on to tell me how her hubby had passed on due to a accident at work. I told her i would be back in town on thursday and to make her feel more at ease i would like to meet her somewhere she would feel safe. So we meet at Safeway.. I brought my floor jack and wrenches. I changed out the tires for her. She sends my family a thank you and a merry Christmas card every Christmas now.. its been four years.. She has gone back to school.. Landed a decent paying job..


There are people out there that do need some help and sometimes its just the little extra to get them back on track.. I don't hand folks money.. but i will offer assistance or pay for a little food or fuel..

 

[spike60]

Wow, some amazing stories. None of us can change the world; we can just make little pieces of it better. The way I see it, I come across enough people who need help where I know enough about them that it's a legitimate situation. In those instances I'm happy to do what I can.

I stay away from strangers and those asking for handouts. People asking for help usually sound like they've done it before. Plenty of times.

 

[Somesawguy]

It seems as though most of the people that need help don't ask for it. I'm the same way.

If I see what looks like a legitimate need, then I'll do what I can, but I don't just hand out money to people anymore.

 

[camr]

One of the rare times I came out on top:

I was in Vegas for a trade show. Had some adult beverages with my buddies in a bar downstairs. I'm heading up to my room, alone, and when I step out of the elevator onto my floor, a guy stops me. Seems he was in town with friends and he somehow lost his wallet with all his cash, credit cards and ID, Then he lost track of the friends and they left for home leaving him stranded. Would I be kind enough to contribute towards a plane ticket so he could get back home in time for work on Monday? Now, I've probably had enough to drink that I looked a little wobbly but at least my brain was still active. When I asked him how he was gonna get past TSA to board a plane for the flight home with no ID, he just looked at me like a deer in the headlights and walked away. Poor SOB is probably still wandering around Vegas looking for a way home! LOL!

 

[turnkey4099]

Last fall I was pulling out of my driveway and found a couple guys pushing a newer Honda minivan off to the side. I asked him what his problem was and he said he had run out of gas. I run a landscape business and had two cans of gas in the back of the truck so I stopped and offered him one. He didn't have any cash, only credit cards and insisted on refilling my container. I told him I was in a bit of a hurry so he said he would drop it off on his way back. He was a well dressed guy, (white for some of you guys), with the decals of a family in his rear window, so I said fine. Last I ever saw of my gas can. I always have and still believe in helping where I can but I have learned not to expect it of anyone else. That way I can be pleasantly surprised when someone does respond appreciatively.

Same here. I live right on a major highway and get people stopping all the time. Only lost one gas can but what really got me was a guy borrowed the can and couple gallons gas. "I'll put gas in it and drop it off on my way back". He did. I used his ?gas? in the mower and it wouldn't start more than a few sputters. I checked the ?gas? Yep, there was some but it was mostly water and rust.

Car of crum bums stopped while I was gone. Wife watched them disconnect the sprinker hose that was running, added water to their junker, dropped hose still running on the ground and left. I often wondered how far they got. I was watering out of a creek that ran through a feedlot about a 1/4 mile up the road .

Harry K