Potts Deals With Beggars
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 08.22.06 | 5:47 PM ET
Rolf Potts devotes one of his recent Traveling Light columns on Yahoo! to something almost every traveler will someday deal with: being hit up for money. “Indeed, after ten years of traveling in developing nations, I still have no hard and fast system on how to respond to them,” he writes. “Usually, whether or not I give depends on some combination of my mood, the appearance and persistence of the beggar, and whether or not I have small change. And, regardless of whether I give money or choose not to, I always end up feeling a little guilty.”
He continues:
This sense of guilt, I believe, is at the heart of the whole traveler-beggar issue. Life is not fair, after all, and traveling to poor countries (or seeing poor people in rich countries) only underscores this fact.
Still, handing out money solves few problems. Who, after all, do you give to? Everyone? Only the worst looking cases? And how much? And how often?
Potts arrives at a fine list of five tips for travelers. Among them: Don’t be afraid to say no, and be courteous.
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Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
Craig Bonnot 08.23.06 | 4:39 AM ET
I can definitely relate to the feeling of guilt Potts is talking about. When I’m at home, I’ve always made it a point to give a few dollars to any beggar who asks for it depending on how much money I have at the time. However on a recent trip to Belize, I encountered one of the saddest beggars I’ve ever seen outside the water taxi station in Belize City. I had just left the station and was getting into a taxi when I noticed the beggar a few feet away pleading “can you please spare some money. I’m hungry.” He kept repeating this again and again not really addressing anyone in particular. He was covered in dirt from head to toe, and it was obvious the man was in real bad shape. I really wanted to get out of the taxi and give him some money, but for some reason, I did not. I tried to rationalize it by saying it’s probably a scam, but it’s hard not feel bad about not helping someone in need.