Air Conditioning, Cable TV, and an Xbox: What is Poverty in the United States Today?

[Rain Man]

I had some guy ask me for money this weekend. He said he was here from San Francisco for a tattoo convention, and he couldn't get back home.

I asked him why and he said he didn't have money, but he was only a few bucks short of getting his ticket.

I asked him why he didn't buy a round trip ticket, and he said he had a bike accident a few days ago that knocked out all of his lower teeth, and he showed me his gums. I'm not sure what that had to do with it, and didn't ask why he had brought his bike all the way from San Francisco to go to a convention.

I advised him to talk to his convention, because they could put him in touch with some sort of traveler's aid group, and he said he had no ID, and he needed ID to get help.

I asked him why he didn't have ID, and he said that he couldn't find his wallet. Then he said he either lost it or it was stolen. Then he said it disappeared when he had his bike wreck.

Then he offered to draw me some art and mentioned that he had his tattoo stuff with him. I'm not sure if he meant art for my refrigerator or if he wanted to give me a tattoo there on the street.

So I gave him ten bucks and went with the teardrop near my eye, because my clients will be afraid to question my market research if they think I've killed people.

It's all pretty much true but the last part.

But my point is that this guy couldn't even lie effectively. Why am I going to give money to a guy who can't even tell me a plausible lie?