Most of us don't think twice before handing a dollar to a beggar who's clearly in more need of that money than we are. It's a reflex gesture, something we do without even thinking about it because empathy kicks in and takes over our brains.
But how would you feel if you found out that the man who was asking you for money actually drives a better car than you? And he's not homeless. You'd probably feel cheated. That's exactly how a bunch of Brits living in Cornwall feel after seeing a man they knew very well from begging in the city center load up his Audi TT in a car park.
The man's name is Matthew Brinton, 35 years of age, and he could often be found begging in the streets joined by his border collie, Hazel. The discovery of this video led to over 100 people posting comments and saying they felt "conned" after giving Matthew food and money.
Matthew complained about the abuse he has received lately, saying the car was a gift from his grandmother and that it got stolen anyway shortly after the video hit the internet. But once you've cried "wolf" and were found to be lying, don't expect people to believe you the second time around. So things have now gotten as far as Matthew receiving some death threats.
According to The Telegraph, the beggar is so affected by this turn of events, he's even thinking about suicide. "I have not seen any of the social media posts because I do not have access to the internet, but according to the police I've had lots of death threats. People are assuming too much and I'm getting a lot of abuse, which is pushing me to suicide."
Gaining people's trust is difficult, but re-gaining it is close to impossible. You can't expect people who thought you were completely helpless and gave you money not to judge when they see you driving a car that's still worth a few thousand dollars. It's bad enough for some that you're a young man who could be working instead of asking for charity.
The bottom line is that if you're the type of person who gives money to beggars, you've probably already been conned more than once. It's up to you if you can live with that idea knowing that, by doing so, you also help others who are truly in need, or simply refuse to hand out charity anymore and thus make sure you don't pay for anybody's Audi TT. There isn't another way.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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