This has happened to me at least twice over the last 10 or so years. The first time someone asked for money at an airport was at Chicago O’Hare, when I was traveling to the US for the first time, during one of my 5 layovers (another story, another time!).
A young girl, probably a teenager, said to me that her boyfriend left her at the airport with no money to pay for the taxi to get back home. She was sobbing as she narrated her story. She probably was telling the truth. And I wanted to help her. But all I had was 800 dollars, in 8 multiples of crisp $100 bills!
This time, while waiting for my connection at Dubai, a middle aged gentleman, in salwar kameez, approached me. Asked if I was from Pakistan. I said I am from Hindustan. He continued on undeterred that he missed his flight and was short on cash. He said he was from Sialkot and was on his way to Iran and then on to Iraq on pilgrimage. He also said that he was a cancer patient. The cancer bit raised red flags. He did not look one bit sick. But I decided to help him regardless and left him with some 100 Rupee notes.
10 years have passed between these two encounters. And I have learned that if I don’t act when an opportunity to help presents itself, it ends up bothering me forever.
My Ruminations 