in the uk, kids will come up to you with puppy-dog eyes and just hold out their hands. i was at a bus stop and a 10-year-old in designer clothes came up to me. i laughed and told him i wasn't giving money to someone dressed in nicer clothes than i was. he didn't budge. then i told him i didn't have any cash on me (all i had was traveler's checks at that point, plus bus fare). he didn't budge. finally, i reached in my pocket and pulled out all the change i had--probably about 20p. i dropped it in his hand and said, "ok ok, you got me." he looked at the money with disdain, dropped it on the ground, and put his hand out again. by that time, the bus had arrived, so i was able to end the interaction, but talk about persistence (stupidity? stubbornness? many words apply.). i sometimes wonder how long he would have stood there had the bus not arrived when it did.
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in the uk, kids will come up to you with puppy-dog eyes and just hold out their hands. i was at a bus stop and a 10-year-old in designer clothes came up to me. i laughed and told him i wasn't giving money to someone dressed in nicer clothes than i was. he didn't budge. then i told him i didn't have any cash on me (all i had was traveler's checks at that point, plus bus fare). he didn't budge. finally, i reached in my pocket and pulled out all the change i had--probably about 20p. i dropped it in his hand and said, "ok ok, you got me." he looked at the money with disdain, dropped it on the ground, and put his hand out again. by that time, the bus had arrived, so i was able to end the interaction, but talk about persistence (stupidity? stubbornness? many words apply.). i sometimes wonder how long he would have stood there had the bus not arrived when it did.