I had a friend end up down there, him I tried to help in any way I could. He continued to spiral down, out of control, alcohol and drugs. He finally hit bottom and ended up in jail. That, to his credit, finally halted the decline. Last I heard, he had his own place, and was holding down a job. Quite the accomplishment, being independent again. What’s amazing is, he had a very bright future and was doing very well, for material things he did not want.
I’m quite aware that they’re not all scammers. Most of them are, though, and some can be violent. I had to throw the same guy, a stranger, out of my car twice over the course of a week, he jumped in the passenger seat when I used the remote to unlock the door. He’ll come to no good end, somebody will kill him if he’s still doing that.
Great story! You are to be commended for getting involved in trying to help him. I'm not saying we should all toss wads of money at everyone. What I find offensive is the attitude: "What's mine is mine and all those bums can go to h#$& for all I care - I'm tired of seeing that trash."
As far as I am concerned, people who have no compassion for others are the real losers.