[itsahoot]

it occurred to me that I should have given them some money.I really wish I had.

Truth is the kid probably wouldn't have been helped one bit. When I was in the Navy I learned that begging children didn't necessarily get to keep any money you gave them so I would take them inside a restaurant and feed them.

[Gay State Conservative]

Yes,I've heard that said on many occasions. “Don't give to that homeless guy...he'll just buy booze/drugs”. And there are many variations of that. But this was different.We were in a desert.We were in the middle of nowhere and saw no living beings except the odd ostrich running by. And these were *real* people. I'm strongly inclined to believe the money would have benefited *someone* in genuine need.I doubt that they were part of the type of scam one often sees involving “the down and out".

But I could be wrong.

[Gay State Conservative]

And BTW...this old Army guy knows basically nothing about the Navy but I do know that naval vessels visit many ports,including places where real poverty is seen. I don't know if you're talking about the Philippines or some other similar place...but what you did,feeding a kid,was a very decent thing to do.