Tag: money



The tale of CDG airport

L’attribut alt de cette image est vide, son nom de fichier est Airport-300x122.jpg.

I was dashing through the airport with my phone to my ear. A passenger pulling his wheeled suitcase called out to me “Do you speak English?”

I stopped, always ready to be of assistance. He asked me if I could help him out with 20 euros. He had run out of money at the airport and didn’t have anyone he could ask for help. Lots of things ran through my mind, I was in a hurry, I wondered why he’d picked me, I didn’t totally trust him and in the end I told him I didn’t have any cash on me. By way of reply he flung at me, “Why don’t you just say you won’t help me instead of bothering to dream up an excuse?”

I went off feeling a bit ashamed at my lack of charity. I told myself – later, obviously – that I could have asked him for his story, given him something towards his 20 euros and in return got a nice warm feel-good glow.

Two weeks later I once again heard a voice calling out “Do you speak English?” It was the same man, with the same little wheeled suitcase. I smiled at him and replied, “You ran out of money last week as well!” Surprised, he turned and fled. And I got my warm glow after all!

I had not believed the man’s story the first time I met him.

What about you? Do you trust your intuition?