Spare some change?

My motto has always been, never give spare change to homeless people. Because if you give it to one, you have to give it to another, and by the time you know it you have no change for yourself. And god damnit, I earned that change more than someone on the street holding up a sign that says "I bet you a dollar you read this sign," or "why lie, I need a beer," or "spare some money for an 8-ball, a hooker and a motel room?" Okay that last one is kind of clever, but in any case I'd like to keep my money to myself.

This all changed last weekend when I was struck by a terribly distraught and starving old woman sitting at the bus stop. Not only did she look like she was about to keel over and die from lack of nutrition, but she was weeping and wimpering - such a sad, sad sight. So I reached into my wallet and gave her a WHOLE DOLLAR BILL. She was so incredibly grateful that she tried to get up and hug me, but I told her to sit down and go get herself something to eat. She cried because she was so happy. I was touched.

A couple of days later I was waiting in the BART station with my friend and this man came up to us and asked us for some money so he could get home. Actually, he told us some long drawn out story about how many people he had asked that day. I didn't feel like getting my wallet out and I knew I had some change in my coat pocket, so I reached in and pulled out two pennies, which the man was happy to take. But then he dropped one, and when he bent down to pick it up, he physically couldn't get it off the marble floor because he had no finger nails! I pushed my friend to help him, but we both just stood there watching this poor man try to pick up a penny. Finally he picked it up by using the other penny, to which he said to us "you've got to use your brain." I couldn't help but think, for someone who cares about using their brain I'm surprised you've stooped so low as to take two pennies from a well-dressed girl in the BART station. Poor shmuck.