My first full day in San Antonio was pretty packed with stuff to do — started out the day bright and early with the video shoot at the customer service center in northwestern San Antonio which went quite well. As a matter of fact, it went so well that we were done with the shoot by 11:00 a.m. So I decided to drive downtown and get some on-location video footage, eye candy type stuff for the introduction, giving context to San Antonio — the Riverwalk, Alamo, etc.

It was a pretty nice day in all, 55 degrees or so (much nicer than back home from what I hear) — and eating outside was a treat. I ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, which is situated next to a new Starbucks that was just put in, apparently the largest Starbucks in the world. There was some sort of pre-opening day thing going on for the press. Though I had the Canon GL2 in hand with various accessories, I decided not to play the “I’m indie press” card and wander around downtown.

I woulda had some nice day shots, but my digital camera was kinda flipping out — the LED display was showing up all white for some reason. Weird.

Anyway, I went back to the hotel for awhile (after getting lost trying to find my way back… thanks Google Maps for nothing). Wanna know how lost they got me??? The address to the Marriott where I am staying is 3233 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX but where Google says it is is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off. In fact, the hotel is nowhere near old highway 90. If you follow 410 north and east up the map, the hotel is actually where highway 87 and the 410 loop converge — roughly 8 to 10 miles away. You can imagine the confusion that created trying to find the hotel.

After checking in with work and checking my email and such, I headed out later that evening to grab some tex-mex and went back to the Riverwalk to take in the Christmas lights that they had along the way. It was quite beautiful and I wouldn’t mind coming back here for the holidays. The Riverwalk is lined with tons of restaurants, lots of music in the air, roaming mariachi bands, and people bustling about.

As I was making my way back to the car a guy stopped me and introduced himself, saying he was a victim of Hurricane Katrina and that he was hungry and needed five bucks. I offered to go sit down with him somewhere and just give him dinner, to which he declined and said, “actually, I need the money to take the bus back to my hotel, where they’re putting us up.” So I said, “well can I just go and buy your bus ticket” — but he changed his story a bit.

“I actually need the money for a ten dollar deposit because I lost my key.” I had already given him the five bucks (mostly out of pity for the poor bastard), but his story was just too shady — he invited some lady too his room, they had some sort of disagreement or something and he kicked her out and she stole his key. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t buy it for a moment.

All this time he was going on and on about how he could tell I was a Christian, helping another Christian out and that he could feel and appreciate the love. He also went on using some more fuzzy “Christian” mumbo jumbo and how he knew that I loved God, etc. But after I probed him with some questions about his own “faith” and such, his theology of what it means to be a Christian really fell apart. Swiss cheese could have held more spiritual substance than this guy.

What really made me mad is two things: First, that he felt he had to make up some elaborate story that had no substance whatsoever — just to get some money (especially calling himself a Katrina victim). He wouldn’t take food. He wouldn’t take a purchased bus ticket. It was pretty clear he just wanted money — and that it was also pretty clear he didn’t need it for a “lost hotel key.”

The second thing that really bothered me is that he played the whole “Christian” card and tugged at my heart strings. Now I’m not gullable enough to be bought in by smooth talk, let alone by a beggar, but for a moment I actually gave this guy a chance and was genuine with him — that I wanted to help him either get food (he said he was hungry) or to buy his bus ticket for him (which he also refused). So I give this guy a few chances for aid, and what does he offer? A shady alibi at best and playing the “we both love Jesus” card for the gain of a few bucks.

In the back of my mind through that whole interchange I expected him to be what many bums really are — lying beggars that only want money for booze or drugs — but what made me mad is that I actually gave him a chance and all he could do was scramble to try and give his plight some substance.

I left downtown somewhat upset about this, but tired enough to crawl right into bed when I got back to the hotel.

I’m not sure if I’ll give money to a begging stranger again — at least not like that anymore. I will take the time to know their story and perhaps decide first whether their plight has any sort of substance or not and give (or not give) accordingly. But so help me God, if they play the whole “Christian” card on me but are just full of lies about why they even want the money — they won’t get my time of day.

Three-quarter day tomorrow (er, today) in San Antonio and then off to International Falls — if that isn’t a cold slap in the face after 55 degree weather, I’m not sure what is. Fortunately I won’t be there long.

December 20, 2005, 7:39 am

Filed under: General

2 Comments »

1. Jamison said,

   December 20, 2005 @ 9:05 am

   Heh… sounds almost like an intensified siutation like I blogged about a while ago. The whole begging thing sucks, when you consider that you have no idea who’s on the level and who’s just playing you for a sucker. In my case, I’m pretty sure the one woman that approached me would have taken a meal instead of cash, but I know others who wouldn’t have.

   Anyway, glad you liked San Antonio. And just FYI, it’s forcasted to be 6 degrees tonight when you pull into International Falls. The good news is that we’re in for a warming trend. Looks like it might be in the 20s tomorrow when you get home

2. Michael said,

   December 20, 2005 @ 10:10 am

   Heh… I must be bringing the warm weather back with me.

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