I was at Sams club last week. It was VERY cold. A salvation army bell-ringer was standing out in the weather. I wanted to buy her a hot chocolate & take it back to her when I left---but I didn't, knowing full well I would NEVER drink cocoa from a stranger. WOULD YOU? really i wanted to be nice, I wanted her to know her efforts were appreciated & actually I put $ in the collection can. It just didn't seem enough & now I keep thinking about it. What are your thoughts.THANKS & happy holidays!!!

I would have asked her outright. "I'm getting a hot chocolate to go home with. Can I buy you one or something else and give it to you when I come out?" Maybe she was diabetic and would have preferred tea rather than the sweet chocolate.. Either way, she would have told you if she was comfortable with your offer

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nope, and dont eat things like welcome to the neighborhood stuff since I dont them

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I agree with Suezz. I would ask the person if I could get them anything. I do the same thing when I go to NYC and see the homeless, if I am going into a place that has food I will ask if I could get them anything.

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I would probably drink it! You didn't have it going in, you have it coming out... I'm probably being naive, but why would someone try to drug a Salvation Army bell ringer in front of a busy store? There can't be that much money in there and other people would notice if the bell ringer suddenly passed out. It seems like it would be just as risky as just grabbing the bucket and running. That's just me, though.

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Kim

I would probably drink it or not based on my flash judgment of the person. I have myself asked them if they would like a cup of cocoa or coffee and if they say yes I will buy them one. But I would not give something "open" like that without asking first.
Kim has a good point however for neurotic paranoid people such as myself (when it comes to germs etc) there is always a thought in the back of your head. Maybe they would spit in it or something. I don't know but I do know my feelings on germs are not normal and most people would not think what I'm thinking.

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it is a nice gesture, but I would also have to say no.

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I probably would. I would never think that a stranger was trying to poison me for no reason and I love germs! Lived with plenty of them all my life and never get sick.

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(admittedly not quite on topic, but this made me think) I won't give money to the homeless or those I see with a sign on the side of the road. I give to organizations I know will distribute as needed. I never have anything with me and they are never near a Wendy's etc where I could pay for their meal.

Except one time. I had just gotten a bunch of cereal for a children's home and I reached in the backseat, got 2 boxes and rolled down my window. He came over fast and I handed them to him.......he sure looked disappointed and I don't think it was because the next car woudn't have milk.......

dl

I personally would not drink it, but then I'm a fuss-budget.

I think suezz's idea is a good one.

Isn't it sad how we don't accept food/drinks from strangers now days. What is this world coming to?

I would have asked if she wanted one, or something else. Maybe she is diabetic (like another person said) or maybe she's allergic. Very nice gesture though!

Sure, I'd drink it. Unless for some reason I got a bad vibe from the person.

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I'd drink it..why not ? the thought would not enter my mind that it was drugged in any way.

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I agree with whoever said they'd decide to drink it based on the initial vibe they got from the person offering it.

Even if the person gave me the heebie-jeebies, I would still accept the beverage gratefully and just not drink it once the person was gone(I'd just make a "it's too hot right now" excuse to avoid drinking it in front of them).

I'm pretty jaded, but I really doubt there are very many people out there that would tamper with a beverage they purchased for a bell ringer.

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I have a area I have to go see a client in that is not a good area. There is 4 "ladies of the evening" that works at the end of the street that goes into this area. They watch over me. If I dont come back outa the apartments in the time they think I should, they come lookin for me. In the winter, I buy them coffee at mcdees and take it to them. They dont know my name nor do I know theirs but they are kind enough to keep a watchful eye over me so coffee is the least I can do for them and they do drink it.

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probably not, but then again, I don't see myself ringing that bell for hours on end either! perhaps a bottle of tyleonol? LOL

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I probably would drink it, depending on WHO gave it to me! Some nice old lady, yesss! Some scary stringy haired crazy eyes man, no way!! Hahahaha.

Seriously, it depends on many factors. And a gut feeling. I am the kind of person who would be the one buying a cup of hot cocoa for the bell ringer with nothing but pure good intentions behind it. So there are good people out there. And then there are the hateful ones would might spit in the cocoa before they handed it to you. But why go through the trouble of buying a cocoa for a stranger and spitting it it unless you had some beef with the person beforehand? Hmmm..... my advice is, don't take the cocoa if it's from an enemy! Hahahah.

It would be a snap decision for me, maybe yes, maybe no depending on how the person was acting. Most likely, I would drink it, but I agree with the rest. You can always ask!

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