Are we an untrusting people (UK)

[Dom Tuk]

Last week I saw a young Italian well dressed girl being denied a boarding pass by Easyjet as her bags were over the limit and she had to pay �40 surcharge. She had no money or cards. She asked me for the money and promised to pay me back and i declined. She went off to the queue of passengers and was back with the required amount. She said in passing (directed at me), you english are untrusting, the Spanish are nicer people.  Given the fact that it took her less than 5 mins to find the cash from a spanish traveller she did not know, is she right. Are we an untrusting people.

[CiderMonkey]

 I wouldn't have lent her �40. It's hard - if you are too trusting you will end up getting ripped off but if you trust nobody you will look cold and heartless.

It's hard to believe that someone would travel with no cards or money at all, though.

[valsuey]

Its a sad fact that you can't trust anyone these days.Sounds like that girl had a real good scam going there. Of course it could have been genuine but I'm afraid I wouldn't lend her any money either and it wasn't very nice of her to pass snidy remarks at you Dom Tuk.After all she got what she wanted.You did right to tell her no.

[Octavius]

Did the spaniard get their money back?  Probably not, a good scam though.  Lucky you didn't fall for it eh?

[luckystrike]

Whilst I would say that I'm a trusting person to a point, I certainly would not have given a strange Italian woman �40 of my hard earned money just so that she could take extra stuff on a plane.

If I met someone who was in need of �40 for a much better reason than that, then I would probably lend them the money.

Sadly, however, I would be lending it with the expectation that I would not be getting it back.

[woofgang]

I am with luckystrike on this one. Cannot believe that someone was travelling with NO money!!

[kaktus]

Well if you Brits are untrusting Danes are too!! I would never lend/give a stranger �40 unless I thought the person really really really needed them. Nor do I know anyone who would: It's a lot of money! At least it is for me. Besides as have been said a few times above, who travels without money or credit card? I don't think I would dare travel without my Visa!

[Dom Tuk]

I dont think it was a scam. She went to a young bloke in the queue and he handed her the cash after some queries and she gave the money to easyjet checkin. so unless it was very elaborate and the spanish guy was in it too.....

[Insurgent]

The simple answer is yes we are untrusting people.  Our immediate reaction is to assume the worst.  I can appreciate the difficult situation you were put in.  You were well within your rights to refuse.  But I hardly see the point of making up "what if" scenerios to justify it.  We're simply products of the societies we've grown up in.  We individually have the responsibility to change that, starting with ourselves, family, friends, community.

[Dark Angel]

I wouldn't have lent money to a stranger like that. Forty pounds is a lot of money, its not like small change. I would give up to a pound or two pounds but nothing more. My husband once told me off for giving a teenage girl a pound. The girl didn't give me a reason for needing the money but I assumed it was for bus fare or something.

[Octavius]

The point of the 'what if' scenario is that your actions or the actions of others may affect you, whether it be good or bad.  That is the point.  Just because you are wondering 'what if' it does not mean you are untrusting.

On another day Dom Tuk might have been wondering, ... if I lend her �40 I might get her number and we might go out for a meal/drink...

The world is fulll of what if's, so they do have a place in society.