Anonymous "Santa" hits the malls to hand out cash

The middle-aged man walks up to strangers, hands them an envelope, then walks away before questions can be asked. The envelopes contain up to $50 each. (Rutland Herald)

Comments

[Dave]

As long as I don't have to sit on his lap.
Wait. For fifty bucks? I guess I'd sit on his lap.

[Dave]

What's that in your pocket, Santa? Oh, it's only a candy cane? No thanks, I don't want to lick it. I don't like sweets. Not for fifty bucks besides. Not when that other fellow is offering five hundred.

[Cherie]

We're all learning Dave would do just about anything for cash!

In this weird age, I'd be afraid it would blow up on me or something. Just hand me the $50.oo so I can at least thank you.

Very cool gesture though! If I was really wealthy I'd find something really charitable to do each year. How rewarding it must be.

[Dave]

You know I didn't think of that, Cherie, but you're right. I some stranger came up to me and handed me a mysterious envelope, I'd be afraid to open it. Eventually, though, I think my curiosity would get the better of me.

[yucca]

Are you afraid the envelope would contain anthrax or something. I'd have that thing opened faster than you could say hand me the letter opener.

[The Asshole Guy]

Dave I'd sit on his lap to for 50 bucks, as long as he was clothed though.

As for being scared to open the evenlope I wouldn't think twice about it. If people think twice about such silly things, the terrorist have won.

[Cherie]

I wasn't referring to terrorist TAG, more the local yocals.

[S.O.]

Better than Bad Santa, good for him.

Probably be more appreciated in a shelter or a soup kitchen though. But it's his $. (Sing it: "$anta Claus is coming to mall ...")

[Soo]

Actually, soup kitchens and shelters don't want you just handing cash out willy-nilly. Sets up their "clients" as future crime victims. Strange, I know, but it makes sense. When you give it to the shelters or kitchens, they can provide more cots, blankets, food, etc. and nobody gets knifed over it.

[Dave]

I wasn't really thinking along the lines of Anthrax powder. More like embarrassing photos of myself from the last furry convention.

[DCer]

This reminds me of someone I knew on my block. He was a drunken bastard and pretty much ignored his kids. One Christmas eve my mother and I ventured out to pick up some food we ordered- totally unlike us, and totally unlike our neighborhood where everyone sat tight on Christmas eve and cooked at home, but we did that for the first time.

We ran into this neighbor, very drunk, handing out $10 bills dressed as Santa to these people who showered him with love.

While he left his wife and kids at home, ignored. While his wife and kids should have gotten some of that money or at least gotten nicer clothes than they wore.

Now, I tell my wife this story 10 years ago and she freaks out. He sister-in-law's father used to do the same thing, staying out late on Christmas Eve as a cop and delivering cheap toys to the families of victims he knew that year- while his own wife and children grew estranged and eventually they divorced. In fact one time he apparently came home drunk and ripped down the tree.

Now when I do Toys for Tots I do with with my kids as a way to teach them about charity. I don't do it because I am angry with my kids and want to get cheap applause from people who don't know my faults.

So honestly, anyone giving out anonymous cash has some issues with their family that they aren't addressing. I'll bet you dollars to donuts.

Am I wrong here?