People Tell A Kind Tourist Not To Buy Treats For Hungry Children After He’s 'Swarmed' While Buying An Ice Cream For One
If you cannot buy food for all of them, you shouldn't buy it for just one.
Hrecheniuk Oleksii / Shutterstock A tourist was forced to choose between his heart and his wallet after he was approached by a hungry child asking him to buy him food. However, once he bought an ice cream cone for one child, others swarmed the man in the blink of an eye, expecting him to buy one for them as well.
Now, people are advising the tourist how to avoid making the same mistake in the future.
People urged a kind tourist not to buy food for any of the local children since it would lead to him having to buy one for all of them.
In a video that was shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) by user @PicturesFoIder, a local child approached a man and repeatedly brought his hand to his lips, implying that he would like some food.
Initially, the tourist told the child, “No!” and “Go away!” However, he eventually gave in and agreed to buy the little boy a snack.
“I’ll get you a snack, but only for you,” the man told the child as they approached an outdoor market. The little boy requested a mango-flavored ice cream cone.
Before he could even finish paying and hand the cone to the boy, a second child was already behind him, asking for one as well.
“Okay, one more,” the man told the clerk.
Within seconds, several more children strolled up to the man expecting him to buy them all ice cream cones. “Now I attracted too many,” the man said aloud as he realized the crowd of children quickly swarming him.
He had to ask the children to share ice cream cones, as he didn’t have the money to buy one for all of them.
The man fled when fights began to break out among the children. Still, some of them continued to trail after the tourist as he went into a different market to buy himself a coffee.
As he ordered his drink, he realized a teenager followed him inside, pointing at the menu board, implying that he wanted the man to buy him something as well.
However, the tourist wisely pointed out that the teen was holding an iPhone and clearly had the funds to buy himself a meal.
Courtney Hale / Canva Pro
Just when he believed that he would be able to have his coffee in peace, another little girl walked up to him asking for food despite him telling her “no!” multiple times.
Commenters shared their advice with the tourist to avoid similar instances in the future.
“NEVER ever give in to them. Each of them watches the other as they approach tourists. If the tourist gives in to one of them then they swarm,” one X user commented.
“It’s a scam, I ain’t giving these kids anything. They’re all in on it, and so are their families. They prey on the kindness of Westerners,” another user suggested.
“Don't give them anything. This is a racket,” another wrote.
While it can be difficult to say no to a hungry child who just wants a snack, once they see a tourist demonstrating kindness toward one, they expect the same treatment and begin to swarm.
Unless you have an infinite amount of money, this can become a problem.
Even if money is not an issue, some locals may assume that if they can get money or food from one or two unsuspecting tourists, they can easily turn their begging into a full-blown money-making scam.
Unfortunately, food insecurity affects 2.4 billion people worldwide, and some children and families feel as if they have no choice but to take advantage of kind tourists.
There are other ways tourists can help hungry locals other than giving them money or buying them a meal.
For one, they can support the local economy by buying from local stores, restaurants, and other businesses.
They can also donate directly to reputable organizations that work to combat food insecurity, such as The World Food Program, and Bread for the World.
While buying a hungry child in a poor area an ice cream cone is certainly a kind gesture, most of us certainly cannot afford to buy ice cream for every hungry child in the area.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.