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Was I an idiot?

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  • 14-08-2009 7:35pm
    #1
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭


    I was in the bookies today....actually I was in about 4...basically registering in all of their free comps for the soccer season ahead. They know me in all of them cause a few years ago I frequented them one too many times. Anyway, while I was picking out my players for a comp in one shop my attention was taken by a conversation that was starting beside me.

    It transpired that the father was supposed to meet his 13-14 year old daughter at 3pm but she was 45 minutes late...in that time, while waiting around, the father - probably trying to win more more to do something nice with the daughter - lost all his money. She was giving out to him saying she was well used to being let down by him etc...

    He told her that he had his last tenner on a horse that was about to run - Captain McGarry, intrigued by this I stayed to watch the race, and the horse get beaten by a head. The feeling of having that last roll of the dice throwing up the wrong numbers was one I knew too well. He left with his daughter...I followed him out and called him over pretending I knew him, and then gave him €50 without the daughter seeing.

    This is something that I know will provoke revulsion in most people as there are a lot more people out there who'd need the money more. I dunno...I guess I can't explain it.

    Well, was I an idiot? 115 votes

    Yep.
    0% 0 votes
    Not at all.
    40% 46 votes
    Nothing to do with what happened, I just think you're an idiot.
    53% 61 votes
    Sex panther.
    6% 8 votes


«134

Comments

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    #2
    phasers
    Registered Users Posts: 18,159 ✭✭✭✭phasers


    Yeah


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    #3
    My name is URL
    Registered Users Posts: 25,067 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    No, that was quite a nice thing to do

    maybe he'll be touched by it and take heed not to do the same again


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    #4
    Michellenman
    Registered Users Posts: 11,195 ✭✭✭✭Michellenman


    Yes.


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    #5
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭abouttobebanned


    phasers wrote: »
    Yeah


    Sorry I didn't provide some pictures with that post dude. Next time though, when you're covering up your inability to read, it's probably best that you wait a couple of minutes before posting.


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    #6
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    €1 to daughter, €49 to more bets


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    #7
    phasers
    Registered Users Posts: 18,159 ✭✭✭✭phasers


    abouttobebanned wrote: »
    Sorry I didn't provide some pictures with that post dude. Next time though, when you're covering up your inability to read, it's probably best that you wait a couple of minutes before posting.
    What?


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    #8
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭abouttobebanned


    bluewolf wrote: »
    €1 to daughter, €49 to more bets

    My thinking was that he wouldn't come back in cause she was with him. Naive im sure


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    #9
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    Genuine compassion there OP, well done.


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    #10
    Saibh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,431 ✭✭✭✭Saibh


    Nice thing to do, but wondering what did he do with the €50. Did he go into another bookies and waste the money, hope he didn't.


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    #11
    lucky-colm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 798 ✭✭✭lucky-colm


    what odds did you get on him going back into the bookies


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    #12
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭abouttobebanned


    phasers wrote: »
    What?

    I'll throw out an apology to ya mate if you admit that you're just a lightening fast reader...oh wait...while I was putting the poll together you could see the thread couldn't you? Ah...ok, here's that apology I owe ya. xxx


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    #13
    donmeister
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,158 ✭✭✭donmeister


    €50 says that didn't happen


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    #14
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭abouttobebanned


    donmeister wrote: »
    €50 says that didn't happen

    :pac: I assure you it did sir. I actually hope that the daughter is not a boards user.


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    #15
    Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
    Registered Users Posts: 3,236 ✭✭✭Dr. Kenneth Noisewater


    There is, unfortunately, the chance that he will lose a bit of that money, but hopefully he had some sense and used it to take his daughter to do something nice. Whatever it went towards, I think it was a nice gesture, and fair play to you!!


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    #16
    Fajitas!
    Registered Users Posts: 16,624 ✭✭✭✭Fajitas!


    I don't think you're an idiot at all - It was a nice thing to do, I just hope yer man appreciates it, and does something nice with the daughter. And keeps clear of the bookies with it.

    Fair dues.


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    #17
    Mayoegian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 777 ✭✭✭Mayoegian


    What a lovely, selfless, kind, just lovely thing to do!!:)

    Maith an buachaill!


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    #18
    Wertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,909 ✭✭✭✭Wertz


    Fair play to you OP.
    That was a very selfless thing you did...but being a gambler yourself you know that you haven't really helped the father (I know you did it for the daughter moreso) and realistically the only way he can learn a lesson (and move towards stopping) is to be saddled with that overwhelming guilt that only loosing everything can provide.
    Highly unlikely you'll see your 50...I don't know if that's important to you, probably not.


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    #19
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    That was a nice thing to do. Did he say to her he had no money left? She might be wondering where the cash appeared from. What did he say to you?

    I'm sure he won't forget it anyway. At least you tried, he gets to spend a day with his daughter with less restiction than before, you never know, it might have been a wake up call for him.


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    #20
    TheZohanS
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,582 ✭✭✭✭TheZohanS


    You should have given the €50 to the daughter.


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    #21
    Fizman
    Registered Users Posts: 6,605 ✭✭✭Fizman


    Should have just given her the 50. She could have bought a new dad online.


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    #22
    AckwelFoley
    Registered Users Posts: 12,556 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    It was a nice thought, however it teaches the bollox nothing.

    You should have given the daughter the money to buy a watch


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    #23
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭abouttobebanned


    Just thinking of it now...i spoke some shiiite to him when I was pretending I knew him to give him the money...he just stood there saying "I don't understand"...I can't blame him. I dunno...I guess in my head I was thinking he could go back to the daughter, then along the way say oh I forgot about the 50 i put away or something. Or he could just say I was paying back money i owed to him. Giving the money straight to the daughter would have just been rubbing his nose in it i think

    Gambling really is a horrible game though the face of the daughter really stuck with me.


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    #24
    wudangclan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭wudangclan


    well done op.
    nice spontaneous gesture of humanity.
    the world needs more like you.


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    #25
    Wertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,909 ✭✭✭✭Wertz


    abouttobebanned wrote: »

    Gambling really is a horrible game though the face of the daughter really stuck with me.

    It doesn't stick with him though and I'd be fairly confident it's not the first (nor the last) time he'll see it.
    Gambling is one of those huge silent problems that festers in Ireland and creates untold damge in families.


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    #26
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    Yeah OP, fair play man.

    Any more fiddy's goin?


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    #27
    Mayoegian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 777 ✭✭✭Mayoegian


    snyper wrote: »
    It was a nice thought, however it teaches the bollox nothing.

    You should have given the daughter the money to buy a watch

    Maybe you could take a leaf out of the OP's book and be a bit more understanding. Gambling is an addiction, some people can't control it-many need help. Don't judge, especially when you don't know all the facts.


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    #28
    Dave!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,857 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    It's a nice thing to do when you give a homeless person some money, but there's a good chance that they'll spend it on drugs, so it's probably better to give them food or something.

    Perhaps you could have given him info for gamblers anonymous instead?

    It was a nice gesture, but in the long (or even short) term it didn't do him any good


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    #29
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    How do you know she was his daughter and not some teenage prostitute? :eek:


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    #30
    Mayoegian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 777 ✭✭✭Mayoegian


    WindSock wrote: »
    How do you know she was his daughter and not some teenage prostitute? :eek:


    We should really have a thumbs down button on boards.ie......


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    #31
    The Big Red Button
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,390 ✭✭✭The Big Red Button


    Wertz wrote: »

    Highly unlikely you'll see your 50...I don't know if that's important to you, probably not.

    I don't think he's expecting to ever see it again!

    Fair play to you OP, I can't see myself being compassionate enough to do the same in the situation. (Granted I am very very poor and can't remember the last time I saw a fifty euro note in real life.)

    You'll never know whether he gambled it ten minutes later, or spent it on a nice day out with his daughter having learned his lesson; no harm in choosing to believe the latter.

    If there were more people in the world like you who showed a bit of understanding and generosity, maybe less people would end up turning to drink, drugs, gambling etc.


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