Lame Online Password Logic

I just got back from the grocery store, and I feel like utter crap. My
girlfriend and I were in line behind a young couple; they were indescript
enough until I realized how slow the line was moving and decided to tune in
and see what the hold-up was.

As it turns out, their debit card kept getting denied, and they were doing
the requisite, “Hmm, that’s weird, I should have more than enough…” routine.
They were obviously quite embarassed.

His wife was ushered away to try and check out at another counter so that we
could move forward, and the husband went to the ATM to check his balance. We
shortly joined the wife at the other counter (where we were buying a couple
of lottery tickets). About a minute later I saw him come back with a
peculiar fascination with his own shoes, and hand his wife the balance slip.
She looked at it, paused for a bit, and then did the courteous thing by
offering the clerk to put the groceries back.

I knew what I had to do.

My plan was simple — pull the guy aside, hand him some cash and my card (I
rarely carry cash, but I happened to have some) , quietly whisper to him to
just get with me later to square up, and then walk away. The key here is to
do it away from his wife and any other onlookers, and in a way that spared
them any additional awkwardness.

I tried to see what was in their cart so I could tell if my roughly $30 in
cash could cover it, but between that and actually making my purchase (it
was now my turn and there were people behind me) I got caught up and lost a
few seconds. When I turned around they had already left their cart and made
their escape.

I feel like shit. I’ve been that guy before. I was that guy for a very long
time. I know the ride home is not going to be an easy one for him. Not only
did he not have the money for the groceries, but he and his wife suffered an
embarassing incident because of it. And to top it all off, it’s only the
19th of the month. He was Military, and won’t be getting another check until
the first of December.

So that’s why I feel like a pussy. I didn’t pull the trigger. I had a few
seconds to step up and do the right thing, but I pussed out.

Driving back I realized what I
could should have done: I
should have pulled him aside and said, “Hey, man! You still at the same
unit? (pulling him aside and saying very quickly and quietly) “Dude, I’ve
been there before — don’t sweat it. I’m going to get some money out of the
ATM real quick and give it to you. Tell your wife I owe you $80 but I could
only give you $60. (That’s more believable than saying I owed him exactly
what I gave him)

But no — I didn’t do that. I let the opportunity slip away.

So remember — if you have the chance to help someone like I did,
just do it. Do it fast. Right now he’s embarassed without groceries
and I feel nutless. If I had done the right thing quickly he would have had
groceries, felt better about the human race, and I would have had testicles.

Don’t be a pussy.