I don't like the ending
Some time ago, we'll say spring twenty-oh-four, I ran into this little woman who had locked her purse-keys and all, in her trunk. She gave me her sad story and I bought it. She was very sweet and we walked all the way to the ATM where I proceeded to hand over way too much cash so she could get a cab ride home. Somewhere in all of our walking I started to realize that I was probably being had, but I couldn't fight the inertia of the situation. I still held onto the dim hope that she might not be a swindler. A few days went by and I didn't hear from her. I even called the number she gave me; it turned out to be a fax machine. At least it was a fax machine at the place she claimed to work I'd find out through some nifty research. No woman by that name, however, worked there. She won. I lost. I was pretty embarrassed.

Since then I haven't given money to anyone. People on fire saying "Give me a dollar to put out this fire!" get nothing more than a skeptical look from me. (Ok. I'm lying here. I think I gave a dollar to a guy who needed some money to ride the Metro, but I'm serious con men and beggars who might be reading this, I look away much faster now than I used to.)

The other day I was helping this blind man (that in no way relates to the story but it sure does make me sound good, doesn't it?) when I heard this woman announcing to people within earshot "I locked my keys in my trunk." As I walked by and saw her out of the corner of my eye she grumbled, "Doesn't anyone help anymore?" At that moment I realized that this woman is the same little woman who locked her keys in her trunk way back when. Suddenly a shot of adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I'm hoping the blind guy doesn't notice as I hurry him along, but I have to keep an eye on the old bag. I see her conversing with this younger woman and I dart back to break up any transaction that might be about to occur. I pull up short as I realize that the younger woman is not falling under the old bag's spell. Because of my positioning and their positioning and some other positioning, my presence sort of forces younger woman and old bag to get on the escalator. I'm two little steps behind a woman who swindled me and my heart is racing. I want to punch her. I want to tell her that she owes me money. I want to scream and yell and expose her. Only I can't. I certainly can't punch her. I can't prove she's a liar. The only thing I can see happening is that she starts screaming and all of a sudden we've got larger bearded guy "assualting" small well-off looking evil woman. Only the evil won't be so obvious to the general public. So when she turns to me and asks, "Did you want something?"
All I can muster is a very sweet,"No ma'am"

I'm sure that will keep her up late at night, her poor conscience filled with regret.