Except once. I was at a train station and some guy came up to me in US Army BDUs, said he was just discharged and told me he needed train a couple bucks fare to get to somewhere for something. I thought "this seems unusual, just left the army but doesn't have any money at all? But I don't want to be wrong about this". So I gave the guy $10. If he was lying, he gets points for effort and originality. If he was telling the truth I'm glad I helped him get where he was going with enough left over for a coke and some chips. That's the most I ever gave someone who randomly asked me for money.
My Achilles' heel is the street person with a dog or cat ...
There was one outside the HEB in old BDUs, just sitting there with a sign asking for help and an old dog laying beside him. I live near Killeen, Texas, right near Fort Hood, so he could have been a veteran ... or he could have just been someone who had acquired used BDUs.
I went into the store to do my shopping and, as I shopped, I reflected that, but for a couple of lucky breaks during my Army service, that could have been me. I was pretty upset by the time that I checked out.
As I left, I gave him a ten-dollar bill and 10 (I think it was) packages of hot dogs and some packs of cold cuts, figuring that those were food items for both him and the dog as well. He thanked me for the money and immediately opened one of the packs of hot dogs and started feeding them to his dog ...
I'm sorry, but I guess I'm an old softy now ... I had tears running down my cheeks by the time that I got to the car.
Never saw him and the dog again ...