Beggars and the Metro

So I don’t give money to beggars.
I grew up learning how to ignore bums on the street. I don’t even take menus when people are trying to hand them out.

But since moving to Washington DC, I have encountered a new fear. Being trapped in their subway system. Some people like the system, some people don’t – mainly the highlights, or lowlights according to your preference are it only runs certain hours of the day and the cost of the ride depends on when and where you are going.
The system can let you in if you have the cheapest cost of a ride, but if you try to exit at a destination that costs more than the what you had on your ticket you need exact change to get out. Once I barely got out of the system by having the 10cents necessary and was mortified that if I didn’t have that dime I would be stuck and no one would bail me out because there are so many beggars in DC that I wouldn’t stand out as just a stranded commuter.
Anyway, today as I was walking back to my office building when a guy approached me. He started explaining that he had a meeting and I originally thought that he needed to use my cell phone. What happened was he needed to get back to Maryland and he didn’t have cash nor his ATM card. He wasn’t stuck inside the system, but outside. He showed me his license and his business card because I guess the first person or first couple of people didn’t give him anything and possibly didn't believe him. And then he said the magic words, I just need enough to get home on metro. That did it for me. I didn’t have all the money he needed, no change in my pocket but he soon had two crisp dollar bills to at the very least get him closer to home. I don’t know if he got the change he needed but I only hope that when I am stuck someone will help me out.

http://www.wmata.com/riding/hours_fares.cfm
Metrorail fares
Regular fare (In effect on weekdays from opening to 9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m. and 2 a.m. to closing) $1.35 minimum$3.90 maximum
Reduced fare (All other times)
$1.35 minimum$1.85 mid-range$2.35 maximum
For fares between stations, go to Metrorail station page and click on the station where you are starting your trip.