A problem people often experience is whether to believe beggars or not. In my own experience, fictional stories tend to be the rule rather than the exception. But believe a true story, and you may make a critical difference to someone's life. I learnt it from a Church consultant: one asks rapid-fire questions: “When was that? Who? Why? How do you know?” Unless they are unusually well prepared, things tend to unravel fast. Another way is to check out their story of course, which as a minister I have done whenever I can. OBSERVATION: At points of greatest pressure, several people a day have asked me for alms.
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