a beggar with a cell

beggar.
if i heard this word, the first thing that pops on my mind is 'poor'.
the others are: children, street, innocent babies, old people, disabled people, and lazy people.
at EVERY traffic light in jakarta, bandung, etc, we can easily find them.
i used to be sad to see them on the street, esp for the old ones and the babies that they brought to get more rupiahs. my parents always give them some money, so i thought it's the right thing to do. lately, i've been thinking and questioning myself.
'is it a right thing to do?'
gave them the money. then what? tomorrow they'll be there, knocking someone's car with their tired faces and hoping to get (at least) 1000 rupiah from each car.
i have some stories here, the first one happened in about several months ago. when i was at riau street in Bdg, there's some toddlers(approximately 3/4years)! begging and singing on the street at night! and the worst part, it was raining. i was furious and sad! and you know what? there was a policeman not really far from those kids that 'playing happily' on the street.
they are at the same age with my lovely nephews & my nieces! who spent their nights sleeping on a bed with their warm blankets after having a glass of milk, wearing their pajamas, and hugging their Barney or Dora. i couldn't imagine if those kids were my lovely nephews and nieces, how sad i was! :'(
i used to give them some money. but recently.. i don't think it's the right thing to do. it just like helping the person who sent those innocent kids to the street getting more money. big NO.
the another story that i have maybe sounds ridiculous!
when i was driving on the way back home from my campus UI, i saw some people changed their clothes behind the bushes. i was watching them carefully. then i realized, they changed their 'normal' clothes to the filthy ones. ohh..so they have that kind of uniforms to do their business? trust me, they were young and healthy! shame on you!
some people say 'save the best part for the last'
hmm, here! i'll give this one for the best part of my stories!
like i've mentioned before, beggar=poor ,right?
well, well, well... that kind of stereotypes no longer completely true my friends. what? are u frowing right now? i'll let u do it until i finish the story.
again, when i was driving, alone, at lebak bulus-pondok indah intersection, something really shocked me. there is a flyover right? and i bet u always see some beggars there. when i was mumbling listened to my playlist, my eyes were like bugged out & my jaw was like widely opened :O
my mind was busy to answer my own questions and deceived by what i had seen.
there was a beggar, a middle age woman (looked healthy, hmm fat exactly for a standard of a beggar) talking on a cell! then she gave the cell to one of her 'employees', then she talked again. wow, like a serious business deal. after that, they walked to the street, and knocking some cars for money. hey, i know cells are cheap in this gadget era, but do they beg to buy food or credits for their cells? oh my..oh my..
now, i've learned something according to what i've seen with my widely opened jaw.
at least, the old man who sells 'kerupuk' at dago street still wanna do something instead of manipulating people with hopeless looked and filthy clothes.
he's the one who deserve for some our rupiahs, i think.
don't you think?