Rich Lady Haggles with Poor Vendors but Spends a Lot Money on Fancy Restaurants

Last year, a netizen named Abby Ross shared a post on Facebook that serves as an eye opener to many people.

The post is about the story of the usual encounter between sellers and buyers in a public market that happens almost every day.

One day, a rich lady buyer visited the store of an old banana seller in the market and asked her about the price of her goods. The seller immediately replied and said that its Php1 per banana. Upon hearing her answer, the rich lady told the seller,

“I will take 6 bananas for 25 cents each or I will leave.”

Since her sales are not good for the whole day, the old seller replied,

“Come take them at the price you want. Maybe, this is a good beginning because I have not been able to sell even a single banana today.”

The rich lady took the bunch bananas and happily walked away feeling she has won; she got into her fancy car and went to a first class restaurant with a friend.

While at the restaurant, the rich lady and her friend ordered a lot of food, but only ate a little. The total amount of the bill is the only Php1,2000, but when it’s time for her to pay at the cashier, she gave Php1,500 and told them to keep the change.

Although this scenario might seem quite normal for them, this is very painful and unfair to the poor vendor. Haggling over the price of a bunch of bananas when they can afford to pay for the whole tray.

Abby’s point: “Why do we always show we have the power when we buy from the needy ones? And why do we get generous to those who do not even need our generosity?”

She then recalled a story she once read:

“My father used to buy simple goods from poor people at high prices, even though he did not need them. Sometimes he even used to pay extra for them. I got concerned by this act and asked him why does he do so? Then my father replied, “It is a charity wrapped with dignity, my child”

We can only hope that through this story many people will learn to be more generous to those who need it the most as we cannot, nor should we put a price tag on kindness and dignity.