Busted?

This Blip has me conflicted – do I post it or not?  It’s not the image itself that raised issues, just the prelude to taking it that troubles me. Here’s the back story.

I spent a couple of hours from dawn at Trivi Fountain watching the well-healed from around the world flouncing in front of their cameras. I then settled in at a café on the nearby street with an expensive coffee and pastry. What a good life I have.  My happy mood was tarnished by seeing a bent and miserable looking old woman holding out her paper cup for donations from the passing tourists just down the street. It got me wondering again … should give or not? Does it simply perpetuate plight, or is it the loving thing to do?

After paying for my breakfast, I wandered down the street just as the beggar turned into a side alley ahead of me.  By the time I passed the alley she had taken out a cellphone and was chatting animatedly to someone.  I was shocked.  I had my camera ready around my neck so I snapped her a couple of times before she turned fully and saw me. She rapidly turned away and clearly did not want to have been photographed.

So, what was going on here?  Begging as a business? Was the cellphone provided by a minder (many of the beggars and street pushers of flowers, selfie sticks and umbrellas in Rome are reputed to be indentured labourers under control of organised crime)?  Or is my confusion a reflection of my own judgement that if someone is begging, they shouldn’t own a cellphone?! If my post discourages others from giving to people in genuine need, I may do harm.  And in street photography, should potential reluctance of the subject take absolute precedence over the potential need for others to see and hear? At the very least, and assuming that I have interpreted the situation correctly, there was some element of deception going on by presenting a pathetic picture of poverty to invite empathy … but then how is that different from the stories that advertisers fabricate to manipulate us customers to buy their products?

I’m curious what fellow blippers think – was I wrong to take the photo? Is it constructive and loving to post it, or should the eye of our cameras see everywhere in public spaces?

PS. I am not sure if she owned the electric bike that she was standing by before making her call.