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BEFORE you say that I'm whining, let me state up front that I realise there are people out there making a difference, and giving their all to do so. And I appreciate it on behalf of the beneficiaries of their efforts, really I do.

It's just that in the ordinary course of events, I do not happen upon these selfless people. Of course, I don't mean never.

Just the other day I stopped to photograph a baboon or two in Kommetjie. As I was getting out of my car, a woman with wild hair pulled up in a hippie kombie and shouted, "Where is it? Have you saved it?" Turned out she was on the rescue path of a tortoise who had been reported to be cruising the main road. I say "who" because animals in these parts are people, too. Surprisingly, the tortoise was gone, but the woman?s efforts to rescue it struck a chord. I, too, have stopped rush hour traffic for animals, although, in my experience, most people think I am trying to hi-jack them and simply speed up. Anyway, when the wild-haired lady tried to continue her search for the tortoise, the hippie car wouldn't start. Which proves another of my theories: nice people don?t get rich.

Her act of kindness was soon evened out, however, by the sheer couldn't-care-less attitude I encountered when I phoned the police to get comment on an allegation that an officer had assaulted a trader at a market. The spokesperson wanted to know where the trader had laid the charge. When I explained that it was highly unlikely that someone who works a 12-hour day would walk 10 blocks to complain to the police about police brutality, the spokesperson was flummoxed. No charge, no help apparently. "What do you want from me?" she asked, exasperated, when I pushed on.

Well, perhaps you could show a little concern that such a thing may or may not have been done by a person within your organisation, I suggested. I know if someone called my office and made an allegation like that I would have someone look into it, whether a charge was laid or not.

This approach was obviously beyond her, for she snorted derisively and asked me if I was stupid. Clearly.

Later, I took a photo of a dead person with a bergie in the background. While the blood was still oozing from the victim, the bergie approached and asked me to pay him R20 for allowing himself to be photographed. Talk about callous opportunism. And he could still be forgiven because he had nothing and desperation will drive one to desperate deeds. Care and concern are becoming commodities to be bought and sold like everything else.

Money is so tight ? tighter than it's ever been ? that few can afford to think long-term. At least, that's what I'm hoping is the reason for a Sea Point removal man's attempts to squeeze cash out of me, even though he must know that it means I will never again make use of his services or recommend him to anyone else in the future.

He has been relentless in his phone calls and smses and I can only assume he must be in financial straits. After I had paid his three men the R900 he quoted me for transporting a bakkie-load 40kms, plus a R100 tip, he informed me that I owed another R250 because I changed the day of the move from Thursday to Friday. Over the weekend he added R350 to that for "extra items" moved, although nothing more was transported. I can only assume he is facing hard times and is prepared to lose out on future business in order to make ends meet now.

In addition to that, the owners of the house I have just moved out of are claiming R20 000 worth of cat-scratch damage to their beach cottage couch. Now, I admit I am no expert on the matter of furniture, but for R20 000 I would expect an item covered in hand-cured bull hide cultivated in a remote pasture in Italy, not a hessian chair stitched together in Salt River.

Nonetheless, one cannot help believing in the old staple of "you get what you give". Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I will continue to give away my old fridge to the workers on the side of the road, and laugh when I realise my new fridge is still standing in my parents' house 150kms away.

I will continue to give away boxes of frozen fish to squatters because I don't have a fridge to keep them in. And I will buy the Big Issue and Funny Money until I have no more money and am forced to take desperate measures. For those of you who still have homes after the banks have been, expect a knock on your door one day soon.

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