Guy Gives 'Panhandler' $3, Gets Fined $175

A Canadian man has learned the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished—in fact, it sometimes comes with a $175 price tag. Dane Rusk was driving in Regina, Saskatchewan, when he "saw this homeless guy holding a sign" near a stop sign, per CTV News. He grabbed $3 and undid his seat belt so he could reach out and hand the change to the man. But the guy he thought was a panhandler turned out to be an undercover police officer.

The cop alerted his fellow officers, who pulled Rusk over down the road and gave him a $175 ticket for not wearing a seat belt. "I'm out $178 all because I was trying to help out a homeless guy," says Rusk. He was one of 40 people issued tickets at the intersection in just over an hour, reports the Regina Leader-Post. Police, meanwhile, defend their strategy of spotting infractions, including cellphone use or absent seat belts, noting the officer's sign wasn't soliciting for money. (More Canada stories.)