This ethical dilemma came to me right outside Barfly last night. Two well-groomed teenage girls were holding up a sheet of bright white paper with Crayola markers writing, “Need place to stay”.

If someone legitimately had absolutely nowhere safe to spend the night, I don’t see the harm in letting them stay over my house. But I had the feeling these girls didn’t fit that profile.

“Where are you guys from?” I asked.

“Toronto,”

“Oh, where in Toronto?”

“Well, actually outside of Toronto,”

“Okay, where?”

“London,”

Then came the story…

“We are going to study at Concordia, and our rent starts on Sept. 1.”

It was late, but a flood of questions came to mind. You are only looking for a place to stay now at 2 am? What were you doing all day? Why didn’t you come to Montreal on Sept. 1 instead? Or at least arrange a place to stay before? Heard of couchsurfing.com? Why didn’t you call your parents and ask them to wire money? Did you tell them you were going to Montreal to beg strangers for a couch to crash on? Heard of human trafficking? You don’t even have $30 for a hostel? Can’t you sleep in the park, if it’s just a matter of ‘one night’? Before I could say anything, a sketchy slouching older man coming outside the bar enters the scene, gladly offering his friends house. The girls were ecstatic

I went back inside thinking about if I should do anything. All my friends there said not to get involved, but no matter what they say, a part of me will always feel like I should have.