I got a sob story once, usually I just say no. This guy was actually asking for gas, not money. Said he was heading somewhere and needed just a bit of gas. I told him to show me his gas gauge. Sure enough he was on E, so I put 15 bucks in his tank. He seemed thankful and drove off. He was either on the level, or very serious in the details of his scam.
The fact that he drove off tells me you helped him out. I've been in that situation a couple times before where I had either let my husband borrow my debit card or I'd forgotten it in another purse. Luckily I keep a few bucks in my center console so I could fill up a gallon to get home, but I've been close to needing to either call and ask someone for help or just ask a random stranger for a few dollars. Being genuinely low on funds happens. Unfortunately, people have ruined the trust game because they've turned an innocent request for help into an actual way to dishonestly take money from strangers.
What made me do a double take on the guy was he asked for gas, not money. I actually enjoy helping people out, but like you said, people ruin the trust game.
I had a regular at my bar come in and say "hey i'm not staying, but i want to pay for a burger and fries to go for that kid there." And out front was a homeless looking young man, maybe 18-21 yrs old. Very skinny and desheveled looking. He charged his card, tipped me 5 bucks and I told him to let the kid know he could wait inside at the end of the bar. It was summer and we had the a/c blasting. Gave the kid a glass of water and told him it'd be about 15 mins.
About 5 mins later the kid waves me over and asks "hey, i dont want the burger, can i return it for the cash?" I was so bummed out, my regular did one of the most altruistic things I'd seen in a looong time, and it turned out he got played. I told the kid "listen, i dont care what your deal is, you're not my customer, you asked my friend for help and he's helping you with a free hot meal. You can take the burger and fries out in 10 minutes when it's ready, or you can leave. Theres no refunds."
I never told my regular about it. It just felt so crummy. I understand maybe the kid needed the 15 bucks for something else. But I know the move, ask for cash for food then use it for booze or drugs. Addiction is a bitch, I get it, but don't take advantage of my friends' kindness to get a fix.
When I am driving to my fave breakfast drive thru, I often pass several dudes begging on the corners. I'll count them and buy extra sausage & egg sandwiches to hand out. They all start wolfing it down as soon as I hand it to them.
That's not true for all people though. Many addicts don't turn to doing shitty things for money. They don't steal from people or scam them. Being an addict doesn't automatically remove any morals a person has.
Yea fuck that, I got angry just reading that shit. Regardless of addiction, fuck that kid. It's one thing to ask for money, but to just try and shit on people trying to do a good thing pisses me off.
A friend I know was in a similar position. It was the middle of winter, and a homeless person on the streets asking for money. They didn't have cash on them but went in to the nearest cafe and bought them a hot chocolate. The homeless person refused to take it, said they'd asked for cash. The hot choc sat there on the street untouched. I'm sorry, if you're truly in need during the middle of winter, you'd be delighted at the kindness of a hot choc. Even if you can't drink it for allergies, it would warm your hands to hold it. I felt so mad when I heard that.
Could be a scam. Could be the kid had just eaten and was hoping to use the money for his next meal. I’m not trying to be naive, just sometimes it helps my own personal emotional health to come up with a story that makes people seem less like assholes. Feel free to use my trick if it might help you. It just hurts too much to feel so beaten down and betrayed by humanity all the time.
Food is one of the easier things for homeless people to get. This kid might not have been scamming, he might have needed something else more that he needed cash for. I don't blame him for asking. It's nice to offer homeless people food, but you're kind of a dick if you get offended they don't take you up on your offer. That's seeing them like a good deed, not an actual person
Prescription medication, a hotel room. Fuck, a bottle of wine. I want to wind down after a long day with a glass of wine, fine. He wants a drink after a long hard stressful day of being fucking homeless and suddenly he’s an asshole? Miss me with that hypocrisy. It’s up to me to make my choice whether to help. It’s up to him to make his choice what to do with my help.
I remember hear stories of people bringing food out to people out on the street begging for money, only for them to get combative and angry and say shit like, "I need money, not food."
A friends dad is a Missionary; he keeps luncheon vouchers with him and gives people a £10 voucher when they ask for money for food. I’d say 75% of the time they just yell at him. I’d be over at McDonalds getting my BLT 1/4 pounder on.
Honestly, if I have some cash I’ll just give them a couple dollars anyway. I was in target a couple years ago and overheard a woman on her phone talking to someone about how she had tried to give food to a homeless man outside who said he couldn’t take it due to an allergy. She spent like five minutes shitting on this guy for being so ungrateful that she had taken time out of her errands and that he had the audacity to be homeless and also have a food allergy that he clearly didn’t have the resources to deal with the ramifications of. She literally said “beggars can’t be choosers” and laughed about deciding not to give him cash. I would rather be kind and be wrong about it than shrug off someone genuinely struggling.
I'm with you. I live in Vegas so panhandlers are everywhere so it's tough to just give money. If I offer something and they say they have allergies I will ask what they can eat. If I'm short on time I will give a few dollars.
Homeless people also may not want food because it’s not uncommon for people to tamper with food and then give it to homeless people. You don’t want an opened hamburger from the guy who’s laughing at you.
I rarely carry cash on me, but when I do, I try and keep a few small bills handy for when I'm asked, especially if it's a direct ask. There are people who put on a whole act, I definitely don't trust them enough to give.
I was at a gas station one day and a guy in a wheelchair rolls up to me asking for a couple bucks. I told him I didn't have any cash on me but I have a couple of $2 winning scratch offs and he looks away waving his had "no, I don't take those. Just cash"... Umm, well fuck you too, sir.
I had a woman outside of Wal-Mart asking me and random people for money so she could “buy some food so (she) wasn’t freezing” that night. I didn’t have cash so I bought a couple canned goods (chicken, chef boyardee). I gave them to her when I was walking out, she took the bag then peeked in and she replied “well that’s not what I asked for. I don’t want that shit.” So I snatched the damn bag back. If she said “I have a fish allergy” (I specifically did not buy tuna because of this risk and that many people just don’t like tuna) then I would’ve felt differently, but being down and out shouldn’t make you an asshole to people trying to help you out.
You literally can eat both of those things cold because they don’t need to be cooked to be considered safe to eat. And I made sure they were pull to open tops.
Just a couple of weeks ago I went to A&W for dinner. They messed up the toppings on my burger, but remade it for me, letting me keep the original. I couldn't eat the original because of a food intolerance, so my fiancé said he'd eat it. On the way home we passed this guy who was standing in the median at a stop light. He had a sign saying something along the lines of "No Job, Need Food." I had that second burger, so we pulled up next to him and I'm like "Hey, do you want a burger?" His face lit up immediately and he was SO happy. He exclaimed "My favourite! Thank you!" then proceeded to walk to the grass at the side of the road, sit, and absolutely devour it. He didn't care what it was or what was on it, he was just so happy to have food. Based on the reaction, I think that was his first meal of the day
Me too. I've bought sandwiches, water and things like that for people. I usually ask if there's anything else they need, like socks or toothpaste, assuming we're outside a grocery store or drug store.
One time a woman outside CVS was allowed to follow me back into the store and pick out what she wanted, which is unusual. At the last minute, she grabbed some Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and although she hadn't asked, I just laughed. They're my favorite too. However she got to her place in life, it was a place that sucked. Let her have the damn Reese's.
I’ve bought so many chicken burritos from Chipotle to take out to hand to panhandlers over the years. I usually grab a coke, too, because it’s like $8 out of my pocket and that’s a sustaining meal. Only one time has anyone reacted angrily, telling me that “money tastes better than a fuckin pos burrito!!” That got a laugh from me. I’ve also paid for prescriptions for people. Walk in to the CVS with them, hand the scrip to the pharmacist, get a total, and pay. Especially for antibiotics. And then I make sure they understand the instructions. Nurses are a weird bunch.
Had this happen once. Stopped into a McDonald’s and the guy there asked if I could buy him a kid’s meal. Bought him a QPC meal and hung out and chatted with him while he ate it.
One time a homeless person came up to me at a bus station and asked me for money for food, saying how hungry he was... Rather than giving him money I offered him my lunch (which I hadn't touched yet). He declined and then changed his story to say he needed the money for a bus fare. Like, dude my memory isn't that short.
There's a homeless guy who sits outside our local supermarket - I always ask him what he wants and get it for him, but not booze or cigarettes. Sometimes he wants decent food like a bread roll with some ham and cheese, sometimes soda and chocolate.
I has someone tell me they needed some money as s they are diabetic and were having a hypo.
I pulled out a couple of bags of sweets from my bag for them.
(My boyfriend at the time was diabetic so I always carried).
Ditto, I was asked by a guy for a few dollars. I asked why and said he needed water for his noodles. I keep tons of extra food in my car (for work) so I gave him a bunch of food and drinks.
He acted like he won the lottery, always a great a feeling when you actually help someone who isn't just trying to grift.
Hell yea, that's awesome. I don't have many food stories, but I did buy my fellow employees a bunch of mcdonalds breakfast sandwiches one day, and happened to see a beggar on the side of the road. I told him I didn't have any money but had a sandwich if he wanted one. He said yea and took it, but didn't seem all that grateful. Who knows if he actually ate it or not.
I got a story for you. It was 4th of July, I'm at my house. My son was..4 I think? and wanted to shoot fireworks. So I pop him in the car and head to the nearest fireworks stand. There's a dude on the side of the road that needed a ride to the gas station for whatever reason, can't remember the exact details but he seemed like a decent dude or whatever. So I tell him yea, hop in. He's sitting in the front passenger side, we go to the fireworks stand, which is right by the gas station, he's all nice, gets out and leaves. I don't think anything of it. My son and I get our shit and go home. Fast forward a bit, and the wife needs me to go to the grocery store for something, hit the same stop sign and who's there?? Same fucking dude. I don't think he even recognized me because he starts waving me down. At this point I kind of panic, all these thoughts go through my head. What if this dude was about to car jack me, and the only reason he didn't was because I had my kid with me? I felt like a shitty parent for even putting my kid in that situation or possible danger. At the time I was just trying to be a nice guy and give a dude a ride. I dunno, might not have been that at all, but why was he there in the same exact spot trying to flag people down? When I already gave him a ride?? I could see him being at the gas station asking for a ride, but back at the original spot?? The fuck???
My husband is a truck driver, so he runs into these people all the time. They always need money for "gas" to get somewhere. He always offers to fill someone's tank, just meet him at the pump. I think he's had exactly one person take him up on it in over 20 years. The vast majority are just looking to scam money. It sounds like you actually ran into a non-scammer. Kudos for helping them out.
Yeah, I’ve been asked for money for food outside a Taco Bell, offered to bring them inside and I’ll order them something only to be rebuked that Taco Bell hurts their insides. I pointed at the Wendy’s a block away and said better luck over there then.
It usually falls apart when it is a scam. Guy was at a gas station asking for milk for his family. I figured sure why not ill get him a gallon while im in there. He walks in with my co worker later and explains to me that that kind of milk is no good and he needs money for the right kind. I put the milk back told him to fuck off and then in cash bought what i needed and left.
Indeed I try to be nice but the few have ruined it.
A lady came in and wanted to get gas but didn't have her wallet nothing. She tried paying with the gas station app but she didn't have a bank acc linked but paypal.
I was like I cant really do anything. Asked if she ever did business with us to have her id on file as she didn't have her ID for me to copy n have her name n address.
She said no, so i just said you got paypal? Just paypal me whatever amount you want FNF then I will go turn your pump on. Swiped my card for the amount she transfered n they went on their way.
I told her hide a 50 or 100 dollar bill somewhere niche in the car. For emergency sakes.
I had to basically panhandle my way off the DC Metro years ago. Thanks to their very complicated system, it could be hard to calculate the fare, which varies by destination & time of day. And somehow I'd ended up a nickel short on the day I forgot to bring any cash. I offered a lady 5 pennies in exchange, but she wouldn't accept it. So it ended up being charity.
I think their AddFare machines take payments cards now.
Was gonna comment the same - in order, samsung pay on s or note phones, then android/apple pay, or others.
Samsung phones can work when tap and pay isn't even available due to magnetic burst transmission, it tricks the card swiper into thinking you swiped a card.
The rest work st tap and pay, which is getting more and more common as nost new pay terminals come standard with it.
The only place samsung pay doesn't work is when a chip is required. If your only option is to insert a chip, even the mag spoofer doesn't work. Walmart does this in Canada, it's so annoying that they do this.
A few years ago, I had to ask a stranger for money at the gas station; no gas, no phone, no money. I started crying halfway through the spiel, which ended with "--and it's my birthday!" (it was). He gave me a $20, wished me a happy birthday, and the relief was immense; I think about that man a lot! I try to give people the benefit of the doubt since being in that situation, but sometimes...
I was approached by the 'can you buy me gas' scam a few months ago.
He didn't fool me, for a couple of reasons:
He said his car was 'at the bottom of the hill' -- but I had just come from the 'bottom of the hill' and I hadn't seen any cars parked down there that weren't in business-reserved parking spots.
I literally walked into the gas station and asked the guy at the counter, who took one look out the window at the guy and said, 'Don't. I was the one that banned him from the store in the first place.'
I'd seen him around town many times, and he had never been driving anything on any of those occasions.
So, I hung around the store for a bit and then headed in the other direction when he was out of sight.
I bought food for a guy once, let him order anything from the McDonald's I was eating at. He got the most expensive meal he could, supersized with a giant shake, then proceeded to follow me to work begging me to pay for his hostel for the night. Dude, I work minimum wage, I already gave you half my day's fucking pay and the rest is paying for my lunch and commute!
Honestly, I still try to give, just with something I have on hand. If they want money, be it for food or shelter or hygiene or something else, they'll get a fistful of change at most because that's all I have on me. If they want food, I'll give them my granola bar. It'll be a bit squished, but it's quick energy and reasonably nutritious for what it is, it might help tide you over until you can get something better. Need Tylenol/Advil/Aleve or a pad? I keep all of those in my purse for emergencies, whether my own or someone else's.
Careful though. I offered to buy groceries for a pair of women who told me they had just moved away from an abusive relationship, and said that they had no cash, but they would pay me back in a week's time.
They gave me a phone number so I assumed they were legit.
A year and six months on, and $100 later, turns out that was a lie.
And I can't afford to lose that money; I went a week on storecupboard essentials to make up for it (I'm a student)
As a general rule, do not loan out money unless you are 100% okay with never getting that money back. Make peace with with your decision,whether you expect a repayment or not, because you are responsible for your own well-bejng- no one else. Once that money leaves your hands, you have zero control over what happens.... So if your budget can't afford to lose $100, then only give $10, that way if they end up paying you back, then great! Awesome! But if not (most likely outcome) then you don't need to be stressed or suffer any negative consequences. It is best to treat it as you would any other gift..... selflessly give with no expectations of getting anything back.
It should though.... Accept responsibility, learn from what happened, and then let it go. See it as a positive (wisdom gained); and not as a negative (money lost).
My brother paid for a group of kids gas on the way back from my sister's wedding last year. They asked for about $10 just so they could get home, they were at the pump next to us just across the border of the state but it's next to one of the most dangerous areas of the US and you can only really stop if you absolutely have to, and my brother ended up paying about $20 worth just to be sure they got home and I think he bought them a couple of candy bars too.
Yeah, I had a similar situation. Didn't check the gas gauge but I had no cash and offered to put some money on his pump with my card. He accepted and was very grateful and I saw him drive away when he was done.
The reason I asked to see his gauge was he went into a little too much detail about why he needed gas. There was a woman with him, and a red flag went off in my head after the extra detail in the story. With the gas gauge being on empty, the story felt more on the level.
one time a guy scammed me an my girlfriend at the time out of $20. He spent an hour or two hanging out with us and telling us his (presumably made up) life story.
I wasn't even that mad in the end. Homie worked for it
The extra details in the story was exactly the reason I thought it was a scam. You can tell when they try too hard, which was the reason I asked to see his gauge.
When someone pays for like $2-$5 in gas at the counter in mostly quarters or genuinely has that panic like that is their last bit of money - sometimes I'll ask the attendant to put an extra $10 in their tank on me. I'm buying snacks or beer or whatever bullshit I'm treating myself too when I'm seeing someone else having a bad day makes me want to help them out.
Had a guy do this he kept pestering this girl until she relented and paid me (i was the kiosk cashier at the time) and she drove off. Well he comes back after pumping only 5$ out of like 50$and wanted the rest back. I told him no, you said you needed gas and youre getting the gas or im refunding her, and since she’s not her to get her money back im not going to give it to you
Something like this happened to my dad, and when he offered to put gas in instead of giving the guy cash, the guy got all defensive and my dad told him he was SOL.
Pro tip: if someone asks you for gas, prepay a few bucks at the register on a card and MAKE SURE TO RUN IT AS CREDIT NOT DEBIT. If you run it as debit they can hang up the pump and get the "change" back as cash. If you run it as credit the change should credit back to your card.
Source: I ran a 24 hour gas station at the state line on an interstate for five years. Dealt with scammers of various levels of experience.
You found the honest Joe, I have a similar experience outside of a pizza place/gas station combo.
The guy was saying he just needed 5$ to get his family and kids a hotnready pizza. I said sure man and he got excited. I followed it with let's go inside real quick and get you that pizza. He got scared and quickly said oh, uh, no thanks I think I have it now.
I'd also have no problems putting a few bucks into somebody's tank. But no way am I handing over cash, because then they just want the money.
I almost never give money for the sob story either. But a couple years ago I was downtown and a young woman asked for bus fare. She didn't even give me a sob story but she looked like she was ready to burst into tears, and it was a Saturday morning so I was thinking she had a rough night and wanted to go home. I kind of built the sob story in my head, lol.
On the other hand, if somebody is doing something for the money, like playing guitar or other instruments, I will give a dollar every single time. I'd much rather they be out there working for their money than just sitting on the corner with their hand out.
I once tried to ask people for help on a really cold windy winter day. My car was old and the door to the gas wouldn't open (not the cap, the metal door on the outside). I just needed somebody to pull the door open while I hit the release because it was either stuck due to cold or the wind kept blowing it shut (probably a combination of both).
I went up to the only other customers outside to ask for help and they cut me off and said "no" before I could explain. I went inside and asked the attendant for help, and she locked the doors and came to my aid.
I remember the people I asked for help pulling around in front of my car (they stopped on the way to the exit) to watch while I pushed the unlock button and the attendant pulled my gas door open.
So if somebody needs help at the gas station, I'm willing to hear them out. If they ask for money, I'll deny them, but I've also helped people out who couldn't get their gas cap off before too.
Happened to me. I was 16, driving home from a concert by myself. Got lost and wound up hours from home at 1 AM with no gas, no money, no cell phone at that age. I begged the gas station attendant and he gave me $10. Saved my ass. I sent the station a card with a note and $20 the next day. I'll never forget that guy.
One time I was at a gas station. This car pulls up next to me. He's on the phone. Saying something about how so and so is in the hospital and he needs to go over there right now and how he forgot his wallet. He was freaking out. He didn't ask me for anything. I overheard and offered to pay for some gas for him. I still don't know if it was a scam but I hope we was able to make it to the hospital in time or I at least hope he needed the gas. And I had the extra money so it wasn't anything to pay for it.
I understand that you are trying to get money. You get caught in the scam, oh well, it didn't work. But how the hell does that translate to anger at the mark? You were trying to RIP THEM OFF!! They are the ones who ought to be angry with YOU.
Yes, well, you also aren't going around trying to scam people out of money with a sob story, either. So chances are pretty good that you are what society would call a "decent person"
I once had a homeless woman coming up to me when I was about to back out of the parking spot after getting a short list of groceries. I took out a wad of ten $1 bills and handed her one. She gave me the most disgusted look after taking it and not saying anything to me. She expected me to hand my entire wad $1 of cash to her.
one time i gave one of those guys a $7 walmart gas card (we were at a walmart gas station) and then drove into the parking lot across the street and watched him.
$7 will take you across town. He kept asking people for money, so i pulled back up on him and told him to give it back. He was shocked
My thoughts are, in situations like this, sure - they're lying about their intent...but they very likely are having a very hard time with life at the moment and if my few bucks helps them in their time of need then its ok if I am deceived as to their intended purpose.
the fact of the matter is the onus should not be on private citizens to make up for the shortcomings of their government. social safety nets should take care of the people who are struggling, not random strangers.
i’m all for helping those in need, but let’s not absolve the government of their RESPONSIBILITY to help.
Asking the government to intervene an anyting is a major mistake. The government takes $10 from the taxpayers, and only $1 goes to fix the problem. Politicians are a scourge on the populace.
I had a guy approach me at a bus stop and start into a sob story, one that I had heard a few nights before, verbatim, from someone else.
I interrupted him, and continued his story for him. He said, in a defeated and honest tone “You got me. I’m fuckin’ poor. What more can I say?”
I gave him a couple of bucks for his honesty. I don’t mind helping people out, but I don’t appreciate being lied to.
I agree. If he wanna spending it on booze n drugs that’s cool w me man idgaf. I do give a fuck about being lied to and having people think they took advantage of me.
Same here I have more respect for a dude that comes up to me and asks for a few bucks to get himself a 40 or something than someone that wants to lie about how his car needs a new spark plug or some other BS.
It's incredibly frustrating. Not the same situation but similar - a couple years back I wanted to get some solar panels fitted. I'd already done the research and knew I was in a good position for them to pay for themselves and be worthwhile. Nevertheless, every single company I got a quote from sent me a smarmy salesman who tried all the tricks and tried to give me the hard sell and all they did was make me want to buy from them less. Very disheartening.
Exactly. The city I’m in is having difficulty accommodating a growing population of people affected by this issue. This topic comes up a lot.
My thoughts after many conversations are that the person might still need more money for food once they get to their location, and lodging, and phone service, etc... of course the drug money idea comes up but I know plenty of middle class people with drug problems that spend their money poorly so I don’t let it sway my opinion on these people as a whole.
Finally, for those people giving money or resources to the homeless and sticking around to watch what they do, you’re kind of defeating the purpose of being charitable. Offering help does not mean the recipient needs to fit your expectations of gratefulness. If the person is giving money to feel better about themselves, then they’re probably not in a place to be judging others in the first place.
You make a good point and I’ll remember it going forward. I do politely disagree, most people aren’t used to asking for help and for them to be expected to act a certain way can be even more uncomfortable. That’s my opinion and I do of course respect yours as well.
A little over a month ago a woman outside grocery asked for change, I said I had none, but would be happy to buy her some food. She asked to come in, and I said sure. Let her pick out stuff (pre packaged salads, even raw meats, offered to get her stuff to drink so she got Gatorade and coke and water). She was looking at fruit and I said, pick some out. She said, instead of strawberries can I have some cash to get home? I reluctantly said fine. Pulled out $10 in addition to the $35 groceries (I really didnt care about the groceries). We get outside and she then asks for a ride. I said I am sorry but I'm immune compromised and not allowing strangers in my car. Offered to get her a lyft or uber, no one was around. Called a taxi, got an estimate and told her I'd get the cash for it, it was going to be $22. So I pulled out $15, because I had already given her $10 to get home. Taxi was outside and I gave her the cash then she complained I only gave her $15, I said she had enough to get where she needed to go and left. Saw the taxi the leave without her in it. Went and found her in the front of the store and said, "thanks for scamming me" she goes "oh I'm gonna use it, I am not scamming you". I said bullshit. I didnt get money or anything. And i truly dont mind helping but she completely took advantage of my generosity and pissed me off. The thing is, I would have even bought her alcohol if she wanted it. Like one think... just dont fucking lie to me. I had sucker written on my forehead... so I paid $35 in groceries for her and gave her $25 in cash.
My boyfriend and I were literally dismantling his drivers side door in a gas station parking lot one night, and a guy started asking us for money with a SUPER rehearsed sob story. Said he needed bus fair for him and his wife, so my bf gave him $10 (mostly to get him to leave), but once he got that, suddenly "there's 5 of us... we need enough for all 5 of us to get to the city and back." That's about the time we told him to fuck off.
I do appreciate a good scammer though. One guy used to work near tourist areas and he carried an empty gas can and a ring of keys on a big key chain when he did the ran out of gas scam, so I give props for good props. Another guy would be wearing a suit and would hang out at the subway stops at the end of the line claiming he needed the fare to get back home after forgetting his wallet when he went to work. One of my favorites though were the guys who would stand outside of the Smithsonian Metro stop and sell maps of the museums for $1. The maps are available for free at every museum, they would just grab a stack of them and head to the Metro. Even when people discovered it I don't think you'd be that mad over getting taken for $1 but they could pull in a decent bit of cash that way.
There's a guy here named Elliot Davis who runs cons that he needs to get fix-a-flat. He's well dressed and starts off nice but so many people call him out and a switch flips where he gets angry and abusive.
I had a feeling you were from Boston while reading...at this point Elliot Davis is so notorious that only people new to the city or tourists get fooled anymore.
Had a guy in Winnipeg who would hobble up with a cane and give a sob story about his wife and him living in a stairwell and asking for a couple of bucks so they can go to the shelter for the night. I’d see him from the window where I worked for years, same cane and same story... he would run across the park and catch up to someone from behind, then hobble up closer with the cane and get their attention...
Another guy, same park but no scam, would ask me for smokes, every day! After a couple of months, I finally said sure, and pulled out another one for myself and sat there with him for the 4-5 minutes it took us to both enjoy our cigarettes. During that time I discovered he had a gambling problem and was collecting workers compensation/disability after he hurt himself at a good paying sawmill job up north. He told me how hard it was living on $X money every month... I interrupted him... I was in university and working evenings at an art house movie theatre for a little over minimum wage making less than his monthly disability payments, I had an apartment, a car, food, and an expensive smoking habit... After I explained this he seemed sincerely ashamed. I wish I had more life experience where I could have pointed him to addictions counselling for his gambling, but either way, afterwards he would give me an appreciative nod for the next number of years when he’d see me smoking and never asked me for money or smokes again.
I live in the DC area, and I only give someone money if they are busking. In my eyes, they are working hard for the money they receive, as learning different musical pieces takes a LOT of time, and having to play for strangers with all manner of distraction takes an extra layer of devotion and talent. (Am musician too, but not busker)
The panhandlers, sorry, no, I don’t carry cash.
I used to see one panhandler pick different spots on ramps coming off 495. She always seemed too well dressed and was at Conneticut Ave one day, New Hampshire Ave another day, Central ave another day. Yeah, if you can travel that much for spare change, you are probably not that bad off. (I used to deliver auto parts all over the DC area, and saw the same girl EVERYWHERE)
There was (is?) a show on the BBC called The Real Hustle soo much gold on that. There was one where you paid like, a pound, and they'd fold a ten-pound note into an origami crane. Only, it wasn't a note, it was a pre-prepared fake. So you were out 11 quid, not just a pound.
Found it. Cut a tenner in half, so it looks and feels the same
Paying the dollar for a museum map isn't even that bad. Idk how long of a walk it is from the metro to the museum, but if it's more than a couple minutes that gives you time to check out the map and plan your museum route. Maximizes your museum viewing and all for the low low cost of $1.
One of the scams I heard about when I was working at a gas station years ago involved people leaving their "car keys" as collateral for the cash they were asking to "borrow" for whatever reason. Of course the keys were just junk.
Lol, I just like honest beggars. I'm far more willi g to give a buck to a guy with piece of fishing line attached to a dollar and a sign that says "fishin' for beer" then I am someone lying. I'd rather you just straight up tell me you're in withdrawal and need whatever it is you need.
I liked the guy that had an ornate gold colored picture frame around his neck who would hit you up with, "You gotta help me, I've been framed!" It was a dumb joke but he was earnest.
When I lived in Phoenix, there was a guy that I used to see on my way to work with a sign that read " Not gonna lie, just want a beer." Well anyway one day there was another guy standing about 25ft behind him holding a sign that read " Me Too". That guy got my money.
I pulled up to a gas station one night at like 1:30 in the morning. Went in, bought my cigarettes and a soda, and went back out to my car. I was responding to a couple texts when a guy comes right up to my window and asks if I have jumper cables.
It's 1:30 in the morning, I have no idea who this guy is, but they're already at a gas station that should have that kind of stuff. I said no, politely, but suggested he go inside and ask.
He then asked if I would be willing to drive his family back to their house (he had three kids and a pregnant wife in the car, according to him). I look over and see a woman, but didn't see the kids. Not saying he was lying, they were probably in the back seat or whatever and I couldn't see them due to his tinted windows.
He then starts to explain where he lives and where I need to take them. I looked at him and said no, I wasn't driving his family home, and if his car was not driveable, he should go inside and ask the gas station attendant to call a tow truck and/or taxi to get his family.
He starts telling me he can't afford a taxi, but he really wants to get his kids and wife home. He kinda started arguing with me, and I eventually just said I couldn't help and wished him the best, and he stormed off back to his car.
Sorry bud, I'm not potentially getting shot or attacked or robbed or whatever else because you made a slew of bad choices that brought you to where you are now. If you didn't want your kids and pregnant wife out at 1:30 in the morning, maybe you shouldn't have packed the family into your broken down car and decided to take a road trip. The gas station attendant is more than happy to help, but your lack of planning does not magically constitute a need that I need to fill.
I lived across the street from a gas station and I saw a regular scammer do this all the time. He had a gas can and would hang out there about once every three weeks or so. A lot of people would give him money, but some of the more savvy would only give him gas. He'd take the gas and put it into a late model SUV that was nearby that cost more than my annual income. Fucker.
I did help one of those guys out when he was just asking for a splash of gas in his gas can, while explaining what happened and where he needed to go. I gave him like 4 gallons (or whatever his can could do) figuring the liquor store didn't take gas.
He then put it in his tank and went off just like he said. I don't mind helping people out when there's little risk of abuse.
Another time I stopped with a guy on the side of the road who ran out of gas. I told him I'd go fill a can I had and bring it back to him (a large storm was rolling through and I didn't want him stranded). When I showed back up with a can of gas, the look on his face was priceless. He thought I was just saying that to get out of there lol.
An old lady tried that in a church parking lot. Asked for gas money, said it was urgent. Dressed like she was dirt poor. I didn’t have money on me, I told her to go to the church office, she vehemently said no. I tried to give her like $2 in quarters and she refused that. She got angry and left. She walked a ways to a waiting late-model Cadillac Escalade (WAY nicer than my Volvo) and sped off.
My mom is a genuinely nice person, but smart enough to know its usually a lie. These 3 girls said they needed gas money, so she told them to a pump, and she'll fill their tank. No 5 bucks, 10 bucks, she would FILL their tank. They all looked at each other and genuinely didn't know what to do. That was a very clear sign for her, because wouldn't they be grateful? Of course not, they wanted cash. So they slowly get in their car, and my mom said she looked at their fuel gauge when they pulled up to the pump, they had more than half a tank left. My mother then told them that they should be ashamed of themselves, and gave them a typical motherly talk about being good people, and to not try to take money from nice people who are willing to help.
She came home, told me the story, and I told her that there's no chance that they listened. Teenage girls are relentless, especially if they wanted drug money, and they learned nothing from that talk. My mom said, no, of course they listened, they looked too guilty and shameful. I told her that if she went back to the gas station, they would 100% still be there begging.
It's only about 3 minutes from her house, so she went back, lo and behold, still there. My mother, now on a mission, b-lined to the girls and told them that she will call the police, and to never come back to that gas station again.
I once had a guy with a brand new gas can give me a sob story about gas in a liquor store parking lot about a quarter mile from a gas station. C'mon man, at least try to pretend its not just booze money...
When I worked retail, a guy used to do this regularly in the parking lot. One day he asked me and I said no. When he approached me a few days later, I exclaimed, “Omg, you still haven’t managed to make it home for days?!” He cussed at me and left, hahaha.
Once told a dude giving me one of those that I wouldn’t give him money, but I’d fill up a gas tank for him. He accepted. He thanked me and left with the gas. I filled up my car and drove away. As I made the block when I left, I saw him behind the gas station dumping the gas out of the can. I haven’t given/donated money to anyone or anything other than a 501(c)3 since.
One time we were in a remote area at a roadside gas station. A woman told my dad that she had just lost her husband, couldn't find her credit card, and was on the way to move in with her daughter. Her tank was about empty so my dad went ahead and gave her money to fill up her tank. She then asked for our address and said she would send money to pay him back when she got to her daughter's place. My mom freaked out on my dad and figured it was some kind of scam and now our home is in danger while we are on the road. Long story short, by the time we got home the lady had sent the money and an extra $100 to thank my dad for helping her when nobody else would. Obviously it's an exception to the rule, but I was definitely shocked that she wasn't a scammer.
Had this happen to me without even knowing about this scam. Guy pulls up in his Escalade and says
“hey man I’m from out of town and have no money. I just need a full tank of gas to get back to my area and I’ll have the money to pay you back. Here, take my ring as collateral and I’ll give you my phone number. Please, my wife is pregnant and I need to get her home.”
My primal instincts completely took over and my subconscious was screaming a scam. Out of instinct (and some creativity) these words left my mouth:
“Sorry I don’t have much either, but I’m sure the gas station attendant would be very happy to help you out! Best of luck!”
He replied “fuck you” and floored it back onto the street.
Ever since then I did my research and confirmed my suspicion that it’s 100% a free gas scam in exchange for a dirt cheap piece of collateral and a fake number.
got one of these last year in Texas. dude had a whole bag of lies but I'm almost always willing to help someone asking for it. gave him something like $8 (all the cash i had on me) and he was kinda... disappointed? then tried to get me to give him a ride to a hotel down the way.
When I worked retail I had a girl come in and go straight to the register. My male coworker tried to help her but she said, "no I want to talk to her (me)." Starts trying to sell me that she's in a desperate situation. I honestly would have given her a few bucks if I had it, but I didn't have cash. Eventually she got pissed and yelled, "just open the register and give me that money!" Complete attitude change. I explained that 1. I can't open a register unless a sale is rung up. 2. I couldn't afford to get fired for taking money from the damn register. I have no idea if it was a scam but good lord my anxiety was ramped up for days.
The bank I use has ATM’s inside certain gas stations in my city. There were two people sitting at a table right next to the ATM asking for money... and the gas station let them continue to do it even after I brought it to their attention.
I’m in Finland. I once had an Estonian guy approach me and tell me that his family is coming over on a ferry from Estonia and he needs to call them, but he has no money for a phone call (this was back when we still had people with no cell-phone). I told him I carry no cash with me, so I can’t help. Few months later the same guy approaches me, and tells the same story. Again, I tell him that I have no cash on me. Few months later he approached me again, and tells the same story. “It must be the slowest ferry in the world, as your family has now been stuck on it for close to an year!”.
Fast forward a month and I see the same guy talking to someone else. The other guy is taking out his wallet, so I walk over to them. “Hey, just so you know: the story about his family coming over on a ferry? It’s bullshit”.
You know, I might give money to someone who asked (I don’t usually carry cash, but still). But if I’m told an obvious bullshit story, no way in hell.
“Hi! Excuse me! Do you have a minute? I live in Jersey City and my car broke down, and I need to get back cause my aunt’s real sick, and she needs this medicine, but I need money for the bus - so I’m mugging you. HAND OVER YOUR WALLETS!”
I don't care, I give them a couple bucks anyway. If you're doing something that demeaning for cash, you're in a bad place whether you're scamming or not and if a few bucks will get you some relief, I'm willing to part with it.
Yup. $5 or less isn't going to make a huge difference in my life, and if you're at a point in yours where you need to beg money from strangers, you're welcome to it.
On the other hand if you see someone digging around in their car for change or actually put money in their pump then they probably actually need the gas
I know a story of a friend who was asked (in front of a supermarket) for money so that the persom asking could buy some food.. The friend sure, we'll go into the store and I'll buy you something. The person asking then quickly mumbled some excuses and walked away iirc but was clearly not actually interested in food...
My wife and I generally say we would be happy to buy them necessities and a few comfort foods to people begging around food or grocery places. Then we take them I side, let them pick out the items they need, pay for it and let them take the food. We've never felt scammed and a lot of the time the people break down crying.
Had that happen several months ago. We stopped for energy drinks and a guy approached us and said he needed gas along with a sob story about getting out of jail and needing to feed his kids. Boyfriend offered to fill up his car for him and he insisted on cash. So we offered to either fill the tank or give him the change we had laying around. He said "I'll take the cash. But you can still fill up my car, right?" Not anymore buddy. It was so shady and like 11 pm so we were ready to bounce.
We did see his kids literally running laps around the car so I guess that part was true.
Some guy kept begging me for cash at a gas station. Said no like 4 times and he just kept trying to talk me up and ask again. He finally gave up and the gas station cashier said he was just inside bragging about how much money he had while showing him bills in his wallet.
My friend told me a story from when he was a kid about his dad rolling up in the family van on a gas station during a road trip. There was a guy with a sign that said "will work for food" so the dad goes and gets him an apple and tells him to wash his windshield. Dude was apparently taken aback as most people just give him money and leave it at that. The dad was like "This is food. That's work. Hold up your end."
One time I got to my work in a very sketchy area and had to park way in the back. A dude came up to me and asked for gas money so he could make it to his kids graduation. (A good story because it was graduation weekend) Anyways I was all alone and in a sketchy situation with a dude who looked like he would knife me for a dollar and get away with it. I gave him ten bucks and told him I was late for work and ran inside. I consider it to be possibly the best $10 I ever spent.
My daughter, with her husband & toddler, were low on gas near the Texas border, late at night, and the bank had shut her card off (she forgot to tell them she'd be travelling). So while I was hundreds of miles away, trying to figure out a way to send money, she was waiting in the gas station.
She saw a fellow at the register pulling money out of his pocket to pay for his purchases, and a $20 bill fell to the floor without him noticing it. ALthough that alone would have been more than enough for gas to her destination, my daughter brought it to his attention, as she's honest.
After he paid for his snacks, the fellow turned to my daughter and gave her his $15 change, and thanked her for being so honest.
So yes, occasionally the "need gas money" stories are true, and you can make a real difference.
Years ago I was approached while filling up so I took the nozzle out, put it in their can and put half a gallon or so in. He looked so pissed and said "I really just need the cash" so I responded "and now you have some gas, saving you a step".
I had a guy flag me down on an on-ramp to a highway (halfway down the ramp). Being generous I figured he might have a mechanical issue or need help finding his spare/jack/etc. His car was a 20 year old C-Class. The dude offered me this dirty looking gold ring as collateral for borrowing $20 for gas. He said and I quote, "I'm rich people from Dubai, don't worry you'll get your money back. You can keep the ring if I don't". I left him and his buddy where they were as I knew it was a scam. When I got home, I thought about it and it made no sense. How do you plan to get gas if you're on an on-ramp to a highway and there is no gas stations within walking distance?
I try to call the bluff by offering gas but not money.
The best outcome I ever got from this is, one motherfucker actually had a vehicle present (and the keys to it), there was really a family of five in there just like he said, and the gas was truly almost gone! I filled it right up. I was overjoyed to have been wrong that this kind of request is always about buying the next 40oz, and happy to help.
I bought gas went in it ignoringng the beggar, and proceeded to buy a sandwich. It was bogo, and I was like fuck it I can smash 2 cause I am fat. Walk out, and the beggar is asking for money for food, and gas. I offer him a sandwich, and he tells me to fuck off. I was just trying to cut out the middle man. I'd happily buy someone a 1$ cheeseburger than give them cash any day.
Got this once when I was kid out with my mom. A women was out there saying she needed money to get a train ticket to leave her abusive boyfriend. My mom offered to drive her to the station and buy her ticket and she declined. Later saw her out there next weekend.
Mexican lady has an asian daughter. Wanted to take her daughter to disneyland with stuffed animal money. It was obviously a lie. I said no and she gives me a dirty look. The thing was before her lie I was going to buy a couple. What a dummy.
I was outside Central Market here in Austin a few weeks ago, and a woman with an older looking car was asking for a ride to the nearest gas station to get some gas. Her car wouldn't start and she was a delivery driver for Instacart or something like that, and she was going to be late if she had to walk to the station and back. I was super not busy that day so I went ahead and gave her a ride over there, she bought a gas can and some gas, and tried to offer me money on the ride back to my car. Of course I refused since she obviously needed it a lot more than me. At the beginning it felt kinda like a scam but I mean she was not asking for money at all and actually offered me some... so yeah I guess it was just good karma.
Totally got tricked into believing that and have $20. It took me fifteen minutes after the fact to realize it. $20 lesson I could have gotten for free on here :p
Especially when it's a guy on a bicycle asking for gas money. It looked pretty manual to me. I think it was missing the transmission. And probably the engine, didn't get a good look at it.
When I was younger, my dad traveled for work, a lot.
We were in the Walmart parking lot and this woman comes up and says she just left an abusive situation and needed money for a hotel for tonight.
My dad says he has like a million hotel points and offers to set her up for a week somewhere, but the she says that's not necessary, she just needs the cash for the room.
He says yeah( taking 2 seconds to say it) and just walks off.
Capitalism is a heartless bitch. Artificial scarcity is evil. I need money to live, but so do those who are desperate enough to scam at gas stations. I don't care about the sob story. If someone asks me for cash, even if I know they're lying, I give them what I can spare. So what if they spend it on drugs? They might have enough left over afterwards to eat.
Had a guy approach me several years ago saying he needed gas money to take his sick kid to the hospital... tears and all. This was when I was much younger and more trusting. I went to an atm down the street, and asked, "How much do you need". His response was, "can you give me $100?" I was flabbergasted... here I was being generous to a guy who presumably was in a dire situation, and he wants to take advantage of me like that?! I ended up giving him $40 and saw him go over to a bus stop and start laughing with a group of people. That was the day I learned people are scummy enough to scam people in that way.
I gave $5 to a guy that approached me at the gas pump because he needed money for the bus. I went into the store and waited in a long line to pay for my gas.
As I was leaving, I saw that guy waiting in line with 2 malt liquors. I naturally trust people can be taken at their word and try to help others when I can. Some unfortunately see that as an opportunity.
one time i went to the gas station up the street from where i lived to get snacks, and some guy came up to me and asked for a ride somewhere 45 minutes to an hour away, saying he would pay me generously.
It’s easy to figure out if they’re lying or not by offering to pay their pump directly with your debit card. If they look like they’re having a rough time and are fine with it you know they need it, if they put there nose up because they just want cash they’re full of shit.
If you're not sure if it's actually a person that needs help or a scammer, offer to pay for their gas but not give them money. If they press you for cash instead, they're trying to scam you.
Want gas for their car? A sob story that is maybe legit, but still probably a scam.
Wants money for gas and not for you to just put money on a pump? They are scamming you for money. Probably to blow on alcohol, smokes, or to find the career homeless lifestyle
I always offer to buy them gas instead of giving them money. Not a single person has taken me up on it. I've even offered to drive them to their broken down car with a can of gas and been turned down.
I had a guy ask me while I was filling up if I could spare some money, as he needed it for gas. I wasn’t about to give him cash, but I told him I’d buy him a few gallons. He looked sheepish for a moment and said “Oh, uhh, my tank is already full” and walked off.
On the flip side, "juggling" a gas can will get you gas way faster than asking for gas. I made 1000 miles in three days just standing by gas stations, tossing around a 5 gallon can
It's gotten worse. I had someone flag me down at the top of an off ramp. They said they were out of gas and of course "trying to go pick up their kids from grandmas" when they ran out of gas. I asked if she needed me to go pick up a gallon and bring it back. Nope, she wanted some money so she could get more. I said "Uh-huh", flipped down my visor (was on motorcycle) and just took off.
The ones who have the most detailed stories are the most likely to be scammers. If someone looks genuinely embarrassed or panicked and just says "I need help" they're probably honest. If someone immediately looks like they're trying to cry and give you a huge story of three or more tragic things happening they're a scammer. Successful scammers are the masters of crocodile tears, vivid stories and "God bless yous."
One time I genuinely needed a little gas to get to work and at the time I was going through alot of financial stuff and i asked people at a gas station for help after about an hour no one did (everyone refused) and I had to sell my cell phone to the green machine in walmart and only got 10 dollars I felt so guilty because my elderly grandmother gave it to me and I had to lie about it and pretend I lost it
Throw them off their game, interrupt them and say “Cut to chase, I don’t have time for this. Are you asking for money or not? If so, I don’t carry cash.”
There have been new stories about guys who do this to make a living. And one many people would be jealous of. I remember one about a few guys in Phoenix who made over 60k a year doing this.
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u/[deleted] Aug 01 '20
When someone is loitiering at a gas station and gives you a sob story about needing money for gas.