Didn't help a guy out yesterday.

[CRXican]

that's what he gets for buying an SUV

 

[tatteredpotato]

Wouldn't it be more practical to state his case to the owner of the gas station and failing that ask help from people pumping gas at the station? I see no reason other than scam if you're flagging people down at red lights.

Touche, however most gas stations only have some minimum wage teenager working behind the counter that probably has no authority anyways.

I should add that the area was more of a small town, so I guess my scam guard was a bit lower that usual. Had I been in a city I would have blown him off without thinking twice.

 

[olds]

Years ago, I was pulling through a parking lot on the way to the exit. It was Christmas time and I had just spent a grand on a receiver for my HT.
At the exit was a guy with a sign. I figured, what the heck. It's Christmas, I just spent a grand, I can help the guy out. I gave him a ten. As I drove away I looked up in the mirror and took a better look at him. I realized that he was dressed better than I was.
Last time I ever gave any beggar any money.
But I do have money come out of my paycheck each month for legitimate charities.

 

[dmw16]

It's funny this is here. Yesterday I pulled out in front of a guy a little sooner than I thought (in retrospect) I should have. So he gets next me at a light and motions for me to roll down my window. I shake my head "no" but finally do and he asks me for directions.

I figured he was going to bitch at me for pulling out in front of him. After the fact I felt like a total douche because I probably looked racist (he was black, I am white) and he had his kids in the back seat. Not sure why I resisted at first. I felt like a bit of a tool, but I did help him get to where he was going.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I just assume that anyone asking for money is making up whatever story they present. Which sucks for the ones who are legitimately down on their luck and actually need help. It's too bad that jerks ruin things for actual beggars.

 

[ScottFern]

I would of said let me hold onto your drivers license until you pay me back.

 

[SandEagle]

you give a bum a quarter, he swallows it, chokes, and then sues your ass. help no one. donate to charity instead

 

[Arik5405]

A couple of years ago, I was sitting in my truck in a Walmart parking lot waiting for my dad to show up, we were meeting up to go out to eat somewhere that night. As I'm sitting there messing around with my phone some dude knocks on my window. I was like wtf and I was honestly a little scared and hesitant to open my window for him. So I rolled it down just enough so he can speak to me. He gives me a line about how he is from out of town, doesn't have his wallet on him, and is low on gas. He also asks me for directions, which made it seem like he was legitimately in need. I give him $5 and directions and he goes on his way. My dad pulls up a couple of minutes later and I tell him what just happened, and he says, "Son, you just got scammed." I felt like a gullible ass hole after that.

 

[DrPizza]

Last week on the way home from vacation, I stopped and got gas at a gas station. Unlike 95% of all the other gas stations, this particular chain is full-serve only & doesn't swipe the card at the machine - rather, indoors. After I filled up with about $50 in gas, the attendant went inside to swipe it. The error message was something like "unrecognized mastercard." (It was a Paypal/Mastercard debit card.) Never in a million years would it occur to me to start begging people for $50 to pay for my gas; I considered that I was probably going to be waiting at that gas station for about 2 hours until my wife could get home, drop the camper off, and turn around and come back with some cash. (We were separated by about an hour on the trip home.)

Fortunately, they still run cards with the old paper copy thing that swipes across the card & makes an impression of your numbers & stuff, but still, I was stuck at the station for about 20 minutes while the guy figured out what to do.

 

[Bryophyte]

He just wanted money. If he has his DL, he can go to the bank and get money from his account, so that story is just bullshit.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

You should have mugged him.

 

[sourceninja]

Last week on the way home from vacation, I stopped and got gas at a gas station. Unlike 95% of all the other gas stations, this particular chain is full-serve only & doesn't swipe the card at the machine - rather, indoors. After I filled up with about $50 in gas, the attendant went inside to swipe it. The error message was something like "unrecognized mastercard." (It was a Paypal/Mastercard debit card.) Never in a million years would it occur to me to start begging people for $50 to pay for my gas; I considered that I was probably going to be waiting at that gas station for about 2 hours until my wife could get home, drop the camper off, and turn around and come back with some cash. (We were separated by about an hour on the trip home.)

Fortunately, they still run cards with the old paper copy thing that swipes across the card & makes an impression of your numbers & stuff, but still, I was stuck at the station for about 20 minutes while the guy figured out what to do.

This happened to me once when I was 17. I went to a gas station and filled up my tank (to date myself that cost me 17.00). I went in to pay and realized I had left my wallet. The gas station attendant had me fill out a paper form and sign it. I came back in the next day to pay off my debt.

 

[dfuze]

Who the hell loses their debit card, while still not losing their ID? If your wallet gets lost/stolen, you lose both.

Sadly my wife has done that.

Mostly likely a scam though. I would have done the same, I don't carry cash either

 

[Modelworks]

My dad pulls up a couple of minutes later and I tell him what just happened, and he says, "Son, you just got scammed." I felt like a gullible ass hole after that.

Why ? Never feel bad about trying to help someone. Even if they turn out to be a scammer, you did your part and should feel good about it. I believe in karma and the people that prey on others always get what is coming to them.

 

[Arik5405]

Why ? Never feel bad about trying to help someone. Even if they turn out to be a scammer, you did your part and should feel good about it. I believe in karma and the people that prey on others always get what is coming to them.

Yeah, I guess that's a good way to look at.

 

[insect9]

There was a guy that always sat on the shoulder of the off-ramp I take to get home with a sign that said he was a broke Vietnam vet and needed money. I saw him one weekend getting into the driver seat of a brand new Mercedes. The news did a story on him. Apparently, he has a very nice house, brand new car, and a boat. All from begging. He said he can make $400/hr easy on a busy day. He looks like a guy that is run down and broke, so people just throw money at him. Ridiculous.

 

[thaugen]

I learned the hard way to always carry two cards (credit or debit.) Never know when damn card co. is going to decline one of them.

I worked within sight of a freeway ramp, watched the same homeless guy there every day, watched his source walk up to bring him the goods and get wads of ones.

These people are unpredictable and have nothing to lose by attacking you if you piss them off. Don't confront unless you're ready to defend yourself.

For the truly hungry, I stock up on pork'nbeans when they go on sale a couple of times a year (40cents) and always keep a couple cans in my vehicle. One can is sufficient nutrients to keep a person alive for a day. Surprising how many guys turn me down when I offer them. Tweakers aren't hungry.

 

[holden j caufield]

I used to give money out all the time, trust me when I tell you they are all scams.

 

[AMCRambler]

So I'm driving down the street and as I'm pulling up to a red light, the car next to me honks. I look over and theres a guy in a SUV leaning over his passenger seat trying to get my attention. So I turn down the Ke$ha I have blasting to hear what he needs. He pretty much tells me he needs help in an embarrassing situation which involves a lost debit card and an 1/8th of a tank of gas. He gives a longer story but essentially he is asking if I can spot him some money for gas and he can show me his license and stuff.

Now it seemed kind of fishy so I told him I didn't have cash and had to get somewhere and I was sorry, and I could see what looked like genuine frustration is his eyes at that point. Pretty much right as I said "no" the light turned green and he drove off, but I kept debating in my mind whether he was in real need.

I figure it was a pretty nice car (good shape, <5 years old, etc) and they guy didn't look like a thug. I probably could have had him follow me to a gas station and swiped a CC personally so he wouldn't be able to take money and run and get some information off his License to pay me back, but on the other hand it seemed odd that he would only carry his Debit Card and no other Credit Card. He obviously had his wallet since he offered to show ID.

I just finished up my BE in EE and am starting grad school in the fall, so I'm not like swimming in cash at this point in my life, but I had a feeling he was actually in need and not just trying to con me out of cash.

Cliffs:
Guy asked me to spot him some gas money.
I said no.
I felt bad.

It was a scam. I fell for it once before. Dude comes up to me in the gas station looking for $5 bucks so he can get enough gas to make it home for his wallet or some bs. He seemed real genuine and looked desperate so I figured what the hell. If it was me I'd hope someone would do the same. Smallest I had was a ten so I gave him that and said don't worry about it. Then I watched as he took the money, walked back to his car and drove away instead of putting gas in it. SON OF A BITCH!

Learned my lesson that time. Next time some fucker tried a different variation of it on me. We were at a diner right off the interstate. It's the last exit before a bridge across the Hudson River. As we're coming out some shady looking guy approached me and my fiancee looking for $5 so he can pay the toll and get across the bridge. Lost his wallet, blah blah blah. Toll for the bridge is $1. I told him I've heard that one before and to go fuck himself.

This used to be an honest country where you could help you fellow man without getting fucked. Scum bags have changed that forever. Next time if you want to see if he's really scamming say all I've got is a credit card but I'll follow you to the gas station and put $5 in your car for you. Watch how quick he'll turn that down.

 

[darkswordsman17]

So I turn down the Ke$ha I have blasting to hear what he needs. He pretty much tells me he needs help in an embarrassing situation

Next to that, the guy should not have felt embarrassed. I'm not even joking, he probably heard the music and realized that you must be an idiot so he'd try to fleece you for money.

 

[darkswordsman17]

This used to be an honest country where you could help you fellow man without getting fucked. Scum bags have changed that forever. Next time if you want to see if he's really scamming say all I've got is a credit card but I'll follow you to the gas station and put $5 in your car for you. Watch how quick he'll turn that down.

This scam is as old as people, and it was plenty prevalent other times in American history.

Sorry, had a more asshole tone that I wasn't intending.

 

[AlienCraft]

Yeah, I guess that's a good way to look at.

Another way to look at it is if that's the only time you've spent $5.00 on something someone else considers foolish, you're way ahead of the game.
It's your money, do with it as you will.
No one "wins" that argument, ever.
Different people / circumstance warrant different actions, although they may similar in nature.

 

[JS80]

"I need money for gas" beg is a very very common scam.

 

[JS80]

You asshole! http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2090120

 

[fantolay]

Does he want gas... or money for something else? Sounds like a scam.

One time I walked out of a Starbucks and two more stores down the street there was a homeless guy begging for "Anything." He kept saying "Hungry, no food, I'll take anything you have, anything you have."

It was cold outside and near Christmas time and I guess I felt a little generous because I don't typically do this but I decided to today. I go up to him and say "Here, I just got this coffee ($4.50 @ Starbucks) and haven't even taken a sip yet. You should have it."

The guy says "No no, I don't want that." I was perplexed so I just stood there with a "Huh?" expression on my face. And then he pulls out a big pizza box from behind the milk crate he is sitting on and says, "Look, I have a whole pizza here. I don't like mixing coffee and pizza."

Then maybe you shouldn't be saying you'll take anything.. asshole.