"My car broke down. Can you help me with gas?"

[Scarpozzi]

My favorite is still the Serpantine belt scam. This dude was telling all these people his car broke down and that he needed money for a serpantine belt.

1. When asked where his car was, he stated it was on the Interstate which was 4+ miles away
2. There were no auto parts stores within 6 miles because we were downtown in the restaurant district
3. It was after 10 pm and said auto parts stores were closed.

I just told the guy that he was shit out of luck.

 

[D1gger]

I had a guy approach me in front of my business and say that he had been in an accident with his pickup truck, "just around the corner", and the tow truck driver wouldn't take VISA. He just needed another $18 to get the truck towed, and he would come right back and pay me back.

I said "Sure, I've got a few minutes, lets walk over to the tow truck and I'll pay him directly".

The guy said "Fuck you" and walked away. Guess he didn't need a tow truck after all.

 

[JS80]

110% of the time, this is always the case.

Fixed

 

[Rumpltzer]

I've bought McDonald's and Subway for dudes on the street who've told me that they're hungry; it's happened only like 3 times.

I've heard dozens of other "gas money" and "diapers" stories. Offering gas insted of money never pans out. Not even once. I tell them that I keep a gas can in the trunk. Not once.

 

[timosyy]

I'm a sucker for these things.

I gave some guy $5 cause he said his car broke down and he needed it for bus fare (this was some vietnamese guy who probably asked me cause I'm asian-- he said he was a mechanic at a gas station and gave me his number if i needed free maintenance sometime, i threw it away), this was in Tysons mall for you Northern Virginia folks (pretty upscale mall).

Gave some guy in the metro what was left of my stub-thingy cause he said he was out of money on his metrocard (you can add stubs together). This seemed a little more legit because it wasn't cash and afaik you can't exchange it for cash either.

Gave some guy cash (~$5 or so) at a gas station because he said he was headed up to new jersey and needed some money to fill up his tank. He pointed at "his" car parked over to the side, and was actually pretty well dressed (button-down, slacks, had a gold watch, slightly overweight). Was in too much of a rush to argue, and didn't have much cash I could give him anyway so figured whatever.

I figure at worst I've helped some poor guy out, at best they actually needed help.

 

[Standpoint]

Don't post much, but thought I'd chime in with a pretty sweet story:

Sometime around Christmas eve last year, I was leaving a Walgreens after buying something we needed for dinner that night. I got stopped by a lady near the exit asking for a few bucks to buy food for her family for Christmas. I usually like to dump the last of my wallet around Christmas to a charity box or person, I believe in Karma. I had a little less than $3 in my wallet, so I gave her everything I had left. She thanked me, and I went on with my evening.

That next valentine's day, I was at the same walgreens buying my wife a rose. At the counter, I discovered that I misread the price of the rose, and was a few bucks short. There was a huge line behind me, and people were getting cranky as I was digging through my wallet hoping to find a few more bucks. Suddenly, a lady further down in line came up and gave me the money I was short. I looked at her, and realized it was the same lady I had given money to that last Christmas. Don't know if she recognized me, I doubt it, but she was pretty distinct looking and I remembered her.

True story.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Can anybody spare $100,000?

 

[AMCRambler]

I fell for it once. Dude came up to me at the gas station and asks me for 5 bucks to fill his car up, he ran out of gas. I gave him the $5 and watched him walk over to his car, get in and drive away. Scum bag. I'll never do it again.

After that episode I had another douche approach me in the parking lot of a diner near the interstate. He needed 5 dollars so he could pay the toll for the bridge cuz he was broke. I almost kicked him in his balls right there. I yelled at him "I'm not falling for that shit! The toll for the bridge is a dollar shit head!" He got all scared and was like "Ok man, ok take it easy" and started walking away fast looking all around. I blew his spot up good.

 

[JTsyo]

I never fall for these scams. They always have them around here at the grocery store. "Raising money for 'x sport' " or selling cookies for inflated prices. Like the school or parents don't pay for this stuff.

Don't get me started on the ones with the bells in December.

 

[jtvang125]

I remember an incident back when I was still a kid and was coming out of a store with my dad. 2 guys approached us asking for money for gas. They cornered us and wouldn't take no for an answer. Fortunately more people were coming out of the store towards us and they finally let off. As we got into our car I saw them get into their pickup parked way in the back of the lot and drive off. So much for needing money for gas.

 

[SP33Demon]

Ask their email (they'll make one up) and then pretend to type on your phone. Tell them you just paypal'd them $100 and watch their expression.

 

[GotIssues]

My wife fell for the "I need gas" trick once, while I was there. He asked, and I shook my head no, and he kept pestering her and she gave in. She later realized that he was a lying fuckwit.

Personally, I view these people as the scum of society - posing as someone in need so that someone who has more heart than common sense will give them money for doing nothing. It's shitholes like this that cause people to ignore those who actually need help. Then they have the stones to be assholes to people that won't give them money because they won't buy their bullshit stories (that don't even change from one person to the next). If half those shitholes were telling the truth, our interstates would be a junkyard.

 

[KentState]

Had something similar a year ago while getting gas. A guy comes up to me dressed in a sports jacket saying that he locked his briefcase and wallet at work. He needed money for a taxi to get back to his office or some other BS. He kept going on about how he would pay me back if I give him my address and how he is a member of one of the big churches in Atlanta. I don't carry cash and wasn't going to wait around. He got really aggressive by the end and I said, "No, I'm late getting home and can't help." He replied in a pissing tone with, "Fine, be that way." I was ready to slap the guy for trying to bum money and then trying to guilt me.

I'm not sure were he even came from and the gas station was pretty empty. I was just hoping that he would go away and not get aggressive.

 

[moshquerade]

Don't post much, but thought I'd chime in with a pretty sweet story:

Sometime around Christmas eve last year, I was leaving a Walgreens after buying something we needed for dinner that night. I got stopped by a lady near the exit asking for a few bucks to buy food for her family for Christmas. I usually like to dump the last of my wallet around Christmas to a charity box or person, I believe in Karma. I had a little less than $3 in my wallet, so I gave her everything I had left. She thanked me, and I went on with my evening.

That next valentine's day, I was at the same walgreens buying my wife a rose. At the counter, I discovered that I misread the price of the rose, and was a few bucks short. There was a huge line behind me, and people were getting cranky as I was digging through my wallet hoping to find a few more bucks. Suddenly, a lady further down in line came up and gave me the money I was short. I looked at her, and realized it was the same lady I had given money to that last Christmas. Don't know if she recognized me, I doubt it, but she was pretty distinct looking and I remembered her.

True story.

Wow, so awesome.

Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

 

[Macamus Prime]

My favorite is when people show up on the train, for Metro North and say; "I need some help, I just need one more dollar to pay for my ticket, otherwise the ticket checker will throw me off the train! I'm so sorry, please help me out!"

I then tell them; "Sit next to me, I'll pay for your ticket".

They usually ignore me and walk away.

 

[cherrytwist]

"phee phee" is street slang for crystal meth.

The more you know...

It's also a road 10 mi from our area. Funny.

And here I thought I knew everything about meth from watching Breaking Bad

 

[M0RPH]

It's just a creative way to panhandle.

 

[Lifted]

My friends (and sometimes I) used to drive to Atlantic City back when we were 17 - 18, and on the way back to NYC, broke, they'd stop in the rest stops and tell people some sob story to get gas money. At first they did pretty well and would beg for long enough to buy some grub from the fast food joints at the rest stop. Then they started working it harder and would beg for enough to head back to AC and "win it back" (and they did actually win it back once).

After a while, when they were broke, they'd drive to the rest stops on the way to AC and beg for enough money for gas, food, and gambling. Sometimes they'd head to the Jersey Shore as well.

Not sure if it would work these days as gas is much more expensive, and people are less likely to give money to teenagers begging at rest stops, but it sure was easy back in the 90's.

 

[D1gger]

My friends (and sometimes I) used to drive to Atlantic City back when we were 17 - 18, and on the way back to NYC, broke, they'd stop in the rest stops and tell people some sob story to get gas money. At first they did pretty well and would beg for long enough to buy some grub from the fast food joints at the rest stop. Then they started working it harder and would beg for enough to head back to AC and "win it back" (and they did actually win it back once).

After a while, when they were broke, they'd drive to the rest stops on the way to AC and beg for enough money for gas, food, and gambling. Sometimes they'd head to the Jersey Shore as well.

Not sure if it would work these days as gas is much more expensive, and people are less likely to give money to teenagers begging at rest stops, but it sure was easy back in the 90's.

You sure all they were doing was begging at the rest stops? I've heard there are other more creative ways to earn money at the rest stops.

 

[brblx]

general rule of thumb is to help somebody with a gas can if they're, say...walking down the road, or standing by a car. then they'll probably just appreciate the lift. happened to me once, i actually got home to get a can- because gas stations here don't sell them anymore (wtf?)...should have dumped out a gallon of milk in front of their door and used that. anyway, i was just happy someone gave me a ride from near my house back to a gas station near my car (couple miles out).

who leaves their house with 0 dollars in a car with no gas? and how did he get to the gas station? silly grifters.

 

[Pocatello]

I fell for the gas trick once. I was greeted by a young couple with a toddler at the local shopping mall, they told me their car ran out of gas, so I gave the guy $5. A couple of hours later, they were still there asking other people for gas money.

 

[SMOGZINN]

I live in a downtown area, and walk to work just 2 blocks from the greyhound station. I get asked for money at least twice a day. Most of the time it just a 'can you spare a dollar?' sometime it is the slightly more ambitious ‘my kids are hungry and we have no money for food, could spare 5 dollars so I can feed them at the McDonalds?’
My favorite is a guy just the other day told me that he is a disabled vet (he didn’t look disabled, but maybe) that lives in Atlanta, and that he accidentally bought a ticket to Dallas when he was intending to go to Denver, because he is illiterate (can you be in the armed services and be illiterate?) and is now trying to raise enough to get a new ticket, he needs $120, and has so far raised $30, anything I could spare would help.

I never even say anything to them, I most of the time just keep walking. If you stop and help one you are going to get asked 3 more times in the next block.

 

[hanoverphist]

this is how i made most of my money for gas back in high school. i had a maverick with no power brakes or steering, so id cut the engine as i coasted into a gas station. it would always stop just short of the pumps, so id have to get out and push it the rest of the way. id always get a few people to either put gas in the car or give me a couple bucks to put some in. i mainly did it for the gas tho, but it did usually net some spending cash as well. i dont feel bad at all for it. i also dont give people money when they ask for it either. well, one guy i gave 2 bucks. you could tell he was rehearsing while approaching me, and i told him to entertain me. he did, had a great story, was nice enough and finally admitted he wanted it for booze. i gave him the 2 bucks and told him that if he hadnt had an entertaining story and come clean about the booze i wouldnt have given it to him.

 

[Koing]

I stupidly got mugged off by this woman and her daughter...I was walking home through the park where this woman said she needed £10 to help her get back home. She of course said she would pay me back...her daughter was young and I felt sorry for her, but figured I wouldn't get the £££ back and I didn't.

I'm just glad my life is fine and I don't need to scam people for £10.

Koing

 

[Koing]

Wow, so awesome.

Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

Thats cool man! :thumbsup:

Koing