Panhandling at gas stations, part 2

[raccoon]

Some time ago, I started a thread about panhandlers at a local gas station.

Yesterday I ran into some again. They had a different M.O. As I came out of the station, there were two young men sitting in a car parked close to the station's entrance. One of them called to me, "Miss?"

I looked in his direction and he was talking but I couldn't make out a word he was saying, because he was talking at just a conversational level, I wasn't that close to the car, and there was traffic noise from the road. I said, "I can't understand you."

He said something and I said again that I couldn't understand what he was saying. We went through this several times; finally I just said, "Sorry, I can't understand you," and went back to my car. I remember now I sort of thought it odd that he didn't get out of the car and come closer. I'm glad I had the presence of mind not to approach the car. I'm a middle-aged woman and I was alone.

After I got in my car I saw them talking to a Hispanic man who came out of the station. After he went back to the pumps, I drove over and rolled down my passenger window, and asked him if those guys had asked him for money. He said, yes, they asked him for five dollars.

Anyone else experience this----yet?

[msongs]

1. nice work if they can get it nt

[SpiralHawk]

2. Panhandlers in supermarket parking lots

That's where I run into them lately, all the time, and at all the various markets...The people who are panhandling look hungry, too. I have very little money myself, but always try to give a quarter, or something...

Republicons sneer at panhandlers -- and make smart ass remarks about how EASY life is with a "job" like that.

I stand behind the moral lessons I was taught growing up: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked. S

[Broken_Hero]

3. I usually run into them at

supermarkets, and liqour stores, and I'm such a sucker...I can't help it, I always give a dollar or two...I know 99% of the time they don't use the money for food, but I give, just in case, I come across that 1%...

I cannot deny somebody who says they need help...:)

[Warpy]

5. You're a good soul

I give money if I've got it to spare.

My favorite story was when I was going home from work on the subway in Boston. It was midnight, the last train out. A homeless guy approached me, and I gave him what I had in my pocket, mostly change, and told him I was sorry it wasn't more.

A yuppie type came up to me and snarled that the guy was just going to blow it on booze. I said it was January, it was bitter cold, and the shelters were all closed up for the night and if that's what it took to get some comfort, it was fine by me.

That panhandler got on my train and if he saw anybody staring at me, he'd go up to them and say "Leave her alone, she's all right!"

You never know when or where you'll find a knight in shining armor, and just because people are down on their luck doesn't mean they're evil, whether or not they've got drinking or drug problems. Don't forget, untreated sudden alcohol withdrawal is 50% fatal.

So I tend to give when I can. I've never forgotten that panhandler and I wish him well.

[Wickerman]

11. thank you

Years ago a very wise man told me its not up to me to decide what someone's needs are; it is for that individual to decide. If he wants to spend it on booze, then that is what he needs - it make allow him to survive until de-tox - chances are he won't without a drink or two for maintenance. Yeah, some scam, but that is on their conscience, not mine.

[On the Road]

9. If it Makes a Difference

I was one day away from panhandling in 1979. I landed a job in a restaurant, but if I had not gotten that, the next day I would have been on the street out of necessity. I had literally one dollar for three days until work began.

In other words, the one percent does exist.

[ellie]

4. There used to be this guy

up in Royal Oak, MI, who would stand outside his car at the pump with his cellphone and plead for money, saying that he ran out of the house without his wallet and he didn't have any gas and there was no he could call. I saw him at two different gas stations at two different times. I told him,the first time I saw him and he gave me his hard luck story, "You have money for a cellphone but you don't have money for gas?" This was back in 2002 before gas zoomed to $3 a gallon. I haven't seen this new scam you speak of.

[greguganus]

8. OP didn't say it was a scam. Maybe they actually needed gas money. n/t

[raccoon]

17. I think in this case it was a scam, though.

Mainly because the guy didn't get out of the car, even when it was obvious I couldn't hear what he was saying.

I had a boyfriend who was once robbed at gunpoint by a guy in a gas station parking lot. I certainly wasn't going to approach the car.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. A similar experience?

A couple weeks ago I pulled in to get gas - I saw a guy talking to a young woman. She got in her car to leave, and as she was doing so he asked me for help getting gas. I said i had no cash, but if he pulled up I could put a couple bucks in his car (a van). He went back to his van and drove off.

Apparently he had been hitting up the girl, and he only asked me because it made his cadging look legit, but as she drove off as I was talking to him there was no point to the pretense - and it was obviously a pretense because I did offer to help him buy gas.

I don't know if he was just hitting on her, or if he had other intentions which she, by refusing, avoided. But it was disturbing.

You wouldn't expect it, since almost all gas stations have cameras covering all the pumps, but sometimes the predators think they are magic.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Used to see the "ran out of gas" scam a lot, and...

the other one was "I just need another 50 cents to get the bus home."

Hadn't seen the "I just got robbed..." one for a while.

They hung out wherever people would normally have some money to spend-- supermarket parking lots, gas stations, diners...

Where I'm living now, though, no beggar would last five minutes. Cops here don't have much to do but roust them out of town.

[tjwash]

10. Street corners with cardboard signs, mall parking lots, gas stations...

...just about everywhere. It's just part of the scenery when you live in a big city.

I'm a bit of a sucker for a hard luck story though, and if they are a homeless vet regardless, I always help them out. I have learned to temper it over the years however. If someone is panhandling, and they are obviously of sound mind and body and can work, I usually ignore them now.

[greguganus]

20. I saw a man so poor he was standing on the street corner...

...yelling out "Will work for cardboard and magic marker"!!
:)

[lectrobyte]

12. Yes, more and more. I'm out of town and need 20$ to get home,

etc. I usually am a soft touch and give them some money if they are not too methed out or something.

[Marie26]

13. I've experienced it

but I usually don't donate. Does that make me a horrible person? Usually, it's men approaching me, & sometimes they do it in an intimidating way on the street or by the car. It's like they think if you become uncomfortable enough, you'll donate so they'll go away. I'll often give money to someone who has a cup out for charity or donations, but I won't give to someone who's basically harassing people.

[Pab Sungenis]

14. Will work for gasoline.

That's pretty much all the paycheck goes to nowadays.

[Turbineguy]

15. Rest Stop

A pathetic looking young fellow approached me. I gave him a few bucks. I sat in the car waiting for my wife. He had his act down pat. Every person got the speech. Yes, Americans are generous to a fault.

I was thinking about offering to call an armored truck for him. Once you get past the initial self degradation, it could be an excellent living. Of course, you have to keep up (or should I say "down") appearances.

[maveric]

16. Folks down here hang around gas stations with a gas can in hand.

usually saying that they have to get back to their family in El Cajon (from San Diego), and they need a couple bucks to gas up there car. They then point to a car parked by the station. I noticed this one dude who was there on three occasions with a gas can, but this time he was pointing to another car that was supposedly his. This is a racket down here in SoCal and these guys make a few bucks this way.
There are also those who come over and wash your windshield without being asked and then DEMAND money for there deed.
You've got to make a buck somehow but this irritates me to ne end.

[Deja Q]

18. Pity America doesn't give its own a chance to make their own money...

I had one experience when coming out of a used CD store... A woman (honky) asked me if I had any money. I had some change in the glove compartment.

Dunno if she was serious or not, but since she walked from the direction of the gas station that was 50 feet away, I took her at face value. (I mean, I gave her the change. Nothing R-rated happened, pinky swear!)

[badgerpup]

19. Don't mean to sound nasty...

...but there's some panhandlers in my town that are making better money than those who work for a living.
They have their own 'territory' and sign...I saw one guy who was 'On the Road" outside Costco for about two months...until he changed his sign.
Another guy was WAY over the top with a 'big family-new baby' sign and incredibly hangdog, 'poor me' body language. It was the body language that tipped me off more than anything; it SCREAMED 'scammer. He had a different sign the next day, BTW.

Some of them come up and accost people in parking lots and they seem to target middle-aged women who don't come off as 'strong' or 'assertive'...I've had friends tell me about this.

And before you all start flaming me and calling me a Repuke in Democratic clothing...YES.
I have given away money to panhandlers IF they 'feel' like they aren't scamming.
I've gone and bought something hot to eat and drink for the Salvation Army guys freezing their 'nads off while ringing bells outside Walmart...as well as putting a couple bucks in the pot.

What I'm on about is that a lot of panhandlers are taking advantage of the kindliness, generousity and good nature of good, kindly and generous people.
They're pissing in the well for the people who actually DO need assistance and have fallen through the cracks.

[TheFriedPiper]

21. Just say: "Sorry, pal, all I carry is plastic, good luck though!"

And you become invisible instantly.

It works.

[Subdivisions]

22. About 15 years ago, some workmates and I

went to a "titty" bar to cool off after working construction in the hot Virginia sun.

As we pulled into the parking lot, there was a shabby looking guy beside the driveway holding a "Will work for food" sign. We ignored him and there was no discussion about what he was doing. We just got out of the truck and continued on our mission...to drink a cold beer while we watched the ladies dance and talked about work, sports and such.

Directly, the same guy that was outside panhandling came and asked if he could join our group and we said sure and "aren't you the guy we saw outside with a sign?"

He said yes and that he was "off work" for the day and bought rounds all the way around. We were perplexed and so he explained that what he was doing outside was "his only job" and then he said:

"I only took in just $200 today. That's a slow day for me."

[onethatcares]

23. I've had

a guy in a older model Lincoln tell me he had one dollar but needed for to get gas. Meanwhile he was sitting there idling or driving around the stations' lot asking others for money. Guess he looked pretty kewl in that car until that 500 c.i. motor started to really swallow gas. I was hoping to see a *04 sticker or a support our troops ribbon, but there were neither.