Scammers/Beggars in South Huntsville area (Fayette: 2014, live, homeless)

[Vacanegro]

Originally Posted by KPB

Most likely asking $ for drugs.

Probably. You can test this by asking them what they need - if they say gas or food just offer to pay for some gas or food - unlikely they will respond or they will stumble over their words if they are druggies.

[coschristi]

Originally Posted by JBflyer

Just got done shopping at the Target in Jones Valley and for the 3rd time this month, I was accosted by a younger man trying to get money for him and his wife to get home to their kids. I had noticed them in their car idling in the parking spot when we pulled into the store 30 minutes before. The parking lot was very busy. I shut him down real fast and quickly loaded my young toddlers in the car. He went on to the other lady near us loading her car up. This is happening more and more in the Huntsville area down here. Last month a guy was approaching us inside Lowes with the same song and dance. Not sure what their motives/scam is but I do often think about the possible child abduction among other things.

SE Huntsville has generally been a more affluent part of town and I'm surprised to see this more and more down here lately. Any one else noticing this?

Sorry, I'm from Colorado but the catchy thread title "caught" me. We have these guys too in Colorado & it's always the same dumb stories about gas $.

WTH; do these guys go to some annual national convention or something & listen to seminars on the latest techniques?

The weirdest thing I noticed was a man who hung back by the store fronts or actually IN the stores & he was running a group of 3-4 girls who were working a huge parking lot. He was clean & casually dressed & would actually be chatting with a revolving crowd of various store employees coming outside for a smoke break.

He always kept his eyes on the girls & the parking lot though; giving them hand signals as to where there might be a good "mark".

As I exited the store I overheard him complaining to one of the girls that she was "too slow"...God knows how much $$ he makes with a racket like THAT going on!

[FAL50]

Originally Posted by FTG-05

For some reason I never have that problem. Maybe, perhaps, possibly, it's the 329PD I open carry on my right hip. Questionable types tend to take one look and then, for some reason, suddenly find some kind of urgent-type business elsewhere.

Same situation here
Only difference I usually carry a full size 1911, or sometimes a BHP (Browning Hi Power).

My oldest son's wife has also a good answer for those beggars "I have no cash money, old plastic" and that works also good.

[pcsanders]

I was at the Kangaroo station across from Target on University Dr. about a year and a half ago, and this group needed gas money.

Well, we were at a gas station. I said I wasn't going to give them money, but I'd put some gas in their tank. So I did. They looked a little deflated, but when they realized I was trying to read them, they became very thankful and cheery.

I assume they used their other money for drugs or whatever. But a little piece of me wants to think this one time, it was legit.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[unlblkrubi]

I offer to call the unemployment office for them and they always refuse.

[hashtagusername]

Originally Posted by unlblkrubi

I offer to call the unemployment office for them and they always refuse.

You could offer to buy them food, too, and they would refuse. Unless its a slow day. Then they just may take you up on it. Might not eat it but for a few bites, though... Ive been stunned at what I have seen people give these guys. And they ask for a lot if they figure you an easy mark.

Kudos to the gun carriers. These folks strike me as the kind that would rob, if they see a lot of money. They are quite the characters...

I HATE it when they tap on the car or windows.

They wait at long lights...

[writerwife]

Once a guy was sitting with a sign.. "will work for food". He was right near a McDonalds so my sister went thru the drive thru and bought him a meal... the big one.. and he threw it at her.
The sad part is that sometimes there really is someone in trouble that needs a hand or a meal..but they are going to be refused because of those that make it their career.

[FayettevilletoHuntsville]

Originally Posted by writerwife

Once a guy was sitting with a sign.. "will work for food". He was right near a McDonalds so my sister went thru the drive thru and bought him a meal... the big one.. and he threw it at her.
The sad part is that sometimes there really is someone in trouble that needs a hand or a meal..but they are going to be refused because of those that make it their career.

Maybe he wanted something healthy?

[Conner97]

Hey it's happening over there now. Far South Huntsville has been going down hill the past few years, between Mountain Gap road and Green cove road. I was at my friends house near Hillwood road and Mountain Gap Road when to African American dudes dressed really sleazy , using an umbrella as a cane(which wasn't needed) , we're going door to door asking for donations. They had no official proof and we non official in the slightest. They were also kind of aggressive in their way of asking for donations in a way that made you feel on edge. The way they asked my friend for donations is they saw him walk in his backyard and followed his into his backyard.
But anyway I'm real tired of the begging. I live off oakwood avenue west of the parkway and used to work at the Kroger at oakwood from May 2015- July 2016. Glad I got out of there, when you shop there you can tell the areas not great, but when you work there and get at least 30 hours a week you get fed up with it. Had so many junkies and crackheads come to me while I'm working and ask for money. I pray for y'all in south Huntsville, hope too much of it doesn't come your way. The point of moving to nicer neighborhood is to be away from the bad neighborhoods, but that's get screwed when the hood comes to you.
I was on my bike 2 hours ago and sat at the corner of oster drive and McDow avenue because my friend called me ( the one I mentioned earlier). While I was sitting there two cars pulled up side by side in what I assumed was a drug deal. I heard some mumbling about " Four Hun-Ned " then they went further down the street , I starting riding my bike away and heard about 5-7 gunshots from they direction. It made me realize something, that 19 years in the hood affected my brain to much because the gunshots and all didn't even surprise me, just continued with my phone conversation. I have a feeling most people would call the police immediately, but my brain has been molded with Newport menthol cigarette boxes on the side of the road.

[CP79]

The old "need money for gas to get to xyz location for xyz reason" is the oldest trick in the book.