PSA: Tourists please don't give money to random people that approach you with sob stories (Miami: buy, casinos)

[miami_zed]

They will come to you asking if you’re from around here making you think they want directions but then they will go off about how some tragedy happened and they need to get somewhere. Makes me wonder if they learned these speeches at some underground hustling class because after a while they all sound the same.

Latest example. Cuban guy telling me this crackheaded story about how he's from North Carolina and this crackhead lady got in his truck with beer and the police busted him and took his car.....but he needs money for gas.

Or the guy that needs money for the metrorail cause his daughter got run over or some baloney.

Best to say you dont have cash

[citylover1]

I'm sure no one would be surprised if this ever happens to them. After all, Miami is a city, big city, major city, whatever you want to call it. They always try to get out of towners or people from the suburbs lol.

[Awsi Dooger]

When I lived in Las Vegas I heard the stories so often I had them memorized. The hustlers would move from area to area but their pitch never varied. I'd walk into dozens of casinos every day while making sports bets but I guess I looked and dressed like a tourist because the scammers wouldn't recognize me.

One lady always claimed she lost her wallet and needed bus money to visit her sick daughter in Phoenix. She dressed well and wore a nice classy hat so she fooled one sucker after another. I finally got sick of her pitch and waved her off as she approached me. "Don't tell me about a wallet." "Excuse me?" "You heard me. Don't tell me about losing your wallet. I've heard it all over town." "Okay, so you know my game. So what? It still works."

A few weeks later I saw her pulling it in front of Caesar's Palace. I called the police from just across the street and took great delight as I watched them pull up to her, talk to her briefly, and then haul her away as she protested.

My favorite was a guy with a scruffy beard who walked around town with a gas can. He'd approach someone and say his car ran out of gas in the next lot and he needed a few bucks to fill the gas can. It was unbelievable how bold he was. He'd pocket a few bucks and approach someone else before he even got out of earshot of the person he just scammed. Of course, there was no car. I doubt he ever owned a car. I finally persuaded the guy to take a look at me and make sure he remembered not to waste his time pitching me again. It took many attempts before he figured it out. It was so robotic for him he'd start the pitch before really looking at the person. He'd catch himself when he recognized me and curtail his pitch in midstream. Finally it reached the point he would smile and be quite proud of himself when he recognized me before launching a word.

One friend of mine talked to that hustler for several minutes many years ago. The guy was very happy when gas prices soared because now he was often getting 5 bucks from suckers instead of one or two.

[miami_zed]

The gas can guy story is funny but it kinda bothers me when people come up with stories about people that are hurt or sick.

Theres this lady here in Little Havana who since 2008 goes around peddling some cheap bead necklaces saying she needs money for cancer treatment. She even wears a bandanna on her head as if she's bald. She's still alive doing the same old hustle.

I was approached by a little girl in the supermarket with her "sickly" mom saying she needed money to pay for her treatment.

Then theres the guy who comes up to me with a card supposedly given to him by a hospital saying how he's deaf and he's from cuba and he needs help. I've had a few people come up to me with cards. It sometimes did make me wonder if the hospital really encouraged these people to be pity beggars.

The worst part of all is that they don't even say "thanks anyways". They just glance at you evilly and leave. They are shameless.

[angelscorpio]

Do good without looking at who.

[miami_zed]

Originally Posted by angelscorpio

Do good without looking at who.

At least I have a clean conscience

[NCtoMiami]

Originally Posted by angelscorpio

Do good without looking at who.

I agree. Yesterday we were at Whole Foods and a guy asked for some money because he was hungry. We said come inside the store we will buy you food. He said the manager chased him away. We looked for the manager and he said he never chased the guy away.

So we went inside the store bought him food from their buffet rice,beef,plantain. Went outside and gave him the food and said enjoy.

[himain]

I'll buy you food if needed-you ain't getting any money from me

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by himain

I'll buy you food if needed-you ain't getting any money from me

People who are really struggling long-term often have nutritional deficiencies that are adding to their medical problems (and sometimes even mental instability). I knew two homeless guys years ago that I passed on my way to work and would talk to on the regular. They were always out there hustling. The one guy I talked to most, was going blind, in part due to severe malnutrition from years on the street. You could see it, it was no joke - but neither of them really wanted to leave the streets, they felt uncomfortable in structured society, possibly due to mental illness/trauma. Food doesn't even last a whole day. I bought them both bottles of multi-vitamins in valu-packs, 180 each. For about the same cost of a nice sandwich, it would last them half the year. And there's not much street resale value. They were actually grateful. I can't cure blindness, but if I'm going to spend the money, I want it to do some good. So you get vitamins, or instructions for the nearest soup kitchen or non-profit that can help you get off the street if you want. I don't give money, or anything that encourages people to congregate as public beggars. It is unnecessary, I give money to organizations to help with the problems these people are claiming to have. I've been homeless before, and I know all I wanted was some help out of that as soon as possible.

While we're on the topic, I must say I am shocked that Miami allows people to hang out and run through every intersection begging, trying to squeegie your windows, and sell limes and flowers. Other major cities do not allow this. It is tacky and not good for tourism, and also incredibly dangerous because people are always on the verge of getting hit by cars, not to mention it slows up traffic. It is also irritating, because they go out of their way to try to make you feel guilty for not giving out money every time you come to a red light - which is dozens of times a day.

As for scams, just recently a guy offered a ride to a female tourist coming out of a bar in the Keys because it was night and it was raining. The story is horrific, she got in and he then punched her unconscious, stole her purse, and tossed her out of the car and ran her over, permanently paralyzing but not killing her. He then fled to Miami, where he was caught. Not to say this is a common scenario, but it is another one to consider for tourists. Be safe and have common sense, and sadly, don't trust strangers when you are in a vulnerable position, even though the majority are not likely to try to kill you. The one that will, may be the one you run into. A friend of mine was out drinking with friends in L.A. at a club recently, and a cute guy offered her a ride home. She was drugged and gang raped. It never happens to you, until it happens.

[tallrick]

The beggars rarely ask me for money, my truck is so rusted out and splashed with tar, paint and bird poop that no one except the police will stop to talk to me. They are kind of like beggars too, always looking for money for the county. Once while driving the rare beggar asked me for money for food. I told him one better, I will give him some fried chicken. I got out, opened the hood and took out a copper box that was on my exhaust manifold to reveal the delicious fried chcken I was going to eat for lunch. He thought I was crazy and left the intersection. The next time he saw me he sat on the bus bench instead of begging.