Was I just scammed in SD? Did I do right thing? (San Diego: lawyer, buy)

[East Coast Wanderer]

I read an article written by a man going for his Masters. For his Thesis he chose homeless people. He would go to NYC, change clothes, and sit on a street corner begging. He admited he made more money on the street corner, on a daily basis, than he did working.

[Rickers]

I had some guy come up to my window at a stoplight on Market Street east of downtown asking me for money in a rude tone, I told him that I work for my money and to go get a f-n job and he tried to stick me with a knife through my open window. I was coming back from my lunch break at Henry's BBQ and when I got to the shop I called the cops. Being me, I had to go back and rubberneck ! The cops did show up to check the guy out and he started up with the cops. I watched from a distance as the cops carted his ass off to jail. It's OK to ask for help but not like that.

[East Coast Wanderer]

I'll help my friends and family but that's it. I don't need the harrasement.

[RD5050]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I would never believe it. Never. No hard-working homeowner goes driving around without a dime in their pocket, no credit card, no debit card, no cell phone to call someone, not even enough change in the glovebox to get enough gas to get to a pay phone? People must really be suckers to fall for that stuff.

And there are any doper, junkie, crackhead or loser can catch a shave and throw on clean clothes and look like a citizen. What kind of con artist spends all day mooching fivers off of people at gas stations?

Personally, I don't think these scammers are doing it to buy drugs or booze.

I think these scammers do these scams for a living, and they probably use the scam money to pay their own rent and bills.

When you collect $5 at a time, all day long, the money adds up.

She probably makes more money in a few hours then some people do all day at a real job.

The scammer who came up to my car in Mission Valley looked and acted like a perfectly average middle-aged woman, who was just having an unfortunate experience. She in no way, resembled or sounded anything like the people I typically see with signs in intersections.

[Ketabcha]

Bloom, I would have done exactly what you did.

[East Coast Wanderer]

Originally Posted by RD5050

Personally, I don't think these scammers are doing it to buy drugs or booze.

I think these scammers do these scams for a living, and they probably use the scam money to pay their own rent and bills.

When you collect $5 at a time, all day long, the money adds up.

She probably makes more money in a few hours then some people do all day at a real job.

The scammer who came up to my car in Mission Valley looked and acted like a perfectly average middle-aged woman, who was just having an unfortunate experience. She in no way, resembled or sounded anything like the people I typically see with signs in intersections.

I've learned from experience that you can't "judge a book by it's cover".

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by RD5050

Personally, I don't think these scammers are doing it to buy drugs or booze.

The scammer who came up to my car in Mission Valley looked and acted like a perfectly average middle-aged woman, who was just having an unfortunate experience. She in no way, resembled or sounded anything like the people I typically see with signs in intersections.

Believe whatever you want... losers come in all shapes, sizes and colors. And note I said "McDonalds" too... it's just like crack.

[LVKim8]

Originally Posted by SD Observer

I have an old stand by strategy for dealing with bums/panhandlers/scammers/druggies. If I don't feel like conversing with said bum, here is my simple strategy.
Since I speak fluent French, I immediately start speaking French when I'm being talked to by a bum. This always works. So far I've never run into a bum who understands French.
If you know a foreign language start speaking it and they will soon leave.
EXCEPT Spanish in this part of the country for obvious reasons !

You're lucky, SD Observer! I can speak conversational Chinese but being white, guess I can't pass it off as my only language. Oh well!

[esmith143]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I would never believe it. Never. No hard-working homeowner goes driving around without a dime in their pocket, no credit card, no debit card, no cell phone to call someone, not even enough change in the glovebox to get enough gas to get to a pay phone? People must really be suckers to fall for that stuff.

On a typical day, all I have in my pocket is my car keys and a credit card. I only have one (plus the debit card, which is in my wife's wallet most of the time). Sometimes I carry a cell phone, but more often than not it's discharged or left at home (modern cell phones typically work 1-2 days on a single charge). I have no cash or coins in my car, and the last time I had more than $1 of physical money on my person was probably in June.

I sure hope I don't end up running into you if I run out of gas and my credit card is declined for any reason.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by esmith143

I sure hope I don't end up running into you if I run out of gas and my credit card is declined for any reason.

I wouldn't be rude, but I wouldn't even entertain it long enough to hear the sob story. Just a "sorry, no thanks", and I'm on to whatever I was doing. This stuff happens all day in the city. I just don't pay attention to it. That's the New Yorker in me.

You might want to consider stashing 20 bucks in your wallet for emergencies. Or at least a working cell phone, even my 70-year old father can handle that one. I might ask a stranger to borrow a cell phone in an emergency - so I could call my family or a friend. But I would never beg for money from a stranger.