Scenario: Unarmed BG refuses to move

[Guy B. Meredith]

Betty and PAX,

Panhandlers are almost invariably lying. Even the gas gauge routine is probably learned from previous experience.

The local news station did a bit on panhandlers in SF, focusing on one man who had lost a leg and claimed to be a veteran. Turns out he scams over $70,000 a year from suckers. He blows the whole lot on drugs each day and then goes back looking for more suckers.

I refuse to donate to any panhandlers as it just encourages them and any comments about their story simply gives them a chance to train for the next time. Any money I hand out will go to organizations that know which people really need it and use it well.

The man described in the original message has obviously been down the path and learned the trick necessary to relieve passive dupes of their cash.

 

[snacktrack]

I live in the city now, lived in NYC, went to school in Philadelphia. Boy do I have extensive experience with dealing with people asking me for money. First thing, while having your peripheral vision on them the whole time, poiltely say" no, sorry I dont." But dont stop for them, keep walking. Dont ever go digging into your pockets.

It is not your responsibility to pay for people's gas, food, drug problems, etc.

I had one time, while walking to school had a woman squat down and piss on the sidewalk while asking me for money as I walked by. I didnt even acknowledge her existence. I usually do not even answer people asking for money when I am in Philly.

I one time had an escalation in a parking lot with a bum asking me and my friends for money. It was a dark alleyway, and we were walking to my car and almost the exact scenario you described at the beginning of this thread happened. Except this guy was yelling, demanding money and when I told him none of us were giving him money and that he had better leave. He stared me down and started threatening me. I told everyone to get in the car while I stood there with my back to the car between him making sure the girl with me and the other two really puny guys were in the car. Not ever turning my back I got into the car watching him the whole time. I really thought I was going to have to fight this guy. It turned out ok.

The common scam in big cities is for people to act like they are parking lot attendents and they ask you for money to park your car, and you arent sure whether to believe them or not. I never fall for this scam. I always say, "nice try" and I laugh. I say "dont worry the next guy will be stupider than me, you will make your money"

 

[Whitefalls]

I have to say my car load, on the way to a concert, fell for the parking lot attendant trick. (I wasn't driving so I accept no responsibility ) Gave the "parking attendant" 5 bucks and parked. As we're getting out, the real parking attendant came over and told us we got scammed. He said they are out there doing it everytime there is a concert at this place. He was wearing the uniform and everything so we knew he was legit. We gave him the 5 bucks, then tracked down the scammer who was just around the block. We confronted him and told him to give us our money back. He said he already gave it to his manger. RIIIIIIGHT! So we demanded that he take us to his manager to get our money back. As he was trying to ignore us and walk away, the parking attended came around the corner in a van with the parking lot logo on it and cut the guy off from leaving, and told him to give us our money back or he was calling the police. All of a sudden, the guy magically had our 5 bucks back that he had already given to his manager, and wasn't too happy about having to hand it back over.

I'm in Atlanta every day now, and there's no shortage of pan handlers and I have to tell them no on a daily basis. You can definitely call the police if they repeatedly harass you, or if they touch you at all.