Another encounter with a homeless

[Mulligan]

Agreed, "scam" is not the right word. However, the woman was lying in order to manipulate -- she doesn't really have panic attacks. The wallet idea is ingenious. It puts you on the defensive, making you want to prove that you are an honest person. It also says "I trust that you are a good person and wouldn't take my wallet." You want to affirm that, and help out.

I'm not saying that the woman didn't need help. Tmm was very good to help her.

This reminds of an encounter in the Home Depot parking lot in Oakland, CA. A black man comes up to me and starts out with "Are you prejudiced?" followed with a request for a few dollars to buy gas because he's stranded.

Again, the "Are you prejudiced?" question makes you want to prove that you are not. I didn't fall for it, perhaps because of this previous encounter (from this thread):

Around 1983 I was walking to the bus station from work in San Francisco. A guy told me he'd run out of money, and needed fare back to San Jose. I gave him $2.

Three weeks later, I saw the same guy and heard him trying the scam on someone else. When he was done I walked near him, and, not recognizing me, he started in with the same scam on me. I said,

"Hey, I know how you feel, I was in your same situation once. I don't have any cash on me, but my wife is in the bus station. Let's find her and I'll give you what you need." So we wandered around until I saw some cops, then I grabbed him by the arm took him over to them, and described what happened.

They said they couldn't do anything, but that I could make a citizen's arrest, which I did. Don't know what the final outcome was.

Thats funny Al. I loved your dedication. I wonder what the panhandlers will do when most everyone goes cashless. Carry a CC donation machine?

 

[MichaelB]

I think you are awesome for caring about the life of a stranger. I don't need to spend a lot of time questioning her motives, or yours.

+1

 

[grasshopper]

I don't know. I live in a small town in southern Illinois, and stand in line behind food stamp recipients regularly. Here, the cash registers will kick out any non-food item, just like when a credit card is not approved. The food stamp cards have no cash value either,

But we can buy with our food stamps cases of expensive bottled water, dump the water out and get a nickel back for the deposit.

Or trade stamps for dope 20 cents on the dollar.

I stand in line behind 5 folks in line at the local grocery store, they all speak spanish (1 mile from the border), pay with their Nutrition Assistance debt card, and get in late model SUV/pickup, some with mexican license plates.

Ms.G regularly shops at the health food store in Bisbee, for a neighbor that can't leave the house. All you need is the card and the PIN no questions asked. This woman eats way better than us.

Disclaimer, I don't pay Federal income taxes. So I have no dog in this fight.

 

[Keim]

In the small towns I am familiar with in Idaho this simply isn't true.

I think one difference is that in small towns, a homeless person will be identified, and be given the help that they need. Social services aren't overrun with applicants like in big cities. Public housing is often well under capacity. The lower cost of living makes government benefits go a lot further. Change some of those variables, and there would be a significant homeless population in small towns as well.

Yes, the homeless are quickly identified. But our ability to help is minimal, and most agencies are maxed out. The state cut services in this area, and nonprofits haven't been able to pick up the slack. Case in point: I am the president of the areas only homeless shelter. We offer an emergency shelter, subsidized housing and a foodbank. We have been at maximum capacity for years. Local foodbanks, including ours, are also at capacity.

 

[Mulligan]

In the small towns I am familiar with in Idaho this simply isn't true.

Yes, the homeless are quickly identified. But our ability to help is minimal, and most agencies are maxed out. The state cut services in this area, and nonprofits haven't been able to pick up the slack. Case in point: I am the president of the areas only homeless shelter. We offer an emergency shelter, subsidized housing and a foodbank. We have been at maximum capacity for years. Local foodbanks, including ours, are also at capacity.

Have you noticed any begging for money in your small town? When I posted earlier about never seeing anyone asking for money in a small town, I wasn't suggesting that I lived in a wealthy town. There are all sorts of poor people in my town and like your town, the food banks are stressed to the max. I wonder why I have never seen a small town beggar ever. Maybe in small towns someone is always related to someone or knows them enough to help, and maybe in the city they don't?

 

[Keim]

Begging is rare in small towns. Almost nonexistent in my town. Those that do are quickly removed by the police. Homelessness is nearly invisible here. You are correct as to why. In the summer the homeless camp in the woods. In the winter they couch surf at a friend or relatives.

 

[TromboneAl]

Have you noticed any begging for money in your small town?

There is plenty of begging going on in the small towns around here (populations: 350, 12,000, 17,000, and 30,000). People with cardboard signs at intersections are very common.

 

[Keim]

There is plenty of begging going on in the small towns around here (populations: 350, 12,000, 17,000, and 30,000). People with cardboard signs at intersections are very common.

Warmer climates tend to see more of it.

 

[Zero]

Lots of scams in this world, and lots of folks who fall for them.

4 Women Arrested in Panhandling Scam

 

[Mulligan]

Lots of scams in this world, and lots of folks who fall for them.

4 Women Arrested in Panhandling Scam

So innocent good hearted people get ripped off then the taxpayers get stuck with the cost of the arrest and jailing proceedings. I think a good old fashioned Singapore Caning would be my preference of justice. Painful lesson learned for the offenders, vengeance for the contributors, and minimal cost to the tax payers. Win-Win-Win scenerio

 

[BigNick]

Lots of scams in this world, and lots of folks who fall for them.

And some of them target the same victim for years.

 

[Sarah in SC]

And some of them target the same victim for years.

Gotta love the Onion!

 

[Purron]

I think you are awesome for caring about the life of a stranger. I don't need to spend a lot of time questioning her motives, or yours.

Same here. I spent years working in DC and saw plenty of panhandling scams. I fell for a few, then wised up and learned how to handle even the most aggressive ones. I would have helped this lady too. I suspect she developed this technique as a way to get food. Don't see anything so bad about that.

 

[scrabbler1]

Since I stopped working in NJ and NYC (YAY!) a few years ago after 23 years, I no longer encounter the frequent homeless and panhandlers which were often an annoyance.

The last one I recall was in the Newport Mall in Jersey City, in the big food court area. Some annoying guy in a New York Jets sweatshirt was going from table to table asking for spare change. When my coworker and I left, I stopped by the management office to ask them if they had a no-solicitations policy at the mall. When the lady said they did, I told her there was a guy in a gree Jets sweatshirt in the food court. She thanked me and told me she would send a security man over there.

 

[John Galt III]

At my local library there is always a cadre of about 5 to 10 homeless-looking folks sleeping in the soft chairs near the newspapers. No one ever kicks them out or hassles them, as far as I know.

 

[Ronnieboy]

I would have helped this lady and would have taken her wallet into the store. The chance that she could have a police officer believe that you or I stole her wallet is about zero.

+1

 

[Ronnieboy]

+1

Pretty sad, but not only with Meth, I've noticed the chronic abusers of oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine and other narcotics, look like they've been ridden hard. They easily look 10 years older than they are.

 

[Redbugdave]

Durn! I thought those were pictures of people who kept putting off retirement...

 

[omni550]

I wonder what the panhandlers will do when most everyone goes cashless. Carry a CC donation machine?

Oh, they'll probably have your smartphone app send their smartphone app some money.

omni

 

[grasshopper]

Oh, they'll probably have your smartphone app send their smartphone app some money.

omni

Thanks. a laugh a day keeps the doctor away.

 

[web_diva]

Isn't it a sorry state of affairs that we always have to be on the lookout for scam artists?

One of the tv news journalists featured recently some "homeless" panhandlers who seek money or food on the side of the road. He followed some of them back home to their stick built houses in walking distance from the corners where they panhandle. The panhandlers admitted that they make $100-150 dollars per day preying upon the compassion of others and prefer that to a day job.

 

[marko]

Local Reverend gets 5-10 people a week showing (sometimes with kids) asking for money for food.

He won't/can't give cash but tells them that he has a tab at the small grocery store across the street. "Go get anything you want and just tell them I sent you".

In 20 years........not ONE person has gone. Not one.

 

[scrabbler1]

Last night I caught part of a segment on ABC's "What Would You Do?" which is a little like this generation's "Candid Camera" with a moral question. The segment was about fake panhandlers who are really not blind or disabled as they claim to be, and if anyone who witnesses the fake scamsters will speak up and warn potential donors to not give them anything. The scamster and donors are all actors in on the sketch. Made for pretty good television.

 

[John Galt III]

Idea for new Reality TV show. Title is "What's Your Scam?" Grifters apply to be on the show. 3 of them per night. They compete with one another to impress the judges with their creativity, etc. The winning grifter gets $100,000 cash, and if the scam is original enough, gets a free patent attorney to help him save it all for himself, forever. Scam must involve abuse of taxpayer money, not private donations.

 

[Redbugdave]

Idea for new Reality TV show. Title is "What's Your Scam?" Grifters apply to be on the show. 3 of them per night. They compete with one another to impress the judges with their creativity, etc. The winning grifter gets $100,000 cash, and if the scam is original enough, gets a free patent attorney to help him save it all for himself, forever. Scam must involve abuse of taxpayer money, not private donations.

Awww heck that's easy! Some of the best and most creative are the people involved in politics.
And not every psychopath can make it, either. Only the best psychopaths make it into politics to make it a career...