Begging for petrol money around service stations

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › Begging for petrol money around service stations

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#1828379 24-Jul-2017 13:40

nas:

You can't really walk anywhere in Wellington without seeing someone begging these days.

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. He was sitting down and I assume in retrospect he was all talk, but it got the bad adrenaline pumping. I didn't stop to chat and kept my head on a swivel walking away.

Mike

floydbloke

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#1828465 24-Jul-2017 14:58

MikeAqua:

...

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. ...

That's not begging, that's attempted robbery.

Did Eric Clapton really think she looked wonderful...or was it after the 15th outfit she tried on and he just wanted to get to the party and get a drink?

sonyxperiageek

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#1828469 24-Jul-2017 14:59

floydbloke:

MikeAqua:

...

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. ...

That's not begging, that's attempted robbery.

Sounds more like a threat to me.

Sony

xpd

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#1828480 24-Jul-2017 15:09

Not a beggar, but bit of a scammer a few years back..... was at the casino and saw this guy walk past and minute later he came back again and started talking to me.... his story was that he and his wife had a decent win on Lotto and they were in town for a fun night out. Good for him.... anyway, after a couple mins talking he asked if I had any smaller notes than a $50 , he showed me his wallet and it had $100 notes in it - machines will only accept $20 notes. I advised him that my last $20 was already in the machine so couldnt help. He said thanks and wandered off........ I only thought afterwards once I was back in my hotel room the next morning, that it was a scam with counterfeit notes.... why ? Hes in a casino, a place that would be more than happy to take his $100 notes and give him smaller notes to play with. He also only asked me, because I was the only one in the area as well (was about 2am), so he thought I must have had money to be sitting there at 2am playing :)

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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MikeAqua

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#1828487 24-Jul-2017 15:18

floydbloke:

MikeAqua:

...

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. ...

That's not begging, that's attempted robbery.

Pretty lame attempt at robbery. But a successful attempt at giving me a fright. A seated drunk person has lot of ground to cover to actually stab an upright person.

The more serious risk was probably if I overacted and acted pre-emptively ... possible when you are alone and someone gives you a fright.

Mike

kiwifidget

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#1832018 27-Jul-2017 09:01

MikeAqua:

floydbloke:

MikeAqua:

...

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. ...

That's not begging, that's attempted robbery.

Pretty lame attempt at robbery. But a successful attempt at giving me a fright. A seated drunk person has lot of ground to cover to actually stab an upright person.

The more serious risk was probably if I overacted and acted pre-emptively ... possible when you are alone and someone gives you a fright.

A quick slice to the back of your ankle and you are toast.

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

DarthKermit

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#1832092 27-Jul-2017 10:27

The rise in beggars and the rise in robberies of dairies/petrol stations all seem to be about people who want money for nothing.

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floydbloke

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#1832095 27-Jul-2017 10:33

DarthKermit:

The rise in beggars and the rise in robberies of dairies/petrol stations all seem to be about people who want money for nothing.

I'm not much of a left-wing liberal, but I'm going to suggest that the inaffordability of tobacco products, the housing-crisis and our poor mental health system are big contributors to the way these sorts of people behave.

Did Eric Clapton really think she looked wonderful...or was it after the 15th outfit she tried on and he just wanted to get to the party and get a drink?

ObidiahSlope

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#1832133 27-Jul-2017 11:50

Oblivian:

Bunch of them keep working between Kaiapoi, Rangiora and South City in CHC. Saying they had a fight with the partner and needed bus fare. When you offer to take them as gong that way, you get abuse and they walk off.

Known by the stores but can't tresspass from anything other than being in the shop itself and notifying the police of them being an annoyance to get moved on.

I was with a group of females in South City car park and partly obscured by them when they were approached by a teenage male wanting. $2 for the bus. I stepped forward and told him to go away. He took several steps backward beyond my reach and hurled a torrent of abuse at me.

Only when another male stepped forward and said "You heard him go away." did he shut up and walk away.

The thing that surprised me most was several of the females said they thought the young fellow was genuine and I was being mean.

Obsequious hypocrite

amiga500

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#1832144 27-Jul-2017 12:16

Two similar ones I have had. Once in downtown Auckland I think Victoria Street I got asked for petrol money for a car 'just around the corner' by two ladies in early twenties. Then I saw them go around the corner & following them at a discreet distance no sign of a car belonging to them!

Then in a Christchurch supermarket I had just parked my car & a lady came up to my window with the story that her car had run out of gas at some traffic lights and she had left her kids in the car & needed petrol money. I said she needed to go into Countdown & ask to use the phone to get some help. With that one I have often wondered if it was genuine & feel a bit guilty, but to this day I think it was a scam. If she had seen me get off a bus & walk in, I reckon she would have had a story about needing a bus fare to get home to her sick kids...

MikeAqua

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#1832146 27-Jul-2017 12:18

kiwifidget:

MikeAqua:

floydbloke:

MikeAqua:

...

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. ...

That's not begging, that's attempted robbery.

Pretty lame attempt at robbery. But a successful attempt at giving me a fright. A seated drunk person has lot of ground to cover to actually stab an upright person.

The more serious risk was probably if I overacted and acted pre-emptively ... possible when you are alone and someone gives you a fright.

A quick slice to the back of your ankle and you are toast.

Quick is relative.

Once someone (in this case seated, drunk, stocky and short) has issued a verbal threat of sorts they have to get a knife out and slash at me (a few metres away ) before I can react. I don't have to defend or attack I just have to evade.

Chances are they didn't have a knife, did have an un-treated mental illness.

As Yoda taught us - fear is often the most dangerous thing

Mike

MikeAqua

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#1832150 27-Jul-2017 12:22

floydbloke:

DarthKermit:

The rise in beggars and the rise in robberies of dairies/petrol stations all seem to be about people who want money for nothing.

I'm not much of a left-wing liberal, but I'm going to suggest that the inaffordability of tobacco products, the housing-crisis and our poor mental health system are big contributors to the way these sorts of people behave.

And cell phones. Many of them seem to have smart phones as well.

And in one case in Welly - dog food. The guy I'm thinking of has a dog in perfect condition. His condition is not so great. You often see them near metro new world. Sadly, I think the dog does better out of the begging than he does.

Mike

Geektastic

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#1832209 27-Jul-2017 13:16

floydbloke:

DarthKermit:

The rise in beggars and the rise in robberies of dairies/petrol stations all seem to be about people who want money for nothing.

I'm not much of a left-wing liberal, but I'm going to suggest that the inaffordability of tobacco products, the housing-crisis and our poor mental health system are big contributors to the way these sorts of people behave.

Our local store has been broken into at least 3 times in the last 6 months and the only thing that was stolen was tobacco products.

I do find the obsession with punishing tobacco users a bit harsh when compared to the comparative laxity with which alcohol users are treated.

frankv

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#1832223 27-Jul-2017 13:24

MikeAqua:

Sadly, I think the dog does better out of the begging than he does.

Which is why he has the dog.

In New York recently, I was chatting with a guy on the subway, and mentioned a couple of beggars with a sign saying she was pregnant. He said they'd been there for about a year without any change in her condition.

mattwnz

20141 posts

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#1832232 27-Jul-2017 13:32

MikeAqua:

nas:

You can't really walk anywhere in Wellington without seeing someone begging these days.

A favourite trick seems to be to sit next to an ATM and ask ATM-users for money.

Had an experience a couple of weeks ago where one homeless guy said he could have stabbed me if he wanted. He was sitting down and I assume in retrospect he was all talk, but it got the bad adrenaline pumping. I didn't stop to chat and kept my head on a swivel walking away.

That is just nasty, if he is saying that sort of thing, he has been thinking about it. It is also possibly a veiled threat. You also don't know his history, and he may have been in prison before. It should have been reported to the police. The ATM camera would have probably captured him. The thing is what if he did end up stabbing someone else, if that had happened to me would feel really guilty for not reporting i, as reporting it could have prevented it happening. The problem in NZ is not enough of the crime gets reported, people just let things go because they think police are already overstretched etc, which then affects police funding, as their stats show crime isn't that bad.

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