Begging for petrol money around service stations

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LesF

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# 218034 23-Jul-2017 17:25

Just wondering if other people have seen this. A couple wandering around a service station with a empty petrol can in hand, asking for money so they can get home. This was at one of those autobahn stopovers beside a motorway.

I felt sorry for them, cos who would want to be stuck in the cold at night, and handed over at least enough change to fill the petrol can they had.

Was sitting in my car for a while afterwards and saw them not go fill the can, but get into a car and move it to another area of the car park.

So the car was drivable and the petrol can appears to have been nothing more than a prop.

Is this a common trick for just wandering about gathering money when you have nothing better to do of a Saturday night?

How do we recognize and trust when a stranger really is in need, or should we all just become desensitized to seeing people apparently at the mercy of kind strangers and ignore them all?

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# 1827743 23-Jul-2017 17:34

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Sucker they saw you coming now they will have more $$$ for the casino or something alike

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Fred99

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# 1827744 23-Jul-2017 17:42

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I probably got pinged by this a few years ago. In that case a claim that he'd lost his wallet, needed to get home about 100km away - had child in car and was reasonably late at night. Somewhat verified by gas station staff who didn't know them, and he was polite and sober. I put $20 of gas in their car. IIRC he asked for petrol - not money.
In that case even though I knew >50% chance I was being scammed, it was only $20 - and the chance that it was genuine it was worth it - the good chance that it was a scam, then at least I was well played.

quickymart

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# 1827751 23-Jul-2017 18:02

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I just don't give money to people who beg for it. Terrible, I know - but I can barely support myself and my family, never mind anyone else.

tdgeek

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# 1827758 23-Jul-2017 18:08

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We were in SFO, tomorrow going to DC. Warm day. Saw a beggar, sharpest shaving you could see. No. Later saw another beggar, sign said he is a vet doesn't want money just water. We had lots in the boot of the rental, gave to all to him. Poor bugger.

elpenguino

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# 1827763 23-Jul-2017 18:17

The OP has a good point. When faced with a stranger in a pickle, it is natural tendency to help. After all, what would you do if you were in that situation? IMHO, this makes it different from a scam - it's a situation akin to the high street beggar who is on the dole ( as some are allegedly).

You can't feel bad for helping someone (as you thought) but now you know you have been played would you tend to help someone again?

Ever heard of this guy? This Brit had been abusing people'e generosity for years.

https://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/08/airport-con-artists

I think I met him years ago outside Amsterdam train station - claiming to have lost his passport. He asked for 20 guilders and I gave him one - he looked like I had crapped in his hand :-)

vexxxboy

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# 1827770 23-Jul-2017 18:23

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theres a person in Rotorua who every Saturday in the New World car park asks for money for a bus fare to get home as he was robbed.After he approached me for the third Saturday in a row , i asked him if he kept getting robbed why did he keep coming back , abused me and walked off.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

michaelmurfy

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# 1827784 23-Jul-2017 18:33

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There was a begger on Courtenay Place a few years back who was asking for money to get down to Christchurch to work. I hardly had any money back then to support myself due to losing my job but I did have a tonne of Airpoints. Had a chat to him and he seemed genuine - was a builder who recently lost his job and Winz were not helping. I pulled out my phone and purchased a flight for him to get down to Christchurch using Airpoints and he was very greatful. Never saw him on the streets after that.

There are others you see all the time. One guy in the train station strikes me as being one of those holding a sign saying he needs $160 for bond - what I have noticed is this figure changes daily, one day it was $120 and the next it was $300 and he has been there for a good few weeks now.

I do help out many people with volunteer work - I donate Plasma / Platelets every 2 weeks without fail, I donate to many charities and also give money where I see it needed. I can't help out every begger on the street but if I see they're really genuine I would normally chuck them what is in my wallet but people abusing peoples generosity really gripe me.

Fred99

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# 1827785 23-Jul-2017 18:33

elpenguino:

The OP has a good point. When faced with a stranger in a pickle, it is natural tendency to help. After all, what would you do if you were in that situation? IMHO, this makes it different from a scam - it's a situation akin to the high street beggar who is on the dole ( as some are allegedly).

You can't feel bad for helping someone (as you thought) but now you know you have been played would you tend to help someone again?

Ever heard of this guy? This Brit had been abusing people'e generosity for years.

https://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/08/airport-con-artists

I think I met him years ago outside Amsterdam train station - claiming to have lost his passport. He asked for 20 guilders and I gave him one - he looked like I had crapped in his hand :-)

Last time I was in Amsterdam - a few decades ago - I was staggered by the variety of British accents from drugged out junkies on the street asking for money for "bread". Was winter - so not too many tourists. We were outnumbered - and the train station had a definite feel of unsafeness.

No wonder the Dutch got sick of that kind of crap - and plotted with Russia to have the UK turfed out of the EU.

sonyxperiageek

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# 1827786 23-Jul-2017 18:34

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I thought this was in NZ at first. Nevertheless, I experienced some sinister behaviour at the Larnoch Rd BP Petrol Station in West Auckland the other week. Parked the car next to a fuel pump and sat in the car while I attempted to get the BP Me app to work. Clicked the amount I wanted to fill up to, but it gave an error saying the pump was already in use, yet I was sitting next to the pump! Turned my head around to see someone crouched over next to my fuel cap filling their own jerry can. I asked him where did he come from and he said "over there". I was already getting suspicious but he hadn't done anything wrong yet (apart from steal my pump, and luckily the app failed on me otherwise I would've paid for his petrol!) He then walked in to the petrol station and joined the queue, then left the queue and walked off to a waiting car across the road without paying!

Point of the story is, they are taking advantage of the attendant seeing your car there and unlocking the pump, and the thief is quickly advancing on your pump. Beware! Bastards!

Sony

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DarthKermit

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# 1827787 23-Jul-2017 18:37

I had one particular guy ask me for "some spare change" one time too many outside of the local movie theatre. I told him to flock off.

MikeB4

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# 1827789 23-Jul-2017 18:39

My wife will always help, it is how she is. I tend to my inuition from being in social services but I will help in cases I feel are genuine. As the saying goes.... But for the grace of God......

Mike
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Fred99

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# 1827791 23-Jul-2017 18:44

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MikeB4: As the saying goes.... But for the grace of God......

God is a terrible example of responsible financial management and prudence, despite the huge advantage of omniscience and omnipresence - his servants are always on the make - with begging bowls out and a terrific story.

tchart

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# 1827796 23-Jul-2017 18:50

MikeB4: My wife will always help, it is how she is. I tend to my inuition from being in social services but I will help in cases I feel are genuine. As the saying goes.... But for the grace of God......

My wife too.

Couple of weeks back we saw a guy begging outside countdown in paraparaumu. It was 9am cold and miserable.

So my wife bought him socks, food and fruit.

About 20 minutes later I get a call from countdown saying the guy had returned it as he didn't want it - wanting the cash in return - and did I want to swing by and collect it (I had the receipt so he wasn't able to get a refund). It was quite obvious he wasn't hungry or cold.

I work near McDonald's on Manners Street in Wellington so there are lots of beggars there (I won't refer to them as homeless). I do feel bad but I refuse to give them money or food.

tchart

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# 1827797 23-Jul-2017 18:50

MikeB4: My wife will always help, it is how she is. I tend to my inuition from being in social services but I will help in cases I feel are genuine. As the saying goes.... But for the grace of God......

mattwnz

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# 1827801 23-Jul-2017 18:59

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You have to wonder why city councils don't make it illegal for homeless to 'loiter' in the streets, for health and safety reasons. There are shelters that they could be sent to, if they have nowhere to go. There are places in Wellington that I wouldn't feel safe to walk these days, due to some of the weirdos hanging around the streets, which isn't a good indictment on a NZ city..

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