Foiling Panhandler

[teejk]

Five to ten years ago, a coworker was asked for money at a gas station. I can't remember the exact details but a woman was asking for money and then help to getting the gas pump to work My friend is/was an older guy and not in the best help which is why I think he was asked. He declined to give money or help since the situation was sketchy. He finished filling up and went inside to pay by walking around the front of the woman's van. The back of the van was open and a man was standing there. He thinks if he had gone back to help her they would have assaulted and robbed him. Maybe worse.

Later,
Dan

I think your friend's instincts were right...some of these people want more than a dollar...

 

[mark02tj]

Dayton Ohio has a panhandler's ordinance that makes it legal - as long as you display your permit! SHEESH!

A couple of years ago, Sweetie, her son and I were leaving a movie. As I was getting in the car I was approached by this guy and his two sons (about 8 and 10 years old) carrying a gas can. "Out of gas", "wife at work", etc. I offered to call the wife at work and to get them gas and he walked away. He, along with the boys, approached an older couple getting in a Cadillac .... and then they got in it!! We followed them up the road to the gas station. We saw the couple pass them some money and the man and the boys got out. They left the gas can at the pump and went inside to "pre-pay". They waited inside until the couple in the car left and then they came back out, picked up the empty can and headed back down the road to the movie theater. By this time, we were into it! LOL! So we headed back down there hollered at them. He headed over to his car, acted like he was putting gas in it and then they packed up and headed out.

Of course, we followed them!! And we called the cops. They headed to another shopping center and we managed to interrupt them trying to get money from a family in a pickup truck. They started walking quickly across the parking lot - we're back on the phone with the cops - and the guy and his boys end up hiding behind a dumpster at a Panera. Finally, the cops get him as he's coming out of Target and "have a talk" with him. Unfortunately there wasn't much they could do, but we had fun for about an hour and made his life miserable at the same time. Echoing someone above's sentiments - it's a shame that he's teaching his kids that this is an OK thing to do.

I was in downtown Atlanta last week on business. I was waiting outside of a hotel to meet my client for a drink and a bite to eat. I was approached by a guy about my age (mid-50's) dressed in a security guard uniform. Asked me if I had a spare couple of bucks so he could get on the MARTA to get home. Showed me a MARTA card and a credit card and claimed that he'd picked up the "wrong debit card" that morning as he'd left for work and there were no more rides left on the MARTA card. I told him that I didn't think that that the machines took cash but he insisted they did. I thought for a second, reached in my pocket and pulled out my own MARTA card and gave it to him. I told him there was one ride left on it. His eyes lit up, he said THANKS and then made a mad rush towards the MARTA station entrance. I don't know if I was scammed or not - but it was only $2.50.

 

[Redneck in training]

I used to live in Rome about 30 years ago. There was an article in local papers about beggars preying mostly on tourists. A reporter followed a family of beggars and found that they lived in a castle near Rome and drove Rolls Royces.

 

[mjarrels]

I've spent many years living in the Philippines, never saw so many beggers, mostly small kids. Once outside a Mcdonalds, I offered to buy this kid a burger but he declined, figured he was begging for his parents.

mark

 

[teejk]

Dayton Ohio has a panhandler's ordinance that makes it legal - as long as you display your permit! SHEESH!

A couple of years ago, Sweetie, her son and I were leaving a movie. As I was getting in the car I was approached by this guy and his two sons (about 8 and 10 years old) carrying a gas can. "Out of gas", "wife at work", etc. I offered to call the wife at work and to get them gas and he walked away. He, along with the boys, approached an older couple getting in a Cadillac .... and then they got in it!! We followed them up the road to the gas station. We saw the couple pass them some money and the man and the boys got out. They left the gas can at the pump and went inside to "pre-pay". They waited inside until the couple in the car left and then they came back out, picked up the empty can and headed back down the road to the movie theater. By this time, we were into it! LOL! So we headed back down there hollered at them. He headed over to his car, acted like he was putting gas in it and then they packed up and headed out.

Of course, we followed them!! And we called the cops. They headed to another shopping center and we managed to interrupt them trying to get money from a family in a pickup truck. They started walking quickly across the parking lot - we're back on the phone with the cops - and the guy and his boys end up hiding behind a dumpster at a Panera. Finally, the cops get him as he's coming out of Target and "have a talk" with him. Unfortunately there wasn't much they could do, but we had fun for about an hour and made his life miserable at the same time. Echoing someone above's sentiments - it's a shame that he's teaching his kids that this is an OK thing to do.

I was in downtown Atlanta last week on business. I was waiting outside of a hotel to meet my client for a drink and a bite to eat. I was approached by a guy about my age (mid-50's) dressed in a security guard uniform. Asked me if I had a spare couple of bucks so he could get on the MARTA to get home. Showed me a MARTA card and a credit card and claimed that he'd picked up the "wrong debit card" that morning as he'd left for work and there were no more rides left on the MARTA card. I told him that I didn't think that that the machines took cash but he insisted they did. I thought for a second, reached in my pocket and pulled out my own MARTA card and gave it to him. I told him there was one ride left on it. His eyes lit up, he said THANKS and then made a mad rush towards the MARTA station entrance. I don't know if I was scammed or not - but it was only $2.50.

Seems they all drag the kids around with them as props. When I relocated from NY I spent a lot of time on I80. Seems the truck always needed gas at one particular oasis in Ohio. Ran into the same guy with the same kids a few times...always "out of gas and needed $$$ to get home".

 

[PJSprog]

...And immediately thought about the Ruger 380 sitting in the safe at home...
... (I was thinking about the Ruger still at home in the safe).

I very rarely ever leave the house without my .38 snubby these days. Like MossRoad, I'm of the "say no and walk away" philosophy. Unfortunately, that doesn't always get it done. Sometimes you have to be more stern in your reply, and that can risk escalation. I certainly hope I never have to use it. I also hope if I ever do, though, that it's not at home in the safe.

I used to work in downtown St. Louis for many years, and even lived there for a short while in the mid-'80s. Experienced a lot of panhandlers. I once had a guy follow me along a sidewalk trying his best to get me to "help him out a little." When I stopped in front of McD's, I told him I'd be happy to buy him lunch. He declined, saying he didn't want to be a bother. I told him it was no bother at all, as I was going in there anyway. He still refused. I bought an extra cheeseburger while I was in there, and offered it to him when I came back out. He scoffed and walked away. I took it across the street to a quiet, obviously homeless older man, and told him I bought it for someone else who didn't seem to want it. He shook his head and said, "That fella's messed up. Dope got him all messed up." He thanked me for the burger. Next time I was down that way, I gave him a $20 bill. The appreciation in his eyes was genuine.

It can sometimes be hard to tell genuine need from genuine sloth when you're new to an area. After a short while, though, they becomes pretty obvious.

I don't think I've ever been in a situation where a panhandler made me feel unsafe. But having someone pop around a gas pump certainly does get your blood flowing.

 

[dmccarty]

...

I was in downtown Atlanta last week on business. I was waiting outside of a hotel to meet my client for a drink and a bite to eat. I was approached by a guy about my age (mid-50's) dressed in a security guard uniform. Asked me if I had a spare couple of bucks so he could get on the MARTA to get home. Showed me a MARTA card and a credit card and claimed that he'd picked up the "wrong debit card" that morning as he'd left for work and there were no more rides left on the MARTA card. I told him that I didn't think that that the machines took cash but he insisted they did. I thought for a second, reached in my pocket and pulled out my own MARTA card and gave it to him. I told him there was one ride left on it. His eyes lit up, he said THANKS and then made a mad rush towards the MARTA station entrance. I don't know if I was scammed or not - but it was only $2.50.

I have been thinking about this since I first read this discussion.

When I was a kid we lived in Atlanta and I remember my dad's story about a beggar asking for money for coffee one morning. My dad offered to buy him a cup of coffee instead of giving the guy a quarter. The beggar just walked off in a huff.

Later,
Dan

 

[kcflhrc]

In Kansas City they would have just shot you without even talking to you and took what they wanted. Careful who you piss off. You don't want to wake up dead.

 

[TheMan419]

I read all these stories about confrontations with pan handlers..... why? Say no and walk away. If they escalate get in your car and leave. Why open up to the opportunity for something bad to happen.

Even if you are carrying walk away. If you shoot, even if you are 100% in the right, do you want to put your fate in the hands of a jury?

That all said, we should all feel empathy to those less fortunate. Donate to your local food pantry or homeless shelter and let the experts vet who really needs the money or services.

 

[TomSeller]

You don't want to wake up dead.

Once I die, I hope I can wake up.