New scam (don't fall victim)

[armedbutnotdangerous]

And if he had approached with a weapon and demanded money,
it would have been armed robbery.

And if he did this through the mail, it would have been mail fraud.

But he didn't, so it wasn't armed robbery OR false imprisonment OR mail fraud.

[Retiredatforty]

The deserving poor are never standing on street corners holding cardboard signs or asking you for spare change on the sidewalk. The deserving poor are working midnight shifts at Wal-Mart, and a second job during the day, probably waiting tables. They are often single mothers trying to make ends meet after some scumbag got them pregnant and walked out, leaving them footing the bill for raising the kids. If you really want to do something for the deserving poor, give a hefty tip to the waitress next time you're at Waffle House. But don't EVER help ANYONE just begging.

And as for the "poor" guy in the $40,000 truck, he was a scam artist. Period. He could get a title loan for $100 using that $40,000 truck as collateral and use that money to take care of any real sick kid he may have had. Of course he didn't, and that's because the sick kid was fictional.

Anyone who blocks you in to do/say anything to you is most definitely a clear and present threat. You shouldn't shoot him, but I'd have my hand on my gun.

[ardowling]

King did this take place in Clarksville? I had a guy approuch me in the Rural King parking lot there trying to give me a story about needing gas to get back to Dickson, his deal was to sell me a $50 Rural King gift card for $30, when I declined he started to really get pushy about it, I told him hang on as I dialed 911 on my cell phone that sent him scurrying off, I'm sure that gift would have worked had I bought it, I think you handled your situation very well

[Hook686]

Sometimes the Bad Guy is really not so bad afterall. Maybe has a family he needs to care for and is down on his luck and desperate.

Would-Be Robber Sends Thank You

(Dec. 3) -- A Long Island deli owner received a thank-you letter from a would-be robber he held at gunpoint before letting him go with $40 and a loaf of bread, the New York Post reported.
The letter -- which also included $50 -- was anonymous, but Mohammad Sohail says the apology is similar to tearful comments the man made when he tried to rob the store with a baseball bat last May.

"Now I have a new child and good job make good money staying out of trouble and taking care of my family. You gave me forty dollars thank you for sparing my life Because of that you change my life," reads the letter, in part.
The letter also revealed that the would-be robber converted to Islam.
"I'm really thrilled," Sohail told the Post. "I'm very happy for that guy, because he is now doing good for the community."

http://www.gnn.com/article/would-be-...etter%2F799585

[RG Stewart]

For some reason, I attract all manner of panhandlers and scammers. I work outdoors, but during a rain delay, I ducked into a nearby WalMart and was approached inside by a woman needing gas money to get home 40 miles away. Two minutes and $10 later, she was gone- until next time I was in the same store. Same woman, same story, same destination, etc., but this time accompanied by a man. Then a couple weeks later, she walked onto my jobsite, again with the same approach. During encounters #2 and 3, I reminded her of our first meeting, but she didn't recognize me at all; or at least no more than a sheep shearer might remember one particular animal.

I recently tried Peetza's method. Grocery store parking lot, woman needs money for gas to get to nearby town, etc. My next destination was a gas station, so I invited her to follow me there. She, her husband?, and the young adult in the rear, easily matched the weight capacity of their minivan, and upon arrival, apparently didn't recall what I looked like, because they circled around the pump stations a couple times, then parked at the front of the store, went inside to buy sodas, hot dogs, chips, and cigs., then drove away. That was peculiar...

[zombieslayer]

I try not to make it a confrontation, but when panhandlers approach me, I politely decline. If they at all get pushy, then I create a small distance and then tell them I have nothing for them and they'd better take a few steps back. If they don't, I tend to get VERY defensive. The only time I pulled my gun was when a guy came approaching my car window trying to sell me a gold chain at 2am. I said "get away, I got nothin for you". I put it in reverse, and my buddy is coming out of the store. The BG pulls a good size knive out and looks at my buddy. I pulled my .32, and asked him to put down the knife and he better run the other way, which he did. This was years ago, and the area I was in was such a bad place for muggings. I did let the owner of the store to be on the lookout.

[KingEdward]

to ARdowling...

location was SE Nashville off of Old Hickory Blvd.

[Daugherty16]

I've lived and worked in LA, SF, Portland, and now NYC. Panhandlers? Seen way too many to count. Years ago i used to try and quickly assess whether they were pros or actually needed the help they claimed, and yes, i've given folks spare change, dollars, even 10s. But a year in SFO (homeless capital of the world, apparently) cured me of that, sadly.

The newest one I've seen is a woman on the commuter train out of NYC, big sob story about children and food and she only needs train fare (about 22 bucks) and so on. She goes from car to car collecting what she can. Then she ends up in the lead car and jumps off at 125th in Harlem before the conductors can check tickets, heads back to Grand Central and does it again, after checking the schedule to make sure she only boards a train that stops in Harlem. I see her regularly and just chuckle.

So now i do all my charitable giving through the CFC and Goodwill (and of course, Salvation Army Kris Kringles!) and the like. Giving money and goods where I KNOW it will be put to good use. Unfortunately, the more i learn about situational awareness puts me even farther from wanting to help the occasional true needy person down on his luck who approaches me. I just don't try to figure the situation any more. My standard answer is a curt "I can't help you" while checking my periphery, and 99% of the time i am confident that is a true statement.

I really applaud the approach Peetza (and others) have described. I may have to try that sometime, because i don't like the idea of spurning someone who might really, really need something (like $ 10 bucks for medicine) i'll never miss. Experience makes me certain that most all of them will split the instant you call their bluff, and the few who remain might well be in need just as they said.

But as for being boxed in the parking lot, all my alarms would have gone off and i would not have been polite, and probably would have my hand on or near my piece rather quickly, while looking around for the guy sneaking up behind me. I suspect that the OP did, in fact, make the right call. But if i can assure myself there is noone approaching from the rear, maybe next time i'll offer to buy the food, or pay the difference on the medicine, or on the train ticket - and see what happens.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Ok, commandos - deal with this one.

When I lived in NYC and commuted on the subway to work, there was a guy with no lower body. He scooted around on a little wood platform with roller skate wheels. He played a saxophone.

He would wheel up in front of you and play a bit. If you didn't give him something, he would play a bit louder. If you didn't then, he would give you a full blast toot of the horn. Better defend yourself and go into Condition Red Tooter!!

So do you OC him, shoot him or denounce him in your righteous might! I always gave him a quarter. I talked to him and his biggest problem was that kids would push him down the long stairs or escalators in the stations.

BTW, I've had the same gas container guy run up to me at different local strip malls. I say, Sorry - can't help you and KEEP walking. Don't stop to chat or scold. A guy at work decided to scold a panhandler at the local Tex-Mex restaurant and got the crap beat out of him. Be polite and keep moving.

[LordofWar]

lol @ commandos

Well a commando is likely to use his best fix & firm command(o) voice telling him to stay where he is while keeping one hand on the .50 BMG being conceal carried and the other one on spead dial to the NavySeals Blackops hotline because there is a 1-99.99% chance that the small guy ..... might try to hu*mp the leg

I on the contrary would stash a decent $ amount in his pocket & send (push) him downstairs

[Deaf Smith]

Here is another scam. Water scam!

If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE!

These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

If you have to go outside, go well armed!

Same goes for hearing a baby cry. Call the cops, but don't go outside to investigate unless you are well armed and quite capable.

[markj]

In the situation the OP was in, I would offer to walk over to the pharm and pay the 10 bucks. If he hesitatyed and wanted only cash I would ask him to move so I could go on my way.

I do belive a lot of folks are just plain scared. Dont know why or what brought us to this point. To help our fellow man should be ingrained into our very fabric as it was in years past.

This is December, the month I celebrate My Lords birth, I also recall one thing, the Golden rule.

Do as you will, but I do belive there is a spark of good in every one and that not all men are evil at heart.

[Glenn Dee]

LOL GLENN

I have seen that guy more than a few times... and I always give him something. He's as legit as it gets. Annoying at times... but he is missing half his body. That'd be hard to fake. I did also see a crew working the subway a woman pushing a guy in a wheelchair, going from car to car begging. At some point a transit police officer gets on the train see's them and dumps the guy out of the wheelchair onto the floor. A miracle happened... his missing legs grew back...

[verdun59]

Help me out here....how many social agencies are there to help people who are truly in need. Let's see there must be hundreds, maybe more ?

[ClayInTx]

verdun59

Almost every church of a major denomination has a help program.

The Salvation Army has one.

Food, gasoline, lodging

[rdx4me]

Here in NW Florida, the panhandlers LOVE to hang out on the off-ramps and especially at the entrances to the one and only Walmart in town...

Most have signs claiming to be homeless vets, even wear the old-style field jackets.....

Shame that you don't know who to trust these days.

[#18indycolts]

The deserving poor are never standing on street corners holding cardboard signs or asking you for spare change on the sidewalk.

But don't EVER help ANYONE just begging.

really

[ndbbm]

Kingedward, good thinking. I would say that it was probably a scam in which you acted exactly how you should have, cautios and respectful. If it wasn't a scam then hopefully everything turned out ok for the guy. It's nice to see people prepared for situations like this when too many people just become naive with the mention of a sick kid. I say always go with your gut instinct. Kudos

[Nnobby45]

So do you OC him, shoot him or denounce him in your righteous might! I always gave him a quarter.

I might, too----as long as he didn't try to scoot in front of me and box me in.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

You probably could jump over the poor guy.

[therealdeal]

In the situation the OP was in, I would offer to walk over to the pharm and pay the 10 bucks. If he hesitatyed and wanted only cash I would ask him to move so I could go on my way.

I do belive a lot of folks are just plain scared. Dont know why or what brought us to this point. To help our fellow man should be ingrained into our very fabric as it was in years past.

This is December, the month I celebrate My Lords birth, I also recall one thing, the Golden rule.

Do as you will, but I do belive there is a spark of good in every one and that not all men are evil at heart.

I liked your point mark. I have read page 1, page 5, and only some in between, but pulling in front locking him in isn't right and usually when someone is desperate they'll come to you. he seemed persistent about him coming to his truck. still like you mentioned mark, he might've just needed some help. maybe his wife was Counting on him to bring that script home and he lived quite a ways away, only has visitation rights, whatever. after the 10buck bit he said, this isn't going to work.

only weird incident that happened to me was pumping gas one night some yrs back and a good looking 20something yr old girl needed $50 and wanted to sell me her frozen meat. every other time was regular, basic panhandling.anyways, I dinot have $50 or have cash, and it was pretty obvious to me she was 'jonesing'wanted drugs(probably heroin). I know thats purely speculation but this incident was scary. She had a nice ride too. I left but was polite; she wasn't happy

[therealdeal]

sorry didn't notice how old thread was (above post is to MARKJ - post 112)

[Tamara]

Seeing as how this stopped being about "Tactics" and turned into a debate on poverty and welfare some three pages and eleven months ago, I'm taking the liberty of closing it.