You... you want what? Seriously?

[Sucker Punch]

I work at a very small gas station, exclusively night shifts from 11pm to 7am Sunday through Thursday. We're the only one in the area open all night, so usually I only have to deal with pathetic drunks, but once in a while I'll get a jackass.

The setup, last Tuesday, it's about 1:30am, and the phone rings.

SC: "Hi, is your manager there?"
Me: "Uh, no, sir. The manager is not here at the moment."
SC: "Well, can you get him on the phone please?"
Me: "Well, no. I'm not calling my manager at 1:30 in the morning. What can I do for you?"
SC: "Listen, I need a favour. I come to your store all the time, I buy all my (lottery) tickets there. My car broke down on the highway, I need to borrow $50 for a tow, I'll bring it back tomorrow, and give you $20 for yourself."
Me: "Hold on. Are you saying you want to borrow money from the store?"
SC: "Yes."
Me: "No. You cannot borrow money from a gas station."
SC: "Well **** yourself then!" *click*

At first, I just laughed at the absurdity of it all. Seriously, who tries to borrow money from a gas station?

Then I thought about it. What kind of sad, pathetic loser has no friends or family they can call for help, that they have to resort to calling an Esso station and begging for money?

[marasbaras]

Someone who is hoping that you're really stupid, loan them the money with the promise of an extra $20 for yourself, and never be seen again.

[Fenrus]

For some people.... I'd pay the $50...

[crazylegs]

Then I thought about it. What kind of sad, pathetic loser has no friends or family they can call for help, that they have to resort to calling an Esso station and begging for money?

I think you kinda answered your own question there!

[dispatch]

he was probably either scamming you or stupid, you wouldn't believe the reactions of some people upon hearing that they had to PAY for services and extra equiptment when I dispatched for a local towing company...it's like they thought we'd come pull them out of a cornfield for $5 or something.

There used to be a guy that would prowl the downtown and historic districts around closing time for the bars (I think he still does) telling people his BMW broke down and he needs another $7 to tow it out to a suburb. A friend saw him working his angle on someone as he was leaving a bar one night and busted him out with "Wow, that's the third time this week you broke down here and needed a tow out to Blair, either you need a new mechanic or you should take better care of your car." The scammer was speechless and looked kinda scared

[friendofjimmyk]

Well, when a scam works once, most scammers figure it'd probably work again and they are usually right, unfortunately.

[JustADude]

There used to be a guy that would prowl the downtown and historic districts around closing time for the bars (I think he still does) telling people his BMW broke down and he needs another $7 to tow it out to a suburb.

He would say that his truck died on him and was stuck just under the nearby overpass and needed the money so he could get it towed.

Now, ya see, here's an example of something that, while technically fraud (soliciting money under false pretenses), is something I'd consider no worse than the bums sitting on the sidewalk looking pathetic with their expensive bike and courier bag stashed just out of view of the street, raking in $600+ a week.

They all operate by letting people 'buy' a few moments of feeling good about themselves, same way the Salvation Army people rake in the donations... but without the annoying bells

The first guy sounds like the type that's basically a high-pressure-salesman asshole, since if you don't give him the whole $7 you feel like a shit, even if you can't afford it. The second guy, though, you can give him whatever you feel like, wish him luck, and be on your way happy to have helped someone out of a jam.

[Sucker Punch]

Figured I could throw another one in here rather than starting another thread.

This happened this morning. It's about 6:30, I get off at 7:00. Things are starting to pick up, there are 6 cars outside filling up, a line of 4 people inside, and I'm frantically trying to close my shift and get ready for the next one. I'm taking payments, counting cigarettes, scratch tickets, and money, printing reports, weighing boxes of lottery tickets, answering the phone, trying to make sure the drunken idiot at the back isn't stealing ice cream, and keeping an eye on the cars to make sure no one drives away without paying.

A teenage girl comes to the front of the line, and asks if we have an air hose. I look at her quizzically and answer yes, it's around the side, right where she parked.

"Oh," she says. "Well can you help me put air in my tires, or are you too busy?"

I can't be mad at her, she was very polite and pleasant about it, and left without a complaint when I said no, but still.

In the middle of the night when there is no one around, I'll happily pump gas or air for someone that isn't comfortable doing it, even though there's no full serve, But not when I'm swamped.

[Tito]

Yep, sounds like a scam to me. And a pretty pathetic one at that.

[spookysonata]

We had a brand-new employee try that once.

E: "Uh...my car needs to be fixed. Can I borrow money? My paycheck won't be here till Friday."

[tropicsgoddess]

That's the most pathetic scam I've ever heard.

[Apathy]

Maybe I just don't have the scammer personality, but can't you just get a f'ing job? There are better ways to make money other than risking arrest or whatever.