At least I tried

[Mr Hero]

My brother was dropping me off after hanging out at another brother's house. On the way we stop at Walgreen's to pick up some cough medicine to hopefully alleviate this cough that's been bugging me for a week.

In front of the store was a guy asking for money for a bus. I told him I don't have cash, but I do have some bus passes that I offered him. He declined. On the plus side, at least he didn't cuss me out like what I've seen happen to people on this site who have offered food to someone asking for money to buy food.

[Plaidman]

Well that's because he isn't going to use it for the bus, and people that yell about being given food aren't truely asking money for food. They want drugs.

But you tried. More then I normally do.

[customersruinmylife]

I had an incident in which a guy ran up to me. He immediately showed me a large scab on his arm (ewww) and claimed he had just been assaulted by a gang of youths. I'm no doctor, but the cuts I was being shown were not new. He wanted money so he could go to the nearest payphone and call the police for help. There were two problems

1) We were on the same street as the police station

2) It does not cost money to call the police from a payphone

He stormed off into the nearest pub.

[MoonCat]

I had an incident in which a guy ran up to me. He immediately showed me a large scab on his arm (ewww) and claimed he had just been assaulted by a gang of youths. I'm no doctor, but the cuts I was being shown were not new. He wanted money so he could go to the nearest payphone and call the police for help. There were two problems

1) We were on the same street as the police station

2) It does not cost money to call the police from a payphone

He stormed off into the nearest pub.

Wow, not even a good try. Wonder if anybody else fell for it.

[Mr Hero]

Wow, not even a good try. Wonder if anybody else fell for it.

He stormed off into the nearest pub.

Someone must have if he can afford some drinks.

[Brojekk]

Wow, not even a good try. Wonder if anybody else fell for it.

Unfortunatly...some people do fall for it. And it encourages them to keep scamming people over and over again.

[bhskittykatt]

We have a guy in town who's sign reads "Why lie? Want a beer." Hey, I can respect that.

Saw one kid once with a sign asking for a cheeseburger by the local Golden Arches. I actually went through the drive-thru to get him a cheeseburger. He seemed totally stoked that someone actually got him a burger, and he happily wandered off munching his food.

[chainedbarista]

i've seen those signs too, bhskitty; at least they're honest in their advertising.

there used to be a group of kids that would beg people for sushi money (in the restaurant), but considering they were clean and (reasonably) well dressed with clothes that aren't cheap, most people declined.

[blas]

Last week, I can't remember what day but it was before Friday, I was driving home from work and I was turning from one of the main drags onto the side street, and there was a man in the median with a large cardboard sign that said "Disabled Veteran Needs Bus Fare!"

Disabled? You're standing in the middle of a concrete median. You have all your arms and legs. You're covered head to toe in decently warm clothing. You even have a cigarette in your free hand.

No bus fare for you. I hope no one stopped. I was a little worried, because that intersection, the light to turn left takes forever to turn green, and if he would have came up to my window, there would have been a bad scene.

[Mr Hero]

Last week, I can't remember what day but it was before Friday, I was driving home from work and I was turning from one of the main drags onto the side street, and there was a man in the median with a large cardboard sign that said "Disabled Veteran Needs Bus Fare!"

Disabled? You're standing in the middle of a concrete median. You have all your arms and legs. You're covered head to toe in decently warm clothing. You even have a cigarette in your free hand.

No bus fare for you. I hope no one stopped. I was a little worried, because that intersection, the light to turn left takes forever to turn green, and if he would have came up to my window, there would have been a bad scene.

You probably would have made his sign more accurate though the "veteran" part would still be questionable.

[Andara Bledin]

Actually, things like posttraumatic stress disorder and the like are disabilities, and just from a glance, you'd never be able to tell.

However, that being said, why wouldn't he be at the bus station/stop if he honestly needed the money for a fare?

^-.-^

[seigus]

When I see people begging on the corner, I give them actual food. Glad to help out, but won't give money. Some seem genuinely grateful; others? Not so much.

[blas]

Andara, that makes too much sense, doesn't it?

The bus terminals are downtown, about 3-3 1/2 miles away from where I live.

That also struck me as odd.

Granted, last summer in the Dells, we were eating outside at IHOP and a guy interrupted our meal by leaning over the fence and trying to beg my bf's parents for bus fare out of the Dells, playing the disabled veteran card as well.