Outside Starbucks today, I was approached by a relatively well-dressed man clutching a cell phone and bearing more than a passing resemblance to Vikings coach Brad Childress (right)."Can you help out an idiot?" he beckoned from across the parking lot. What ensued was a request for $15 for gas money back to Clearfield. He said he couldn't contact his wife and was stuck. I opened my wallet and, surprising even myself, said, "What the hell?" and handed him the money. In return, I received a pledge that he would pay me back.
I guess I was feeling good Samaritany at the time. But now I wonder if I'll ever see that $15 again. The way I figure, I could read the tea leaves either positively or negatively. A quick inventory yielded this:
PRO:
- He didn't look like a panhandler.
- He was outside of Starbucks.
- He told me his name was Tim, and asked for mine.
- He asked for $15, which he said would buy 5 gallons of gas, rather than a dollar or spare change.
- He asked for my cell phone number, and then called me so I'd have his number in my phone.
- His fingernails were pretty dirty, so he could have been deceitful about his apparent social standing.
- I didn't actually look to see if he had a car, because I was intent on getting my latte.
- I don't know his last name or address.
- He asked for $15, which would buy a lot of Boone's Farm wine beverage.
- His voicemail greeting sounds like his voice, but he doesn't say his name.
8 comments:
DT you become more amazing to me every single day. I'm not sure if you giving $15 to a total stranger makes you one of the most terrific guys I know or just one of the most gullible. Maybe it's both, because I know the terrific part is a fact. I'm interested to know how your experiment pans out.
But you're right... He was in front of Starbucks, so he must be a good person.
The classic "I need gas money to get home" scam. I've had a similiar experience, outside of the Albertsons on 300 South.
In this scenario, the grifter had a benign countenance and a seemingly logical story. He just needed X amount of gas money to get back home to Evanston. Trying to be a good (or at least, better) person, I gave him a few bucks.
THEN, about three weeks later, I was approached at the SAME Albertsons by the same grifter.
He was about midway into his "need gas money" pitch before I stopped him and said, "You need to get back to Evanston, right? So you've been living in this parking lot the whole time or what?" His response was to hunch his shoulders, smirk, and turn around to find another mark.
Since then, I interrogate would be beneficiaries of my kindness.
I ask them for the phone number of a relative in their destination city, offer to call them to explain the situation, etc. And from my own experiments, I've found that their stories quickly fall apart under questioning.
That being said, David, I hope your experience is different.
Damn. Edrocks27 always has the best stories.
I gave a bum some mittens once.
The guy in the parking lots from Brickyard Plaza to Fort Union (5 times since I moved to SLC 6 years ago) always needs to get home to American Fork. Sometimes his wife is in the car "over there" waiting for him and sometimes it's his brother. Either way, he is a self proclaimed "Dumb-ass". The second time he approached me (Albertson't Ft. Union) I said something smart about how he needs to plan his trips better, as he'd done the same thing a year prior and gotten stuck in Brickyard. All he said was "Sorry to bother you, Ma'am."
You're a very nice man. So nice in fact, I'll give you one of my friends to date.
I'm surprised he was heading to Clearfield. Like other comments left, it seems like when I have gotten this story, that they are always heading to Utah County. That makes me almost feel like this may have been legit.
7. 7 bottles of boones. 7.
Been a while since you posted - I guess you did not get your money back then eh?
Oh well, maybe someday.
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