Scam or not a Scam?

Happened to me quite a while back. I offered to take the woman to the gas station up the road, and she said she didn't have any money for the gas. I told her I would give her a lift, and pay for a gas can and 10 bucks worth of gas. She didn't know what to say, but ended up refusing. I told her, lady, you know when I offer to buy the stuff for you and you refuse, I have to think you are just trying to scam people out of money. She got flustered, closed her window real quick and drove off. Amazing.

 

Unfortunately I've fallen for this scam. Gave a lady one buck as she said her car had run out of gas and she had no money or debit card. Her and a friend quickly sped away.

The best "ran out of gas" gig I saw recently was a woman who had a sign saying "Ran out of gas, can you help." The next day she was on the same corner with the same sign and three days later she was about three blocks away with the same sign. This on a very busy street with friendly folks. She got nothing from me.
Reminded me of Navin R. Johnson (Steve Martin) in "The Jerk" getting his first ride while hitchhiking. Navin: "How far are you going? Driver: "The end of this fence." Navin: "I'll take it!"

Once going into a fast-food place a panhandler asked me for change to get something. I had one dollar. He looked honest and like he hadn't eaten for a while, so I gave it to him. He wheels on me: "Man, a dollar. I want to get something to eat. OK. I'll take it." Then on the way out the same guy asks again, can you spare any money. I said, "Dude I just gave you a dollar on the way in, remember." He says, "Yeah, but that's not enough for a meal, man. I'm hungry." So, I calmly say: "Well ask seven other people for a dollar and you will have your meal."

Ungrateful panhandlers are the worst. Apparently, beggars can be choosers.

 

I was only jerking your chain Dyno!

 

I guess I've becomce too cynical, if someone asks me for gas b/c they ran out I'll off to give them gas, if someone asks me for money for food, I'll give them a chesseburger, but will never give them money.

My favorite scam was when I was in college, and walking home from the bars at 2am or later, once had a guy tell me his car broke down and needed $12.78 to replace his alternator. I told him the alternator had just gone out in my car (it really had) and if he took me to his mechanic and could get both our alternators fixed from that price I'd give him what was leftover from the $50 I had to get it fixed... he left, I saw him the next week asking for money again... this time his "starter" was out, I told him his car was a lemon and he needed a new one.

 

I've been taken before, I'll admit it. That's why I don't give any money to anyone on the street.

 

I'm always amazed at how many people run out of gas and/or money, not on the side of the road, but in a highway rest area.

 

At my old shop, we didn't have a deadline during the week (we were a PM on a weird schedule) and I lived half an hour away, so I would get home as late as 3 some nights. One night, I had a guy come up to my window and talk about how he and his old lady had gotten in a fight and he needed gas money. The fun detail was his admission that he was "tripping really hard right now." I told him I didn't have any money on me (which was true).

Two weeks later, I was moving to a new place and was putting gas in the rental truck before I returned it. Same dude came up to me, same story. Guess he didn't recognize me.

 

If the woman didn't have a guy with her, I might be more likely to believe it, because I wouldn't want to get in some guy's car I didn't know even if I needed help. I imagine the guy in the car knew the woman would have a lot more luck getting cash than he would.

I once had a guy ask me for a few bucks for gas while I was pumping gas, saying something about not having enough money to get home. I told him I didn't have any cash and saw him go over to his car, which was a lot nicer than mine, and there was another guy in it waiting for him. Maybe they should have just stayed home.

 

Total scam.

If it weren't a scam, if she were genuinely out of gas and that were her main concern, she should have accepted the ride to the gas station.

Better yet: She should be a AAA member. If you run out of gas, they can come and put enough gas in your car to get it moving. I know first hand.