Shocked, I say - SHOCKED!
I lived in NYC for a couple of years. The number of scammers is mind-numbing. My favorite is the “belt scam.” It goes like this...
You come out of the subway station. A confused man in a suit comes up to you and asks what street he is on. He explains that he got off at the wrong subway stop and that he has an interview in 20 minutes uptown. UNFORTUNATELY, he has left his wallet at home and now doesn’t have the requisite fare to get uptown for the job interview. He’s out of work and desperately needs the job.
“Tell you what - I’ll sell you my belt for $2! It’s really nice, worth way more than $2. That will get me subway fare!”
At this point, most suckers just feel sorry for the desperate guy and give him the $2. He disappears down the subway stairs and you gone on your way thinking you may have helped someone get a job.
If you agree to buy the belt, he’ll start to take it off, but then balk, claiming he’ll look ridiculous in the interview without a belt. He then says he’s just going to try running, but thanks anyway. (He’s hoping that you’ll have the money out already and will just hand it to him.) He’ll then run off.
BUT...
Come back two hours later. The same guy will be there scamming different people for $2 dollars. Again and again. The total dialogue only takes about 2 minutes, so - if he’s good - he can do this 30 times an hour. Most of the time, he’s successful because people want to help the nicely dressed, out-of-work businessman who is just desperate to get to his job interview.
I’m now officially jaded to ALL types of beggars. NYC taught me that.
He wasn’t a beggar, he was a Con Man. Chances are good that there was also a pickpocket working the crowd. What if instead of asking you for $2, he asked you for $50 billion to stimulate the economy? It’s just a bigger con.
Amazing story. Wouldn’t you think such a fellow would have it together enough to hold down a job?
I got taken several years ago in front of the grocery store where I would do my weekly shopping. As I was on my way in, there was a guy talking on the pay phone that was on the outside wall of the place. In a very animated fashion he was telling the person at the other end about his predicament.
As I approached he share his problem with me. He was out of gas and wanted to know if I could spare a dollar. Normally, I just tell such people “no”, but it was Christmas time and it was cold outside. I had my doubts, but I gave him $5.
Sure enough, when I came out of the store, about one hour later, there he was pretending to be on the phone still, and, not even remembering the woman who gave him a fiver, asked me again for money.
My guess is that he wanted the money for drugs.