First time I ever got the gas station beggar:
I’m near Disneyland filling up and a guy comes up and says he drove his family here for vacation in their old truck and the rear end went out. They have no money to fix it and if I could just give him $25 it would really help (this was early 80’s).
I was young and believed him. I also had Washington plates. I too had driven my car there.
I also thought that if he was not prepared to fix something like that he never should have drove out and actions have consequences, so I declined to help. Naturally, as I drove away it hit me that it was a scam. It’s happened several times since then...
One of my “regular” beggars is a guy that comes in every so often - with the same story every time. He says his grandmother just died and he needs money for gas to go out of town for her funeral. One time I said - you told me the same thing last time you asked for money - he said, “Oh” and walked out. One of Obama’s people.
One of my favorites, and one that I have had pulled on me several times, is the guy comes up to you and says that he has a job that he is to start on monday(or whatever day of the week)and he just needs a few bucks to tide him over. I always ask them what the job is and what it entails and how much it pays. They can never answer the questions. Needless to say I don't give them any money.