Who has been approached at a gas station with someone begging for money?

[mojo84]

Common practice, usually have a sad story to go with it trying to get home to dying mother, kids sick needing to get to doctor, etc.. Guy at a 7-11 in Arlington approached me, told him I had no cash, but offered to buy him $10.00 worth of gas. He said he would rather have the cash. So I don't bother with them anymore.

I've had beggars hit me up on quite a few occasions with some sob story. Every time they start with their story, I can't help but think of Clinger in MASH. He always had some sob story of why he needed to travel back to the states and get out of the army.

[mojo84]

I've never been approached in Texas but in Commiefornia it happened a lot. I would never give money but if they said they were hungry I'd offer to feed them. It's nice to have a captive audience while offering them the plan of salvation!

A few years ago my wife bought McDonalds for a guy (against my wishes) that was on the street corner with a sign that read "Hungry please help" After she gave it to him I got her to stop across the street and watch... after a few minutes he tossed it in the trash can there in the medium. Needless to say she doesn't do that anymore.

He was holding out for Whataburger.

[MechAg94]

I was stupid and gave a few bucks to a guy asking for gas money. He happened to name a town he was heading to that I knew. I then drove off in the opposite direction. Lesson learned. There are so many charities to help homeless people that the only people you are likely to see who can't get help don't want it.

Lately, I have seen a few younger guys with signs claiming to be veterans.

[VMI77]

Two women asked me for gas awhile back. I don't normally give money to beggars but they seemed OK and had a plausible story and a gas can that I filled for them. Was I scammed? Don't know.

The last time I gave anyone any money was a few years prior when a woman on crutches and missing a leg asked me for money to buy food as I was leaving a Panda Express in Austin. I gave her some money and she went straight into the adjacent Wendy's, where I assume she got something to eat. I admit that seeing a female amputee troubled me more than seeing a male amputee.

OTOH, my son, exiting, Chinese restaurant in Chicago, was approached by an overweight woman saying she was hungry. He offered to take her inside and buy her a meal but she said she didn't want Chinese food.....that sort of put the last nail in the coffin of his incipient college liberalism.

[berettadave]

The beggars like to hang out around Scott and White hospital in Temple too. I have seen them there on more than one occasion trying to play on peoples sympathy. One of them told me he needed cab fare to get to Salado because a belt broke on his truck. He then asked which way to Salado. lol. I just drove off and left him there.

Dave

[Vol Texan]

The beggar isn't the only thing to worry about. You also need to remember their only job may be to distract you from the other person stealing from within your car while you're busy fending off the request for money.

[Bitter Clinger]

Common practice, usually have a sad story to go with it trying to get home to dying mother, kids sick needing to get to doctor, etc.. Guy at a 7-11 in Arlington approached me, told him I had no cash, but offered to buy him $10.00 worth of gas. He said he would rather have the cash. So I don't bother with them anymore.

I heard an extremely similar story from a guy who approached me at a Sunoco station in S. Plano a few years ago - he was a heavy set guy in a small 4 door sedan. I handed him cash over the roof of my car, keeping the car between us. He took the cash and bolted instead of buying gas.

[der Teufel]

I was approached a few years ago in a Home Depot parking lot by a decently attired middle-aged woman who had a sad story about running out of gas. Supposedly her car was several miles away, her mother was injured and needed transportation for medical help, etc. I told her I'd be willing to drive her back to her car, stopping along the way to pick up a gas can and fill it for her.

She wasn't interested in that.

[baldeagle]

The beggar isn't the only thing to worry about. You also need to remember their only job may be to distract you from the other person stealing from within your car while you're busy fending off the request for money.

Sliders are the reason I always lock my car as soon as I get out to pump gas.

[Tracker]

I was hit up during lunch in restaurant parking lot by someone who claimed to be a trucker from Oklahoma. I don't recall his exact story but he showed me his ID. I told him to go to the bank and have money wired to him from his bank. The next day I went into Hibbett Sports and there he was giving the employees the same story.

Another time, I was supposed to meet my wife at a restaurant. She was late and when she finally showed up she said some women approached her asking for money to feed her kids. My wife walker her over to Whataburger and bought her burgers. I told my wife she was just giving you a canned story that she's rehearsed. When we finished eating and I was walking to my pickup this same woman came up to me begging.....boy did my wife come over and let into this woman.

U-Haul trucks. I think they are a magnet for beggars. Odds are you're an out of town. First off U-Haul has this stupid policy where you bring the truck back with the gas gauge at the level it was when you picked it up. Both times I rent a truck I got hit up for money. The first time I was bringing my daughter's furniture back from Texas A&M. This guy was coming from begging an RV owner. I gave him a stern look, shook my head no, and he said "thank you" and left. No big deal. The second time, however, (and this relates to U-Haul's stupid policy) was when I took my daughter's stuff to Lubbock. After we unloaded it I told my son "Let's take this truck back. I need to stop and put gas in it." I'm following him in his pickup and he jackrabbits ahead to the U-Haul rental place. So I stopped to fill it and even though I'm watching I'm also crawling up into the cab to watch the gas gauge. I stepped down and there's this dude speaking broken English right on my butt, not three feet away, sticking his hand out for me to shake it. He must have been watching for the moment to catch me off guard. He had this purple purse hanging from his neck big enough to hold a pocket pistol, 'bout the same size and shape as a cellphone holster. I put my hands up and said "I ain't giving you any money." Then I noticed he had come from a shinny new red pickup parked with 3 others sitting in it. It made me wondering if they had followed me to the station and parked there. I gave my son a lecture on sticking together.

Similarly, I know a woman, who has her CHL. She had left Wal-Mart and walked to her new F-350 pickup. She put her bags in the truck, stepped down and turned around to find this guy right on her butt. His story? He wanted to know if he could take her pickup to the car wash and clean for a few dollars more while she went shopping inside. She thought he had intended to steal her purse when her back was turned.

[Tracker]

The beggar isn't the only thing to worry about. You also need to remember their only job may be to distract you from the other person stealing from within your car while you're busy fending off the request for money.

And what makes it easy for them to pull this are new autos that automatically unlock all doors when the drive gets out to pump gas.

[Tracker]

The beggar isn't the only thing to worry about. You also need to remember their only job may be to distract you from the other person stealing from within your car while you're busy fending off the request for money.

And what makes it easy for them to pull this are new autos that automatically unlock all doors when the drive gets out to pump gas.

[Tracker]

I was approached a few years ago in a Home Depot parking lot by a decently attired middle-aged woman who had a sad story about running out of gas. Supposedly her car was several miles away, her mother was injured and needed transportation for medical help, etc. I told her I'd be willing to drive her back to her car, stopping along the way to pick up a gas can and fill it for her.

She wasn't interested in that.

A local football coach stopped to fill up a school bus at an out-of-town game. He was approached for gas money. The coach told the beggar he'd fill his car but wouldn't give him money. The guy got mad, said "Well ____", got in his car and drove off.

[TxRVer]

The beggar isn't the only thing to worry about. You also need to remember their only job may be to distract you from the other person stealing from within your car while you're busy fending off the request for money.

Sliders are the reason I always lock my car as soon as I get out to pump gas.

I make sure my wife's car has gas in it, so she can avoid gas stations.

[tiger1279]

This used to be a real problem at the Kroger where I shop. Beggars were stopping people coming in and out of the doors. I complained to the manager and apparently they listened because it's not such a problem now. Open carry does have a positive aspect here. I only conceal carry, but the last time I was approached while pumping gas I just pulled back my shirt revealing my weapon. The guy backed off. I like being able to show the weapon at times and not have to worry about breaking the law.