The more things change
So yeah. It seems there’s an old type of scammer/beggar being reintroduced into the wild. The “desperately need gas money to get home” girl.
First I was at Wal-Mart, and a lady materializes behind me to give me some sob story about how she’s out of gas, has a screw in her tire, and her sister won’t get off work for like six hours. Caught flat footed I just sort of stared at her for a minute, then the ruthless machine of the mind took over, processing how likely it is someone would drive to a store, apparently to buy nothing judging from the total lack of bags, when the gauge is on vapor. I felt kind of bad for her, but the overall evidence lead me to the ol’ negatory response and I went my way. As I got in my car I saw that somebody apparently bought her act because they were going inside, presumably for cash, and she was following them with this look on her face that’s tough to convey.
She was looking down, and had this grin, this entire face expression really, that just screamed “Hah, got you chumps”. It was unsettling. The next day I was thinking I may have been wrong, people are often pretty stupid, maybe driving to the store is a religious ritual or whatever. I stopped by Fred Meyer’s to deposit a check, and there she was. Same clothes, with what I can only call a meth-hulk in tow, spinning me some story about how her car broke down and they need a ride to the MAX station.
So yeah, good times.
That was a few days ago. Today I stopped at the same place to deposit some more checks, and lo’, an all different girl is begging people for “gas” money.
Sigh.