On Sunday night after the convention I was lucky enough to be able to participate in a live Vicious Circle session with Alan, Newbius, Wai, Weer'd, Jay, and Breda. One of the more serious topics discussed centered around general human social responses and how they relate to predatory acts like panhandling, door-to-door solicitation etc.
I mentioned that I tend to be a magnet for every single hobo or drunk looking for a handout. Breda said it's my "kind eyes" and to an extent I think that's true. I'm just not a scary looking guy.
On my trip back that night it happened again. Some lady at a rest stop in Virginia tried to sell me a sob story that was obviously bullshit. It had far too many parts to be believable. Her daughter was sick, alternator in her car was dead etc. etc. Naturally she needed money. As soon as she realized she'd be getting nothing from me she got in her car, started it up and went to the other side of the rest area to try her ploy on the next sucker.
4 comments:
Gah. I hate the new wave of 'affluent panhandlers'. People who have cars, are comparatively clean when judged against people who actually do have to live on the streets, and have these complex tails of how they just need 10 dollars to get to the next town, yet are 20+ years old, have a vehicle, reasonable clothing, and apparently NO credit cards.
Seriously people. Either find a meth dealer that takes plastic or just own your shittastic habit and say 'I need drug money'. Don't go tainting the pool for the rare instance when a decent human being might actually need help.
They all lie. I lie too. "Sorry, I don't carry cash."
Tit-for-tat!
Aw Mike,
Think outside the envelope a little. Maybe, just maybe, by talking to you it caused that street gentry member to be smiled upon by the Lord and he just "miracled" that alternator back into working.
Well, it COULD have happened that way......(grin)
I've found that these stories come in three parts:
1.The polite address, to get your attention
2.Telling the tale, to gain your sympathy
3.The addendum which could be interpreted as a subtle threat, like the panhandler gets daily treatment for PTSD which prevents him from losing control at odd moments.
stay safe
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