saw a stranded biker
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 624
Likes: 1
From: South of the tunnel Lancaster Co. PA.
OP you did good, what comes around goes around.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 12
From: Haymarket, VA
In my years, I have learned you cannot judge by a person's appearance whether they are really destitute & down on their luck, ask me how I know. This senario appears to be legit IMO & I would also have helped him. If this was a con, it is problem & he is the one who will have to live with it. It's all about in your mind you are doing the right thing...
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,053
Likes: 5
From: Southern IL
i can get free tattoos all day long....there is always a guy at parties giving them for free to gain experience.OP didn't say the dude had GOOD tattoo's lol
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,210
Likes: 1
From: LI, NY
I live in the suburbs and panhandling is rare.
I have known of stories of people scaming for money. It's said the best way to prove a fake is when they claim they are hungry offer to buy them a meal instead of giving them cash. The addicts and drunks will walk away.
About twenty five years ago I pull into my regular gas station to fill up. A middle age beer gut guy in a tacky polyester dress shirt with top three buttons undone with a gold chain was going from pump island to island asking for money to buy gas. He said he was embarrased to admit he left his house without money and now won't make it back home. He seemed slimmy. I didn't believe him but tossed him two quarters (gas was 50 c a gallon) just to get him to move on.
As I was done and returning the nozzle to the pump this guy goes walking by me with the bigest strut and smirk he could muster and get into a nice late model car with a six pack and drive off without buying any gas.
About 10 years ago I was in the gas station across the street from the earlier one. I was out of work and had been for a while. This woman, middle aged had a mid sized car about the size of a 1985 Buick Regal a few Islands over I saw her beening nervous as she approached several people. She came over to me saying she had a long ways to go and was out of money. She was dressed plain, acted reserved yet embarrased. I had about two dollars in change in my pocket (mad money holding out on the wife) reached in while pumping my gas me and gave it to her. I told her that was all I could do because I have been out of work for a while. She thanked me, went in to the cashier to buy whatever gas she could.
I went into the mini mart and got $2 change back. When I came out I saw her by her car at the pump and it looked like she was living out of her car full time. So I approached her and said if this helps you can have my change. This woman's response to what I did was total surprise and her thanks made me feel that she wasn't scaming anyone.
I know I didn't give that woman much money but I left that station with my pockets empty. Left there feeling good because this time I helped someone in trouble.
All we can do is help in the way we can. Do our best to judge well enough to avoid the scammers.
I have known of stories of people scaming for money. It's said the best way to prove a fake is when they claim they are hungry offer to buy them a meal instead of giving them cash. The addicts and drunks will walk away.
About twenty five years ago I pull into my regular gas station to fill up. A middle age beer gut guy in a tacky polyester dress shirt with top three buttons undone with a gold chain was going from pump island to island asking for money to buy gas. He said he was embarrased to admit he left his house without money and now won't make it back home. He seemed slimmy. I didn't believe him but tossed him two quarters (gas was 50 c a gallon) just to get him to move on.
As I was done and returning the nozzle to the pump this guy goes walking by me with the bigest strut and smirk he could muster and get into a nice late model car with a six pack and drive off without buying any gas.
About 10 years ago I was in the gas station across the street from the earlier one. I was out of work and had been for a while. This woman, middle aged had a mid sized car about the size of a 1985 Buick Regal a few Islands over I saw her beening nervous as she approached several people. She came over to me saying she had a long ways to go and was out of money. She was dressed plain, acted reserved yet embarrased. I had about two dollars in change in my pocket (mad money holding out on the wife) reached in while pumping my gas me and gave it to her. I told her that was all I could do because I have been out of work for a while. She thanked me, went in to the cashier to buy whatever gas she could.
I went into the mini mart and got $2 change back. When I came out I saw her by her car at the pump and it looked like she was living out of her car full time. So I approached her and said if this helps you can have my change. This woman's response to what I did was total surprise and her thanks made me feel that she wasn't scaming anyone.
I know I didn't give that woman much money but I left that station with my pockets empty. Left there feeling good because this time I helped someone in trouble.
All we can do is help in the way we can. Do our best to judge well enough to avoid the scammers.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 821
Likes: 0
From: Evangeline Parish Louisiana
I don't mind helping people at all but would not give cash. I've seen too many scams from people. But if you had that deep down feeling that his situation was honest, you did the right thing.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 544
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
I remember when I was a kid a guy telling my Grandma outside a bank that he had just gotten to town and he didn't start work until Monday (it was Saturday) and he needed money to feed his wife and little boy. My Grandma gave him $50. We got into the car and I asked her if she thought he really needed it or did she just buy him booze or worse. She said it didn't matter, she gave it out of kindness and hopefully he'd do the right thing. Wasn't more than an hour later we went to the grocery store before heading back to the farm and guess who we saw, yep, the guy, his wife and their little boy buying grocery's. He waved across the store to us and his wife smiled and mouthed "thank you".
I've never forgotten that, and to this day I give down and out people what I can and I don't worry what they do with it. I do it because it makes me feel better. You did a good thing OP, whether or not it was a scam.
I've never forgotten that, and to this day I give down and out people what I can and I don't worry what they do with it. I do it because it makes me feel better. You did a good thing OP, whether or not it was a scam.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,391
Likes: 2
I remember when I was a kid a guy telling my Grandma outside a bank that he had just gotten to town and he didn't start work until Monday (it was Saturday) and he needed money to feed his wife and little boy. My Grandma gave him $50. We got into the car and I asked her if she thought he really needed it or did she just buy him booze or worse. She said it didn't matter, she gave it out of kindness and hopefully he'd do the right thing. Wasn't more than an hour later we went to the grocery store before heading back to the farm and guess who we saw, yep, the guy, his wife and their little boy buying grocery's. He waved across the store to us and his wife smiled and mouthed "thank you".
I've never forgotten that, and to this day I give down and out people what I can and I don't worry what they do with it. I do it because it makes me feel better. You did a good thing OP, whether or not it was a scam.
I've never forgotten that, and to this day I give down and out people what I can and I don't worry what they do with it. I do it because it makes me feel better. You did a good thing OP, whether or not it was a scam.
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 33
From: Acworth
I've been scammed 2 times or could be said as, just lied to. It had nothing to do with bikers, just reg folk. Anyway, it makes you leary. But,
I try to help if I can cause I have been helped in the past
I try to help if I can cause I have been helped in the past
Novice
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Good job OP. Regardless of whether it was a scam or not, you feel better about it, and very well may have saved his day. Sounds like you did the right thing to me. I understand that a lot of people are just scamming, makes it hard on those who are truly in need, we just have to try and help the ones we feel really need it, knowing that at some time we are gonna get taken. I think I could sleep better knowing I helped someone who really needed it, than if I thought I could have helped someone in need and didn't. Anyway, hope it all comes back tenfold.