I have also come across one suspicious panhandler and another definite scam:
1) A white woman on the northside of San Antonio has perfected the saddest expression I have ever seen. She's begged for money for about 4 years in one area. One day I was driving to lunch and sitting at a stoplight by a Whataburger (burger chain in South Texas). I see her come out of the side exit of the Whataburger laughing and talking loudly with someone on the inside. The moment the door shut the sad expression was turned on like a lightswitch and she hit the corner. Shortly thereafter I didn't see her anymore, but just last week I saw her again.....heavier, different hair color, same sad expression. Hmmmm?
2) A white man in his late 50s. Saw him for a few weeks at the same gas station I usually go to for fill-ups. He'd travel pump to pump and give each person the exact same rehearsed speech about needing money for gas to get to his family....that he was stuck where he was. At 7AM one morning I gave him a few bucks I had. That night at about 7PM I was way across town and needed to fill up with gas so I pulled into a station I knew on that side of town. What do you know? There he was going pump to pump delivering his rehearsed speech LOL. A year later I saw him at a different station in another part of town doing the same thing LOL.
Ok, so here I have one potential scam and one definite scam. Should I not give to anyone else because "hey, it could be a scam"? LOL, no. I typically give every bit of cash I have away. I'll go to ATMs for folks as well if I'm able. I love being able to give to folks....even if it's just a few bucks. Yes, there are definite scam artists out there, but there are far, far, far more homeless, helpless, needy, hurting folks. In the end if I give a scammer a few bucks so what? It was a few bucks.
It's always about my intentions and their need. I give to others because they need it more than I do and hopefully I can help meet their need for that day....if I get scammed a time or two so be it.
