Something smells funny in Mississippi

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:47 pm

Twice in maybe the last three months, when I was driving through Mississippi on I-20, and stopped for gas, well dressed black people approached me and gave a long story about needing money for gas to visit a sick relative at the UAB (Univ of Alabama) Hospital.
Both times were on a sunday. Both times the people could have been dressed for church. (suits, dresses, etc.) Both times, an extended family approached, (Mom, and 3-4 kids, ranging from 8 to teens, or today, 'Grandma' with an awful cute 5-6 year old')

Both incidents happened near Meridian, MS. Maybe UAB is the default 'big' hospital to take people to from this area?
Just seems a bit strange.

Both happened at large convenience store truck stop type places with high traffic.

Not to appear racist, I was also approached by a white man, near Jackson,looking to be maybe late 30's, who, while seated in his newish 4 door japanese sedan, drove up to me, flashed some sort of ID, and claimed to be a USM student, trying to get home, but was short on gas money. I declined, he drove off to circle the large parking lot, and drive up to anyone he saw. This is not exactly the behavior you'd expect from somebody virtually out of gas.

I talked to a trucker who saw the man approach me, and he told me the man had been there the previous night, off and on....making the rounds while seated in his car...same story......

Something isn't right......

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:39 pm

I've seen that one run before in numerous places. It's not confined to just that area or one particular race.

I called their bluff on it once or twice before by offering to put the gas in the tank for them instead of just handing over cash.

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:54 pm

Near where I used to work was a public payphone, often with a girl hanging around asking passersby for 10p to make a phone call. Not a huge sum, but I expect it mounted up.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:29 pm

Those people are begging for cash for meth or crack, or whatever they are hooked on. Take it from a friend of a long-haul truckdriver.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 62

Sounds like the new David Lynch flick Wink

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:31 am

Slap, long haul truckers don't have friends. They just have a cab full of stuffed animals they talk to at night.
Take it from the friend of some stuffed animals.

Yeah, I know this probably happens anywhere. I've seen it at times all over the US. The 'dressed up for church' family approach, particularily twice within about a 20 mile radius, set off some alarms. I was wondering if this was some local family or group doing this? I googled but nothing came up.

As far as girls and payphones, back toward the long awaited end of the disco era, I was outside a large disco in a medium sized town.
(Not a customer, but on the street for business reasons)
This disco later became a large club, known for 'airband' contests...and the clientele remained the same. Should explain a lot.
This was before cellphones, back when there were actually lots of payphones to be found. An overly made up bimbette came out of the front door, walked up to a nearby payphone, and fished for some change she couldn't find. She walked up to me.
'Give me a quarter' she demanded, little foot tapping the sidewalk impatiently.

I looked at her. I have never been the type to give anything to strangers, particularily using that tone.

'Why should I give you a quarter?' I asked.

'Because I'm CUTE!' Blue eyeshadowed, Stevie Nicks/madonna wannebe bimbette responded, with a look on her face like 'Duh'.

I thought about it for a minute. Got some change out of my pocket, and handed her a nickel.

'You're not that cute....'

She was pissed. She launched the coin out into the street, and stomped over to where the doorman was basking in his self-importance and perceived glamour.

I see her angrily talking to him, pointing to me. He shrugs, gives her a quarter. (she would probably look OK at closing time...)

Another time, a fully capable looking, young panhandler, (probably drug addict) hit me up for money, and I politely told him 'I am broke' and walked away. As I did so, he somehow got his synapses to cooperate and actually landed a good wallop on my back.' 'You liar!'
I was in a real bad mood that day, and put him on his arse in about half a second.

I didn't even have a chance to hit him a second time, when some old lady across the street yells out 'Leave that man alone, you big bully! I'm calling the police!' Very Happy

I don't hand out money to strangers......

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:21 am

One time some friends and I were walking down a street in Boston. We were approached by a rather disheveled looking man asking for money for lunch. As we were right outside a burger place, we escorted him inside, and the man in our group sat him in a booth and then sat beside him so our "guest" couldn't get out. Our man's wife, who was a nurse, went to the counter and ordered the healthiest food she could find on the menu (not terribly healthy, but she did get milk instead of a soda.)

The man protested loud and long, and he didn't want to eat the meal that was placed in front of him, but with three women and a man all watching over him, he grudgingly ate the burger, onion rings, and milk, complaining that the items were not what he would have ordered for himself. When he was through, we all got up, and he threw some choice words at us and stormed back outside.

We knew he didn't really want lunch, but we did give him what he SAID he wanted. Very Happy

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 3123

Shame you had to spend your hard earned cash on a waster.

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:01 pm

The gas scam is usually run around here on the holidays. The first time it happened to me I offered to phone the police for them. They protested but I said "no, no, the police will get an agency to help you". Again, they protested but I phoned the police anyway. By the time the police arrived the couple had disappeared in a car that didn't have any gas in it. LOL I told the police what had happened and gave them the make of the car and the license plate numbers. The officer thanked me for the information and went on his way.

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