An age old scam is back

I saw this in Eloy, AZ at the Flying J a few days ago. I was sitting on my bunk working on my computer when some guy knocked on my door. I rolled down my window to see what he wanted when he starts aggressively pitching something about "what all the other truckers are doing" (I always have my CB turned off in truck stops ... usually too much idiocy and ignorance for my tastes) and pointing over to an empty space behind a truck in the row in front of me. There was about 10-12 people all standing around and something was going on that looked like a card game. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, nor was I interested in it, so go away. He was still being very aggressive about it and then he says, "when in America, act like an American" like it's some patriotic duty to "be involved". At that point I offered to call the ambulance that he was going to need, so he left.

I watched the proceedings for a little while. There were a few people who returned repeatedly (the guy who knocked on my door being one of them), and few new faces rotating through. After a while everyone disappeared. Later I saw a couple that had been in the group walking through the parking lot obviously looking for someone. A while after that I was coming out of the store when that same couple was talking to the police.

Folks, it's really simple, these "games" have one purpose: To. Take. Your. Money. I also include legalized gambling in this (look, if you really enjoy the whole "Vegas experience", then good for you ... just don't expect to get rich. There's a reason people like Wynn and Trump have casinos). As far as these parking lot scams go, ask yourself if you really think some complete stranger is going to be offering up some scheme whereby you are going to take his money.

You also need to be aware that these people work in groups. So when you see some other "trucker" winning ... they are partners.





Oh yeah, if being an "American" means loosing my mind and giving some stranger my hard-earned cash? I'll pass, thanks.

 

Somebody musta told this guy that .

 

It is definitely going to get worse before it gets better. Even " the one" said that in a press conference the other day. GOD help us all.

 

I used to give them money, but now I don't. I watch a guy every weekend park his car down the road, and walk to the end of the highway. He holds a sign asking for money. Years ago I had given him some money, but now that I now it is his racket to do this every weekend.....it just ticks me off.....

 

Firstly, economy is not to blame. I've been broke and I've NEVER resorted to begging.

I've had the dumbest stories ever. My fave, we were parking at a TA and backing into what was the last open spot in the lot. As we were backing in this 4wheeler pulls BEHIND US and parks in the spot. Again WE WERE BACKING INTO IT! And he squeezes between us and gets back tere, then this idiot comes up to the truck and starts a sob story about needing money for gas.

I said, "lady if you don't move your car you are going to not need to worry about gas."

 

?

I wonder what kind of a "game" this was. That sounds very strange. I may have gone over just out of curiosity to see what was going on.

 

My first trainer got hit with that card scam. We get to a rest area somewhere in Kentucky, and we hop out for a whiz. Anyways on the way to the building, this dude is standing there with a huge crowd around him and he's doing the three card thing. The thing that stuck out was the queen was bent and slightly torn so it was a no brainer to pick it out.

This guy's story was that he was a trucker who had won the lottery and he wanted to give back to his fellow truckers. He said that he would match any amount of money shown for one chance at the queen. So three guys and my trainer included asked if the guy would follow them to an ATM so they could withdraw some money to which the guy said "yes."

On the way to the ATM, my trainer was going on and on about how he was going to withdraw $800 and double his money and yadda yadda yadda. I told him that something about this didn't feel right. (I really had never heard of this scam or any of them before.)

Well we get there, he pulls out $800, lays it down, flips over the bent and torn card like we watched a bunch of other guys do and sure enough it's not the queen. The dude grabs the money and hauls ###.

Now I do and did feel kinda bad for my trainer, but he was a dick and set me up for failure so I guess it evens out in the long run. But that little incident taught me early on to not believe one word any joker out there says. Hungry? Broke down? Kid in the hospital? Wounded vet? I don't care. Screw you, your mother, and your 2nd cousin's dog.

 

Hey man leave the dog out of it

 

My mother, a few years ago, heard a knock on the front door. Someone from the other side of Queenstown, Maryland was there asking for money. My mother basically said, "Why is this my problem"? The person got irate and said that basically, "You live in a nice house, live in a good neighborhood and can afford to give me money".

So my mother gave her twenty dollars and said that if she came back she would refer her to Queen Anne's County Social Services and if she came back a third time, to the Sheriffs Department.

 

I let myself get burned by one of these yahoos a few years ago when I first started driving. I was at the Petro near Ocala, FL fueling up when an old guy came up to me with a sob story that he was running team with another guy working for a moving company and the other driver ditched him at the truck stop, and he needed $20 for bus fare back to Tampa. He was very convincing, showed me his ID that said he was actually from Tampa. Well, me being young and dumb, I gave him half the money he asked for and was on my way. A couple of days later, I stopped back at the same Petro on my way out of Florida to fuel up again. As you would expect, I saw the same guy walking around the fuel island hitting up other drivers for money so I approached him and told him that he owed me $20. $10 for the money I gave him, and another $10 for screwing me over. It took him a few seconds to recognize me, but when he did he took off running. I didn't bother with a chase, cutting my losses, I just figure that is the last time i'll be giving out handouts to these bums.