Con Artists

[cynthia Hunter]

As a truck driver I see all kinds of things and the one thing gets me PO'd. People who make a living by taking advantage of those who care for their fellow man.
I see these people all the time on the conners where truck stops ( trucker are some of the most caring people you'll come across) holding up signs stranded need gas- stranded hungry. Most of these people make a living do this. Example in Ca there is the same people with a gas can standing in front of their cars (van lately) stating that they need money to buy fuel. In Ok a women goes from truck asking for money cause she ran out of gas and is trying to get home and her three kids are sitting in the heat. Of course everyonr she asks gives her money, the next time we are at the truck stop there she is again with the same story.
I believe in helping people and we try to but we have become very careful who we help. That is why I'd rather give to a food bank,soup kitchen womens shelter.
Just be careful on who you give to if you feel compeled to help someone dont give them money buy them a meal.
Just be cautious.

[cynthia Hunter]

There is supposed to be a guy in CA that begs for a living and lives in a mansion! Maybe we are all in the wrong line of work?

[stillgoing]

I'm with you Cynthia. Give money to an organization rather than individuals. I recall a number of years ago a woman was using the grocery store parking lot as her base of operations. She was out there every weekend begging for gas money for her supposed car which had just run out of gas. I started asking her what color her car was one week, it was either white or black.
There was a story in the local paper a couple of years back about someone who parked his brand new tricked out Jeep in a mall parking lot. He then walked over to the freeway off ramp with his sign to beg for cash.

[SuzanneF]

I hear ya. Where I live up until about a week or so ago there was this "group" of individuals doing the same thing fro about 6 months. But I never gave AND I guess someone finally complained because I haven't seen them for a week or 2. One had a sign 3 kids all shelters filled up. Another's sign was carpenter out of work, 3 kids. Funny, thank God and I truly mean this, but hubby and I have 3 kids and we both work 2 jobs each, so ummmmm....yeah.