By: jcgirl92
9/05/2008
8:09 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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About a month ago, I met a girl called Krystal who was on her knees in the public toilet crying very loudly. I asked her what was wrong, and we talked for quite awhile about her sister who had just had an aneurysm, was in hospital, and had just had a child a few months ago. She had no money to get to the hospital and there was no money on her phone either, and she had tried selling her phone to many people who wouldn't believe her. She even talked about all the bad people out there who con people out of their money and how it makes it hard for honest people who are down on their luck.
I believed her, and I gave her $60, even though I was having a difficult week myself financially. She gave me her mobile number and address and said that she would meet me the next Tuesday to repay me. She even said that she wanted to keep in touch with me and that she wanted to take me to the movies.
Of course, I never saw her or the money.
Amazingly enough, when I smsed her a couple of days later, she said that her sister had died! I spoke to one of my students today who knew someone who spoke to this same exact girl yesterday - same exact story!
How big was her lie going to get? |
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By: jcgirl92
9/05/2008
8:20 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I just want to let people out there know about this girl, so that they don't fall for it as well. |
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By: schwangfucious
9/05/2008
8:22 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Very enterprising though |
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By: saos1n888
9/05/2008
8:22 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| jc dont let this effect you though. what you did nonetheless was an amazing thing. Imagine if this was true? in future though 5 is plenty :) |
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By: caesarooney
10/05/2008
2:20 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Many many years ago (about 94) we saw some kids begging in Sydney. They would have bene about 9 years old and it was about 9pm. We gave them a few dollars. I had never seen this before... children so young. About 2 hours later we walked past again and they were in the arcades just a few doors down!!! WE WERE HAD!!! |
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By: j.sharp47
10/05/2008
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| from '89 to '93 i ran a cafe in Glebe Point Rd, Glebe in Sydney. there was a teenage boy who would scrounge money "to get the bus home" from people in the street. i asked him one day how much he made on average.. between $50 & $80 a day plus he was on some sort of centrelink allowance of about $200 per fortnight.. do the math, in those days that added up to a decent amount.. |
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By: pinotnow
10/05/2008
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When people ask me for money, I say I can't help them with money but that there are plenty of charities that can help them with food and petrol vouchers etc if they need it.
Ever since someon asked me for change to "get a burger because they were hungry" and I saw them later at a bottle shop, I've resolved not to help anyone with money. Instead I give my money to the charities that help them because these charities are more qualified and capable to help them than I am. |
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By: weed612001
10/05/2008
5:47 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Hmmmm .. is it coincedence that everyone has a story about seeing these poeple later on spending the money on grog or somthing? Seems very unlikly everyone with an axe to grind would just "happen" to see thier money going down the drain. |
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By: why_why_huh
10/05/2008
5:53 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I saw a couple in the city asking shoppers for money to buy disposable nappies for their bub. They looked like junkies but i went to the chemist and came back with nappies. They looked real peed off when i handed them to the woman. |
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By: saos1n888
10/05/2008
8:36 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| LOL thats what people should do... give them something. I give the bum next to work my coffee sometimes and he gets so excited.. |
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By: rizzx33
10/05/2008
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| aawww thats so nice |
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By: oggster8606
10/05/2008
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| About 10 years ago, your average "blagger" at Town Hall station in Sydney would make between $200 and $300 in six hours using the "I need $2 for train fair to...." routine. |
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By: caesarooney
10/05/2008
11:46 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Hmmmm .. is it coincedence that everyone has a story about seeing these poeple later on spending the money on grog or somthing? Seems very unlikly everyone with an axe to grind would just "happen" to see thier money going down the drain.
___________________
Hmmmm.... it seems odd that you find it unbelieveable that these people arn't using the money for what they say they will!! I absolutely swear on my life that what I said was the 100% truth. The little sh its!!! |
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By: caesarooney
10/05/2008
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I used to live in the UK and there use to be a busker out on the street everyday. The town (Canterbury) was quite touristy and so he had a great catchment spot.
He use to make out he was retarded and played the harmonica and waved his hands in the air like he was an insane person. Also, he sang like he was mentally challanged as well and wore a stupid hat.
But the locals had him figured out, and anyone that caught a glimpse of him talking to his mates, or saw him at night knew that he was perfectly normal and sane. I heard a rumor he was pulling in 300 pound a day. (Around $750) |
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By: oggster8606
11/05/2008
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You can ignore them like most people do, but I fear that making the assumption that they're scamming you won't be viewed very favourably by the Karma gods.
Instead of offering cash, offer them some kind of practical assistence - to buy them food, buy them a ticket, offer them a lift to wherever.
You'll soon find out if they're on the level. |
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By: tanyamae2000
11/05/2008
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| The problem seems to be that the ones with the real problems are not the ones in the street but the ones who struggle silently unless another person brings them to our attention. |
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By: weed612001
11/05/2008
4:36 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Hi caesar. Its not that i dont believe you its that i dont believe the 6.00000000000000 million poeple i know who have begger storys!! And they always manage to see them later on buying grog or cigaretts or drugs, Whatever!! I dont believe at least half of them!! |
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By: szuregotjeanz
11/05/2008
4:53 am Yahoo! Profile:
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There are scammers in EVERY walk of life.
The ones in the street are just the most obvious ones? |
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By: leeethal2
11/05/2008
7:45 am Yahoo! Profile:
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Oggs is right.. I never hand over money, make arrangements to get them to a shelter, and buy them food. :)
I buy light good food(fruit etc) too for alchies they don't seem to handle heavy food too well. |
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By: blue_bug_18
11/05/2008
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| There are always people hanging about Flinders Street station or the tram stops in Melbourne city asking for a few dollars for a met ticket. Interesting thing is they're always dressed better than I am! $200 Nike shoes, Calvin Klein Jeans, Mossimo puffer jackets, the list of pricey brand names goes on and on. Now why would I give my hard-earned rent money to someone for a met ticket when they can obviously afford to shop at the more luxurious stores in Melbourne? If you want to beg, at least dress appropriately to suck your audience in. |
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By: oggster8606
11/05/2008
1:24 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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"He use to make out he was retarded"
And what is wrong with that? He's an entertainer!
Adam Sandler built a Hollywood career using exactly the same angle. |
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By: why_why_huh
11/05/2008
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| personally i just throw a gold coin into the hat or as in the case of the window washers who hang around the traffic lights, just pop them a coin. I dont really care what they use it for. a few bucks out of my life isnt going to break the bank |
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By: wearetwofatfarmers
12/05/2008
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| I saw a bloke busking in smith st mall in Darwin years ago when we lived there and he was playing the guitar,,i asked how much he made a day as he was a good player and singer he reckons "mate as soon as theres enough in tere for a cask of wine im off.",,i went and bought 2 casks for about $10 and put them in the guitar case,,he was so happy,,oh i also got him a packet of smokes and a pie... we used to end up talking for a few minutes each day i saw him after that,,god knows how many casks i ended up buying him over the year or so he hung around the mall,,he was a great bloke,,was homeless but didnt want a place to stay just liked sleeping down the beach etc,,i understood as i was the same just a while before that,,, |
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By: lindatheundercoveragent
12/05/2008
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I saw a couple in the city asking shoppers for money to buy disposable nappies for their bub. They looked like junkies but i went to the chemist and came back with nappies. They looked real peed off when i handed them to the woman.
lol i have a similar story when my cousin was out one day in the city and he had just brought a meat pie. This woman came upto him begging for money because she needed to buy food for her kids. So he decided to give her his meat pie and she blatantly refused it and said she needed money |
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By: rrianaflo
12/05/2008
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| Been to the streets of India lately, or indeed any other country where poverty is rife? Here you will find that begging is a real profession. Seems Australia has finally caught on, alas. |
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