This happened to me, only the story was that the guys house was on fire (“didn’t you hear the firetrucks?!”), and he wanted to do something like go to work to get the money from his boss (at 12 o’clock at night) in order to… do something else. The way he told it really freaked me out, a panicked screaming tone the entire time, without ever really looking me in the eye, just totally cracked out of his head.
And he wanted $5 dollars. Sad, really.
There are a lot of homeless people around here who beg for money for food. I’ve offered actual food to about a dozen of them and all but 2 turned it down. Luckily they haven’t started coming to my door or anything because that would freak me out a bit.
This is why Our Hero should have said that he never keeps money in the house. This says “Not only do I not have money to give to you right now, I will never have money for you” to a potential burglar. And these days, with debit and credit cards, it could very well be true.
Heh. I bet he was furious. You left him no way to refuse and demand cash instead.
A few years back, it seemed that there was someone on every street corner with a handmade carboard sign that said “Will work for food”, sometimes it would say “Viet Nam Vet”, sometimes not. However, if they were approached with an offer of work, with a large lunch and cash money for pay, they always refused. I believe that my city eventually outlawed begging on street corners, not only because it’s usually a scam, but because it’s a traffic hazard. If someone offers these people some money, the beggars have to come into traffic, sometimes crossing several lanes, which is a hazard to the beggar and to every car. It’s also a problem when the light changes, but the softhearted (and softheaded) donor and the beggar haven’t completed their transaction.
Scam. Also, I always open the door when people ring. 10.30 isn’t that late.
I saw one fellow, his sign said “Will work for less food.” 
A couple of months ago, a young girl, 9 or 10 years old rang the bell, and standing behind her was a 30-35 year old woman. This woman was a walking advertisement for the "Just Say No’ campaign; missing teeth, sores on skin, couldnt stand still----it was heartwrenching listening to the little girl explain that they had a note from thier doctor that stated any money collected was for the girls medicine…
I was tempted to call police, as the girl was skinny and did not look well cared for, and to be used to help her tweaker mom get high was a gross abuse of her childhood innocence, but as it was I explained that there was no cash at hand and just closed the door.
The thing is, this is a neighborhood of some of the entire state of Utah’s wealthiest, most prosperous families—the cheapest houses around start at $750,000. I have never known of anyone ever being hit up for $$$ around here, and later wondered if it was an excuse to check for homes where no one was around, to see about a possible break in job later if the coast was clear.
If I had a way to slip the girl some cash for her own use I would have not hesitated, but I am sure that it would have ended up in her mothers’ dealers’ wallet.
I should have called the cops, but was so taken aback at the brazen nature of ringing someones doorbell at 4 or 5 in the afternoon, with such a transparent, laughable story, and telling me the doctor typed out a letter for prospective good samaritans to read and verify----It was so out of character for this neighborhood that I was not thinking clearly…
Love it!
Oh hell, that’s heartbreaking. I don’t think I would’ve done the right thing here, but I think the right thing to have done would have been to call the cops: that poor child’s life is probably a nightmare.
Most likely he’s lying and here’s why
Albuterol which is generic and the most common type of Asthma inhaler normally ran about $15.00. So if he was getting it for $9.00 that’s a bargain.
BUT…
And here’s the kicker.
Starting January 2009 the US government banned all CFCs. What does that mean? It means that inhalers like Albuterol which used CFC as propellants are no longer able to be sold in the USA.
Companies like Schering-Plough which made Proventil and it’s generic version albuterol developed a new way of propelling the medicine without CFC.
What does this mean?
It means albuterol is no longer generic. There IS NO generic version of albuterol or other such inhalers using CFCs for sale in the USA.
Now you have to pay around $50.00 for ONE inhaler for the brand name ProvenilHFA which has no CFC.
Other companies which made generic inhalers also reformulated their inhalers without CFC.
So dude here was using a scam for $5.00 when there is no way he could’ve gotten it for that price.
Only when the patent for the new inhalers expires will we once again have cheap inhalers.
Of course you can still get inhalers online from other countries with CFC for around $20.00 without a prescription.
I had a sort of reverse thing like this happen once. It was when I lived in Columbia, South Carolina — the hottest, most humid, most miserably conservative place on earth. (No offense to Gamecockers.)
I was on my way to work when I saw a man digging through a dumpster. I drove by, and then turned around and went back. I pulled up next to him, rolled down my window, and held out a ten dollar bill. “Sir?” I said, “Could you use a little help?”
He walked up to my car. He was silent for a moment, and then he blurted out, “God bless you! I don’t need a thing. I’m the pastor of the church next door, and we threw out something we shouldn’t have. But God bless you for your kindness, mister. God bless you!”
I drove away feeling pretty good.
Dude, crackhead. I get 'em all the time. I really had to train myself hard not to open the door, because I was raised to be polite, but after 10 or so I yell through it that no, we are not having it. And then I call the cops, and the cops ALWAYS come. Do so.
If somebody’s in real, actual trouble, you know it. You’re never confused about it. People actually needing help are either 1) panicked and immediate, “Oh my god somebody help me I can’t find my baby!” or 2) decent and apologetic and don’t sound canned and aren’t asking for money.
ETA - Liberal, I didn’t know you’d been here! I can’t believe you saw somebody abroad on a Columbia street who wasn’t digging through the trash looking for misplaced liquor or, like, right on the way to their car. 
If someone asks me for cash, I’ll usually just buy them what they need, food, a tank of gas, whatever. If they say they’d rather have the cash, I’ll say sorry, and leave.
My ex-wife picked up an albuterol inhaler for my son last week at a local pharmacy. It was $20.00. Don’t know if it was generic or not.
I worked with someone whose neighbors were constantly hitting them up for money. They were constantly a few dollars short for the prescriptions they need to pick up for their kids. She’d always tell them “sorry, no,” but her husband would cough up the cash every single time. Used to piss her off to no end.
The person asking for money was actually close to correct. The standard albuterol inhaler has 200 puffs in it. There are 3 brands on the market that I know of, ProAir, Proventil, and Ventolin. ProAir and Proventil are both in the 43 dollar range (all prices are specific to my pharmacy), and Ventolin is $34.50. Walmart has their own special packaging of Ventolin that is only 60 puffs, but is only $9. But the guy was still wrong, Walgreen’s doesn’t carry the 60-dose inhaler, AFAIK.
I don’t look particularly homeless or anything, but I do not have that amount of money in my life right now, and don’t do the credit card thang. I’ll get paid on Thursday, and I’ve got food, gas, and Diet Coke enough to last until then.
Think of it this way: Instead of going to someone he knew, he went to a stranger, you. For this to happen, he has to have burned the goodwill of everybody he actually knows, and is now working on total strangers. The people he actually knows all know something about him that you don’t, and wouldn’t front him the money.
You absolutely did the right thing.
That’s a good point, Krokodil - even if he were above board, unless his car was on fire in your yard giving evidence that he couldn’t go elsewhere, people ask their friends and family first.
I’ve heard of burglars who hope to find an unlocked door so they don’t have to break in. Knock or ring first, establishing if anybody’s home. If not, and the door’s unlocked, it’s easy pickings. It could be that the $5 was the cover story in case someone is actually home.
I had a quasi-homeless looking white guy knock on my door at 6:30AM. This was my college house w/ roommates. Through the glass door he says:
“Uh, hey. I’ve seen you guys sitting out here on your steps hanging out and drinking beers, and I was wondering if you’d give me a couple beers.”
Had it been 10:30AM, I’ve told him to fuck off, but I wasn’t prepared to deal with this. I hold up the just-a-minute gesture, and return from the kitchen with one can of Old Style. I opened the door enough to hand it to him.
“You can have one.”
“Can I come in and drink it?”
“No, and don’t ever come back.”
And he didn’t.
Down in Santa Monica I was approached by a guy carrying a gas can in front of Barnes & Noble. “Can you spare $5? I’ve just run out of gas.” He looked like a real scuzzball, not the type who even had any business at thatupscale mall. I was broke and homeless at the time and was going to Barnes & Noble to kill some time and read. Of course I turned him down, as I was broke, but I would anyway, as a matter of principal. A few days later, I was back at the place to do some more reading. The same guy was in the parking lot approaching people with his gas can. I got real loud on him so everyone else around could hear: “You sure seem to run out of gas a lot, friend, and in the same place too!” He was pretty pissed that I busted his scene. 