Someone approaches you in parking lot. Says they're having car trouble and/or car has run out of gas. This is then followed by "so I'm trying to get some cash for gas and/or bus ticket, can you spare any change?".

For heaven's sake, they need to come up with new material.

Just had it again last night. Maybe the 15th time someone has stopped me with that line?

I have every sympathy for the homeless and/or those short on cash, but if you're going to lie, at least get a little creative!

Or tell the truth ... "I need to get enough money for a hooker/some crack/meths".

Mrs. FB has a few acquaintances left over from uni days who can't get their act together and self-prescribe their own medication.

If they call, as they occasionally do, saying they've got no gas or food, we physically take them round to the food bank or fill their gas tank for them. Dunno if this is the right answer, but buggered if we're going to directly enable their habit.

Meths? Wow, I see you're down with the street lingo.

Meths as in "methylated spirits", idiot. If you're going to try to pick somebody up on something, at least get someone with a brain to advise you.

I used to get that a lot in SC especially during the summer season, usually in the Walmart parking lot. The most imaginative one I came across was the boyfriend had thrown her out of the hotel and she had no money to get back to Charlotte. Another time I happened to be out on the seafront area during the Bike Week filming with my expensive-looking Sony video camera and a guy had the cheek to ask me for $30. He didn't even attempt a story just "can you give me $30" I told him to pee-off!

Living and working in the NYC metro area, I've heard plenty of lines. Some of the more memorable ones:

1. The "I've lost my wallet and need $5 for a ticket to Cherry Hill, NJ" at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Cherry Hill is the furthest, most expensive destination to get to). Strange how so many people from Cherry Hill get themselves stranded in Manhattan. I even had an English guy use this line on me.

2. The "I just need another $2.50 to pay for my ticket home" guy who frequently made the request to commuters on the Long Island Rail Road. He got greedy and did this all day every day, and daily commuters started calling him out on it.

3. On the NYC subway, I saw a guy going around asking for money to help him with his family and medical expenses- but this guy was a legit stroke victim (it was obvious from his physical appearance). It was heart crushing and knowing how cruel and inhumane the US healthcare system can be, I gave him money as did many others. Sadly, some heartless scumbag decided to replicate this and the next day I saw said scumbag walking around, perfectly healthy, asking for money and claiming he was a stroke victim.


These days I tend to wear the universal "eff off and leave me alone" sign of commuting with my headphones on.

Creativity was well at work in our neighbor for a few years. Predominately a white neighborhood a black man would always approach you while parking your car or going into your apartment building and say they are lost and don't have money for the bus and they don't want to be hanging in this neighborhood because they are so out of place and they fear that someone will attack them for being black.

Can't use that scam any longer. The neighborhood is now 1/2 black and hispanic. Before you know it a white man will be asking for change for the bus out of fear or reprisal for being white in this neighborhood

On the way into Walmart (yes yes I know but they are 2mins from home and Freds is 10) I was recently asked if I had a cigarette lighter, so I said to the guy "no but they do sell them in there" pointing into the store, the look on his face was priceless and hubby couldn't stop laughing. The idiot was still there when I came out but avoided me.

Theres a bag lady who hangs around outside Fred Meyers asking for money, food etc. I've seen her in the store trying to get people to buy her coffee at Starbucks too. Every so often they move her along, not sure where she goes but it doesn't take more than a couple of days before shes back.

We have a problem up here with natives who come out of the villages to look for 'a better life' then end up on the streets, the CPS runs a van twice a day to pick the more inebriated ones up but the others are left to stand on street corners and beg or wander around the malls making a nuisance of themselves. Have to say I did think it was funny that some have joined the Occupy people in town, I have a feeling its more for the food and hot coffee than anything else.

I just go historic, and dig up the scouse accent that I once had. Throw in a bit of faux Scot. Odd looks then they ignore me.