Comments on: Have you seen this (alleged) asshole?

By: ProHoResident

ProHoResident — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 17:52:12 +0000

Yes, someone who looked similar to the man in the picture provided approached me on the corner of Prospect Place and Grand Ave. with the very same story….Here is what I remember of the story: he said he had just moved in on the block I was walking on, that his parents had just been in a car accident, his grandmother had just had a stroke too and her needed money to call a tow truck for his parents’ car.
He also kept calling me “neighbor” so as to increase his chances of getting money.
Clearly a con artist, no money was exchanged.

By: pdberger

pdberger — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 21:27:02 +0000

Nativenyr, I wish I could agree with you. To me, a panhandler is someone who begs for money. This guy is a con artist. He’s not asking for money—he’s deceiving people in order to get money.

Okay, so he didn’t scam my wife out of hundreds, but a con is still a con.

What happens the next time someone truly in need approaches my wife or I because they need something? Do we give them the benefit of the doubt? Or do we assume that everyone is a con artist like this lowlife?

What upset my wife was the fact that she could have given that money to someone who really needed it.

As for the guy being on the streets. Well, I can bet you that he lives in a nice enough apartment to be able to convince my wife that he worked for a TV station in New York. In fact, I notice on the dailyheights messageboards that someone thinks they saw him in a swanky cocktail bar recently.

As for my website. Well, that costs me more money than it brings in. And that article in the New York Times took 18 months of pitching before I finally broke through.

Get over myself? As a hardworking, honest, socially-conscious person who has gone out of their way to help people in need in this city over the past 18 months, I think I have just as much right as anybody to be livid when an ignoramus like this approaches my wife on the doorstep of our home and cons her out of $20.

Furthermore, if by posting this on my blog I have managed to forewarn just one of his future victims, then I will consider it a job well done. And if I have forewarned two or more…well that’s almost like taking the money back of him myself

By: nativenyr

nativenyr — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 20:24:13 +0000

baby, if conning a little cash out of people this way is the best idea this character can come up with, then…okay. I’m not condoning it. Your wife gave out the goodness of her heart and was taken advantage of. Simple answer: don’t give panhandlers money. BUT I can’t resist pointing out that this guy is on the street begging and you’ve got a website and articles in the NYT. Get over yourself.

By: Dezik

Dezik — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 21:16:54 +0000

I concur with the generous-hearted wlevin’s view… When I was on the first of my two visits to NYC as a young and innocent 19-year-old, I was approached in a similar fashion - what a shame it’s not the same bloke. That would make for a good story. We can pretend it was him for the sake of argument - and got a man’s whole life story before I finally agreed to give him some dosh (and a pizza, if I remember rightly). He had a pretty good routine, and clearly preyed on dim tourists like me, and had even perfected his English accent and ‘my aunt lives in Piddle-under-the-Wold (or somewhere similar, perhaps London)’ routine. Quite a business. While I’m on, I’ve got a bit of a sore eyelash at the mo and what with the medical insurance bills and all that, could anyone…

By: wlevin

wlevin — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 19:02:35 +0000

I believe that, in Sofie’s heart, she knew this guy was making up a story, but wanted to help him anyway because she is super sweet. That is the only possible explanation for this.

By: Danny

Danny — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 18:27:54 +0000

I once stopped and gave a guy a bag a hamburgers from a fast food place. (gotta love the 99 cent deals) He was holding up a sign that said will work for food. So I figured I would save him the trouble and get him some food. To my surprise, he shoved the bag back in my face.

With all of the poeple that pull scams like this, you almost feel sorry for somebody who is in trouble and needs the money or food.

As a simple rule I go by, I they need something try and give them it instead of just cash. That is if you trust them at all.

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:31:28 +0000

I hope you learned a lesson here Sophie!

My friend fell for a story by this guy showing us a gash on his hand and saying he had to get a cab to the hospital. I didn’t give him anything as he looked like a scummy bastard; I kind of hoped it would get infected and fall off.

That was in Nottingham. A few months later I saw the same guy with the same wound in Derby telling the same tale! I don’t know how he managed to keep his wound fresh but he was on to a great earner.

Believe NOBODY! Have you ever asked a stranger in the street for money?? Would you ever??

God I’ve become a right old tory.

By: pdberger

pdberger — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:06:52 +0000

Hehe. Sorry. I must have been adding that to the story as you were commenting. Yes, she did.

By: dailyheights

dailyheights — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:02:30 +0000

So… the guy in the picture… did Sofie say he’s the same guy who approached her?