Sickipedia owner and all-round internet hero Rob Manuel recently found himself the victim of a scammer. A scammer with dead eyes and frightening ladybumps who took advantage of his good nature to the tune of ten pounds.
Happens to the best of us, except Rob blogged it for the benefit of an audience of billions and probably queered this lady's patch for the foreseeable.
If you have a desire to *ahem* queer her patch, I understand her theatre of operations is Kentish Town in that there London.
It's been a long time since I was done similarly (the same punkette did me for "20p for the phone" every day for a week when I was a gormless student), and I've since learned to fight back.
There's a bloke in Weymouth who does the "I haven't got enough train fare to get home to London" one all the time. He stands around the front of the station and nearby pubs, begging for money and generally does quite well, before disappearing into the bowels of Park District, presumably for the substances his lifestyle demands.
Funnily enough, I got collared by a guy outside London's Paddington Station doing the "I haven't got enough money for the train fare to Weymouth" swindle, and emboldened by a couple of pints and a fair few war stories in The Frontline Club I gave him both barrels:
"One – you're outside the wrong station, pal. If you want Weymouth you should be at Waterloo. The last train's at half nine – you'd better get a crack on."
"Buh... I... I'm still short three quid for me fare. Can ye spare some change?"
"Two – Just go as far as Dorchester. If you've got the guts to ask strangers for money, I dare say you can hitch the rest of the way."
"Fook off."
Charming. You try to offer some free advice and that's the advice you get.
And then I got thinking, for I am a GENIUS. I could pair them off. Get Bloke A to contact Bloke B, they swap crack houses, and there'd be no need for this dreadful begging outside railway stations.
First for scabbing money off strangers. And, reading between the lines, your friend and mine, Mr Duck, wants us to click on the google ads today. Renault repair don't come cheap! Click away. I'm off for Free Email Templates (because MailChimp loves you) and Find your UK Ancestors.
p.s. Couldn't spare some change for my daughter's ear operation, could you, guv?
After a fruitless session this afternoon offering a look at my rack for $10, I am now $130 poorer. Plz to label this post 'this time next year, Rodders, Aunty Brenda will be completely prostitute and in the poorhouse'.
Congrats on your bimillenium. I'm only 1,082 posts behind you. Now, if you just send me that refund you promised me for helping you with your book. I'll settle out of court for a fiver...
I must be an over-suspicious tight-fisted miser. I was bought up in London & was raised to be immediately suspicious of anyone who ever wants cash for anything at all. Selling something, sob-storeies, the lot; it's all a big red flag to me. Over the years I'm sure I've turned down the odd person in genuine need, but there are so many scammers playing on people's good nature... For me, rule number one is:
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