I was just about to start my own thread on beggars and whether or not they're genuine. My most recent experience was just after a thread on aus.politics about the kinds of scams that go on - I had resolved to give other than money if asked. A woman came up to me on Wollongong station and asked me for money to buy a can (375ml) of coke. I said I'd but it for her. She said fine, but could I make it a 600ml bottle now? Okay, I say. I buy it for her at the shop on the platform, and when I come out, I see her working her way down the platform, trying to sell the bottle!
A popular scam here is for someone to come up to you with his doctor's prescription and asking for the money to get it filled (here in Oz it's generally $3.50 for people on welfare, so that's the amount they ask for. I've speculated that if I did the same thing I did for the woman on the station and took them into the chemist's to get the script filled, whether they'd try selling the drugs on the street to get the money!
My favourite was an old bloke who came up to me and asked me for enough to buy a beer at the Oxford Tavern! What can I say? I always believe that honesty is the best policy, so I rewarded him for his truthfulness. (Still wondering about that one!)
Q: How do you know a Dub loyal to "Jehovah's Organisation" is lying?
A: Their lips are moving.