Gas station con?

A man approached my girlfriend and I as we were stopped at a gas station. He told us he needed a “relay” from a local parts store and he gave us the name and directions to where he was talking. He pulled out a crumpled mass of dollars and change and told us he had over forty dollars but that he was four dollars and eighteen cents short. He went on to say he had never asked another man for a dollar in his life, that he was in Fort Wayne from Mississippi – he showed us his driver’s license – and that he and his wife – he pointed to her in a car near ours – had not been able to get ahold of anybody they knew and were desperate. It was Saturday evening and it made sense that the parts store was probably about to close. He looked me in the eye telling the story and his body language spoke more of embarassment than dishonesty. We hadn’t said no so I’m sure he knew we were considering it. He told us he’d take our address and even send the money back if we could help him out. In the end, we gave him five bucks and one of my business cards with contact information. He thanked us and I swear it seemed sincere. He took the card and repeated my name and said thanks again. He walked over to his wife and they took off – she even nodded and mouthed thanks to us as they drove away.

So… A desperate plea for four dollars and some change at a gas station on a Saturday night. Did we honestly help someone out in need? Or were we now patrons of the arts? Con-arts, that is. If he *was* a con, I think I’m okay with the loss of the fiver because it was *darn* good. I’ve paid more – think $7.50 times 2 for movie tickets – for movies that weren’t as believable. In fact, I think I would have offered another ten dollar bill in my wallet and a promise of no prosecution if in the end he would have told me it was or was not a scam.

Pros – He was very believable. He had convincing facts on the auto part he needed and where he was buying it. He showed us a driver’s license. He passed us by initially and went into the gas station; he only approached us on the way out making it believable he was trying to contact someone else. His body language was convincing. He did have money with him. He only asked for a very little amount. He offered to take our address and send the money back. He showed pride in being embarassed to ask for money and stating he’d never asked another man for a dollar.

Cons – Everything I just said is exactly what a good con artist *would* do. Sigh. Four dollars and some change is *just* shy of a whole bill that most people would have on them – *and* most people would round up. If he was from Mississippi and was so short on cash, how was he going to afford gas to get back there? I remembered seeing his wife smoking a cigarette as they drove away. Don’t those cost like fifty bucks a pack these days? The parts store he mentioned was on my way home and I didn’t see his vehicle there. I added up how much time he spent with us and calculated how many gas stations there were around us – and a good con could stand to make a decent chunk of change in an hour or two before hitting the nearby highway and disappearing down the road to his next “mark”.

What I should have done – Offered to go with him to the parts store and run the remaining amount on my debit card. Doh. I think cons don’t count on you to think *too* much in the middle of their performance. The art of distraction and all that.

My conclusion – I’m pretty sure we got conned. However, for the performance and in the end, the entertainment thinking about it and deliberating with friends and family about it, I got more satisfaction giving him the money than by dropping it in any charity collection jars (sorry Jerry’s kids). Plus, I know me. I would have been more miserable wondering if I’d dissed some poor guy in need than losing five bucks on a *convincing* con. Please note I say “convincing”. I’m a good mark, not a total patsy. There is a difference. 😉