Am I naive or ..........

mandrose

well everyone, thank you so much for your responses!

I've enjoyed looking at all the different opinions and can see there is a clear divide between "never trust anyone" and "there are some genuine people out there"!

As its now 7pm and I haven't heard anything, I think we can quite clearly assume I was scammed! Especially as I spoke to a friend today, who had a similar experience a few weeks back - she also gave over a fiver, another softy, which I suppose is why we are friends!

I'm quite comfortable with what I did and will put it down to experience . I still refuse to become wary of every stranger that says they need help but maybe I might question them a bit more if they have a crash helmet under their arm!

Anyway, I'm really glad I posted this thread as I've enjoyed reading everyones views on what has happened and whether I was right or wrong!

Mandrosexx

p.s. I still think I was right, lol!!!:rotfl:

peachyprice

Well at least if you get approached again by someone needing money for petrol you can tell them that they can go to the petrol station, put petrol in and fill in a form to pay the next day.

MamaMoo_2

peachyprice wrote: »

Well at least if you get approached again by someone needing money for petrol you can tell them that they can go to the petrol station, put petrol in and fill in a form to pay the next day.

I'm still curious as to where this belief comes from.
I worked in a petrol station for a while, and if you couldn't pay for fuel, your reg was taken, and you were reported to the police.

Most people who discovered they didn't have cash etc phoned a family member, who paid with a card over the phone. If they couldn't do this, we reported them to the police. If anyone came in with a sob story etc we told them "sorry, you can use our phone to see if someone will bring you cash" but petrol stations don't do credit. If you're out of fuel & cash, call the AA or walk.

peachyprice

The belief comes from the fact that I've done it, twice.

Once when I was about to run out of petrol on my way home with three young children in the car.

Second time when I put petrol in but unbeknown to me my card had been been blocked for fraud on my account.

First time was a BP petrol station, second was Shell. Both petrol staions had books for the purpose. And netiher time was it ever suggested I 'phoned a friend'.

Oh, and my OH used to work for Sainsbury's, they do it in all their petrol stations too.

Just because the pertrol station you worked in was in the minority by not doing it does't mean they all don't.

Out of interest, what did the police do when someone had already put £20 worth of petrol in and left their purse/wallet at home with no-one to call to use their card over the phone? Were they arrested?

SUESMITH_2

i know you still feel that you were right, and it was only a fiver but in my experience you wouldn't be the only one to give her cash that day, even if only 10 people she approached gave her money that's still a hundred quid, not a bad days work? and no tax or NI to pay.

i will always give to people selling the big issue and charity tin rattlers but never give to people like her. i stopped giving to beggars after an expose in our local press when it turned out they drove in from outside our city and had nicer houses and cars than me!

just my views

MamaMoo_2

peachyprice wrote: »

The belief comes from the fact that I've done it, twice.

Once when I was about to run out of petrol on my way home with three young children in the car.

Second time when I put petrol in but unbeknown to me my card had been been blocked for fraud on my account.

First time was a BP petrol station, second was Shell. Both petrol staions had books for the purpose. And netiher time was it ever suggested I 'phoned a friend'.

Oh, and my OH used to work for Sainsbury's, they do it in all their petrol stations too.

Just because the pertrol station you worked in was in the minority by not doing it does't mean they all don't.

Out of interest, what did the police do when someone had already put £20 worth of petrol in and left their purse/wallet at home with no-one to call to use their card over the phone? Were they arrested?

I worked for Esso, and we weren't allowed to let people drive off without reporting them, as we had to get a crime number. We'd write down all the person's details in the "drive-off" book, and hand a copy to the police. They'd give us a crime number and the person would have 12 hours to pay up. If they hadn't paid up by then, the police would visit them. We'd usually receive a payment via card whilst the police were there. If they couldn't afford it, the police would then deal with them.

Maybe our rules were just stricter as we were a motorway service station, and so our customers weren't exactly locals.

meg72

purple.sarah wrote: »

If she had a phone she could call a locksmith! I've heard a variation of this 'stranded traveller' story too many times before.

I wouldn't give out your employers contact details because you don't trust the girl with your personal ones because she could be a criminal. Not very professional!

Call a locksmith have you any idea what they charge.

OP what you did was an act of random kindness and the world would be a much better place if we all did a little bit more of that.

II this means I live in Lalaland then I think it is a very nice place to
be.

Transformer

Although probably not a concern, just as well did not give work address incase you got added to some sort of sucker list to boot.

I was also niave, not a crime but it turned sinister as the con artist was known to me and I believed my friend. I have memory problems due to neurological condition and this person was regulary taking money off me on proviso it was a loan, but it took me over two years to realise she was not paying it back when a friend of hers got involved who said they could not sit and watch it any longer.

I learnt to refuse her money I could not afford to lend as a result and she became viscious and no word of a lie told local drunks and drug users along with another household about to be evicted that I was flush and could lend away, nice friend eh?

She was also my carer !!!!! and during her time I lost jewlery, worst to lose was my friendship ring an money from the drawer that I saw her took whilst recovering, I saw her yet she said I was confused and i was too weak to argue as felt grateful for her help. It came to an end when took to hospital with radiator burns on my back where I had been laying for two weeks dehydrated.

My point in posting this is I now have gone the other way and cannot trust anyone, so might appear hardened to for instance street beggars etc...and nasty to those who approach me for money. I am not horrible just dont give them any time and ignore. I cannot trust people anymore and have to protect myself from my niave self if that makes sence as as soon as I listen I fall for it.

Best to not give your address in case you are sold as a sucker.

At least in your situation op you can not worry too much about 5.00 and put it down to your kind heart, just be careful next time in supermarket, you get so called sales men round our area flogging so called show stock, fake leather jackets the lot. One is quite infamous that he is monitored on local radio for spotting him and yes they target supermarkets due to we have money there

NO shame in being niave due to kind nature, we just need to realise when it steps over the line. Lucky enough for me an angel was watching

peachyprice

MamaMoo wrote: »

Maybe our rules were just stricter as we were a motorway service station, and so our customers weren't exactly locals.

Probably that was the difference, people could have been from 100's of miles away.

Fridaycat

SUESMITH wrote: »

i know you still feel that you were right, and it was only a fiver but in my experience you wouldn't be the only one to give her cash that day, even if only 10 people she approached gave her money that's still a hundred quid, not a bad days work?
just my views

Just my views, but I thought a fiver times 10 people was 50 quid? At least it was when I was at school. Mind you, that was quite a few moons ago, so perhaps it's gone up with inflation and all that.......