Ok, I need some help from you. Why? Well, a weird thing happened to me this weekend. I think that I was bamboozled... hoodwinked... played out.... gangsta'd... or screwed... by a 60 year old woman. I'll let you be the judge - so please let me know what you think. Here's the story:
My friend and I were enjoying a drive on yet another blistering hot day in Houston. How hot? Well, the index factor was about 110 degrees - and trust, it felt every bit like it... we're out running errands, and just as we drive toward the Galleria area, traffic slows up a bit? Why? Well, there's a 60 year old woman stuck on the side of the road... her beat up hooptie is parked on the side of the road and she is just standing there on the side of the road - sweating and looking befuddled with a towel in hand as she fans herself. I simply didn't want to just drive by without at least offering to assist this woman - I mean "come on", it was blazing outside... the heat waves were practically visible and I could envision vultures licking their chops in wait because this woman was melting in this heat - this lady needed some help. She was just out here stuck. So I asked if she was ok and if she knew what the problem with her car might be.
"Well Mr. do you got a few dollars? My car ain't got no gas and I need heeellllllppp?"
What would YOU do?
OPTION A: Give her a few dollars for gas.
OPTION B: Drive to a gas station and return to assist.
OPTION C: Keep it moving.
Of course I'll help - I choose OPTION B. So she reaches into her trunk, pulls out a 2 gallon gas can, and I inform her that I'll go and purchase some gas for her and will return quickly. She stays by her car and says "cool".
10 minutes later, I'm back - but just before I pull up to her, I see that a few cars are actually stopping to give her money as they pass her by. Hmmmm (My inner CSI is starting to alert me). So I pull up behind her with a full gas can and some ice cold water. She takes the water as I run to her car and I start to empty the gas into her tank. As I do this, I look into her car and I see total chaos. I count about 5 cigarette lighters, drug paraphenalia, trash and debris all over the place - not to mention, a little dog is in the back seat and dude is barking at me. Hmmmm (My inner CSI is starting to throttle now). Is she? Nawww, can't be.
So she comes over to me as I empty the gas in her tank - she is so appreciative - she emphatically hugs me and thanks me for assisting. But as she releases her hug, I smell liquor on her breath - the cheap kind too. Hmmmm (My inner CSI is now brewing). I'm not feeling good about this situation at all, but I complete my task anyway. I hand her the empty gas can, and I finally walk back to the car to leave. I ask her to start up her car before I head out - just to ensure that she is cool, and she says "okaaaaay". The car starts - mission accomplished. But just as I am about to leave, I get the ultimate surprise that makes my inner CSI bug out.
This lady leaves her car running, she circles back in front of my car, and starts to flail to stop traffic in her effort to get me back on the road. But wait a minute - lady, why are you not getting in YOUR car to leave?? It's hotter than (insert your own joke here) and now I'm perplexed, trying to figure out why she is not in HER car. Unfortunately I didn't bring my "behavioral" DNA kit with me to probe this moment of befuddlement a little more, so I tell her to get into her car and leave before she runs out of gas. I watch her as she gets into her car - but she just stays there. At this point I just drive away. My friend that accompanied me thinks that this is a possible scam, and I think that I should probably circle around the block to see if she ever leaves. By all indications, she was not making an effort to leave. So... what do you think is going on here?:
OPTION A: She was just trying to help me to be on my way - returning a kind gesture.
OPTION B: She was camped out - collecting money and scamming folks.
Honestly, I can't call it. I need your help. Has anyone been scammed like this? Is this the inner workings of a new age hustle that I am not in tune with? And if you had known of her intentions, what would you've done?
