Have you been conned?

[got-to-get-fit]

I remember a story in america,

An employer at a local resteraunt was offering a Toyota to whoever became employee of the month.

After a lot of extra effort one of the waitresses was crowned employee of the month and she was taken out into the car park at the rear of the resteraunt where a tarpaulin was laid out.

The boss said congratulations and pulled back the tarpaulin to reveal a small plastic star wars figure .......it was a.......... toy-yoda.

True story apparently

 

[Keith Oates]

Yes, every time she said 'I love you'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I'm forever giving a couple of quid for a cup of tea to people on the streets. Sometimes it's fun to be a sucker, as John Steinbeck said. Or, as someone else put it, it's better to lose a little money every so often than to lose your trust in humanity.

 

[Dayvo]

About 15 years ago in Oslo, a beggar at the main train station asked me (in Norwegian) if I could spare 5 kronor (about 50p).

I said that I didn't speak Norwegian, and he asked again, in very good English, if I could spare 10 kronor!

It made me laugh, and he needed the money more than I did.

 

[Aperitif]

I'm forever giving a couple of quid for a cup of tea to people on the streets. Sometimes it's fun to be a sucker, as John Steinbeck said. Or, as someone else put it, it's better to lose a little money every so often than to lose your trust in humanity.

Yep - agree.

 

[Fnaar]

I was a steward at Lord's Cricket ground during MCC bicentenary yrs ago... one fellow steward 'forgot' his cash for lunch, so I lent him a tenner. He never turned up for work again... tw@t
and a friend of mine (honest) tried to buy some spliff (in resinous format) in amsterdam ... 20+ yrs ago... he got sold a lump of rubber

 

[Globalti]

This is a true story: waaaay back in about 1984 I was working in London. One day my phone rang and there was an American voice, introducing himself as Gene Simpson the second or something rich-sounding, from Texas. He told me he'd been in Tokyo where he'd met my friend Clare who was teaching at a Buddhist Girls' school. Clare had given him my number in case he had any problems in London.

"Welcome to London" said I, "have you had a problem?"

"As it happens, I have." He replied. It turned out that he'd arrived at Heathrow, gone to his hotel and then gone out for a stroll around the West End. He'd been approached by a very dapper English gent who had asked him if he wanted tickets for a West End show. Gene agreed so they went to the Englishman's hotel where Gene handed over $60. The English bloke said "Wait here and I'll just nip to my room to get the ticket". Gene waited an hour before realising he'd been conned. I commiserated but pointed out that this could happen in any city, then asked him what he'd done next. He told me he had gone into a bar for a drink and had met two gorgeous girls, got chatting and ended up buying them dinner, drinks, the lot. At the end off the evening he dicovered they were blokes dressed up! I commiserated again with something like "You've really had a bad introduction to London, haven't you?" and Gene replied "Yep.... I guess they played me like a harp!"

I told him I had an engagement that evening but would be happy to meet up the following evening for a drink. "Won't be possible," he replied, "tomorrow I'm doing Paris, France".

Never heard from him again but Clare was amused when I told her the story months later.

 

[freakhatz]

Yeah, pretty mundane stuff. Taxi from Athens airport (before dawn) to the bus station. Got charged way over the proper rate. Should have been suspicious when the driver put us down in a dark corner of the back of the station rather than the proper place. Welcome to Athens.

Would have been conned by a cavity wall insulation salesman who said he'd do me a special deal if I signed before he left the premises. Didn't but had quite a job getting the bastard out of the house.. It would have been a very special deal as I got it done later for a fifth, yes a fifth, of his so called special deal.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I get conned every time I buy a sandwich or a coffee from a motorway service area. Thieving gits.

 

[Mr Pig]

I get conned every time I buy a sandwich or a coffee from a motorway service area. Thieving gits.

Tell me about it! My son and I were away buying a guitar on Sunday and popped into a service station to get lunch. Two fish and chips, one small Coke and a small bottle of still water. £18.60 !!!

One of the guys at work bought a car from a dealer in Glasgow years ago. They were advertising a colour TV free with every car and the add showed a picture of a 14'' portable TV. Ideal, they thought, as they wanted a TV for the bedroom.

After the deal was done they asked for their TV. Sure, said the dealer, and took them over to a cabinet in the corner. He opened it to reveal an big old colour TV, wood surround, the lot!

They were furious but realised there was nothing they could do as nowhere had it said they were getting a 'new' TV.

 

[red_tom]

I'm forever giving a couple of quid for a cup of tea to people on the streets. Sometimes it's fun to be a sucker, as John Steinbeck said. Or, as someone else put it, it's better to lose a little money every so often than to lose your trust in humanity.

I rember hearing Jonathan Sacks doing Thought for the Day a few years ago who told a story from when he was growing up. His father would always give a coin to any beggar that he passed. Sacks jnr asked his dad 'but what if they aren't really in need'?

His dad clipped him round the ear and said 'Let that be on their conscience, not mine.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" :?:

 

[postman]

Still waiting for the return of my wallpaper steam stripper.'only need it for a couple of weeks'.18 months ago.Will go round and knock on his door very soon.

 

[Fnaar]

Yeah, pretty mundane stuff. Taxi from Athens airport (before dawn) to the bus station. Got charged way over the proper rate. Should have been suspicious when the driver put us down in a dark corner of the back of the station rather than the proper place. Welcome to Athens.

my own mistake this time in athens, I gave the taxi guy 10 times what I should have (got my zeros mixed up ))... hey, I was a naive 24 yr old on my first trip abroad (apart from a school trip to holland once) . Needles to say, he didn't feel the need to correct my mistake.... Sort of messed up my hols a bit, as I was really short of cash for the rest of the trip