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Gas Station Story


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I was pumping gas today in Summerlin, which is a fairly nice part of Las Vegas for those that don't know it just so you can get a feel for the the environment. As I begin fueling, a car pulls up with California plates, and a latino lady rolls down her window and asks if I can help. She's with her similar looking friend/sister and a little girl no older than 6 years in the backseat. Of course, it seems friendly enough, but I'm always a little on-guard in these kind of encounters, seems only natural. She says she's embarrassed about her whole situation, but that they are from LA and her boyfriend left them and took her purse/money/credit cards etc. I obviously know what's gonna come next, so I start thinking if I'm going to go ahead and help these people beyond just the gas. I offered to pay for their gas because I didn't see the harm in that, but of course, if you give a mouse a cookie..... She started going into her whole story and that her daughter needs her asthma medicine and get something to eat, and how they'd need to refill it to get back to LA because one tank wouldn't be enough, and on and on....and how nobody would help so far, and that people were asking her for sex when she asked for money...total sob story, but it sounded a little....I don't know, needy, maybe rehearsed? I'm now debating what I should do next. I mean, on one hand, if you totally believe them, it's a desperate situation, and I would help. But on the other, and as a poker player, my read was that this could easily all be complete bullshit and they could be two druggies looking to get a handout and some money so they could go score drugs while using their daughter as a pawn/hostage for bribe money. I mean, seriously, daughter's medicine? You tell me, doesn't that sound a bit too "wtf?". And then the laundry list of other things that suddenly require instant money before she gets back to LA. Needless to say, I was torn. Should I lie and say I don't have any money on me? "Sorry that's all I can do." kind of response. What if this were your mother/sister/friend in need...I hate these dilemmas. And of course the little girl. Had it not been for her, and I think she probably knows this, so that's why maybe it is a con/scam, I likely would not have done anything, just trying to be honest as I can with myself.Was she just taking advantage of my goodwill when I offered to pay for her gas and seeing how much she can milk me for? These thoughts definitely sound rather mean/ugly if what she says is true, but what if she was lying and I was enabling this person to go buy drugs with her young daughter in the car. I went ahead and decided that I don't quite believe her, but I was going to give them money anyway against my gut, because I couldn't be sure, and I felt like it was the right thing. I just hoped that the money would be spent as she said, and not for anything else and that the whole thing wasn't a rouse. She did have california plates, and I didn't see any track marks (yes I looked...but not a great look), so I hope the situation was as presented. With as much sincerity as I could muster, I told her how I felt about the situation, and gave her some money to help her get back to LA and food and the medicine. I told her that all I asked was that she'd help someone else in their time of need. At the time, I felt okay about it. But the more I think about it now, I'm really upset I may have made the wrong choice and should have trusted my instinct. I don't care about the money one way or the other, but I do care about that little girl and whether or not the money was for what she said it was or if they pull this con to take advantage of people like me. I've had a great year poker-wise, but I still can't just be throwing money around, I'm not a superstar by any means and live simply so that my hard work on the tables pays off year to year. But I could afford a few hundred dollars I figured and this woman and her daughter could obviously really use it. So in that respect, I felt good. But the damn 'what-ifs' crept into my head tonight....and now I'm wondering.I only wish it were more cut and dried, like "hey I need money for gas, and can you buy some groceries" and then I would know exactly how the money is spent and be able to sleep easier now.I really found this to be a tough situation and I'm curious as to what you'd do? Also, poker related, what other kinds of situations in life require you to bring how you relate reading people at the poker table to reading people in real life. "Calling their bluff" so to speak.

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Been there, Obey. Saw an almost invalid lady standing next to the interstate. Passed by her but something told me to turn around. Went back and picked her up. She said her daughter had stranded her, took her disability check and she just needed something to eat and money for some meds. We were very close to a Waffle House so I took her in and fed her. While there I looked up the address of the closest shelter and told her I'd take her to that location and maybe someone there could help her. I gave her $50 (all the cash I had on me at the time) and told the lady at the shelter that if this proved to be a real need to contact me. I got her fed and into a safe place (it was almost dark) and never heard another word. But in my heart, I know I did what "I" felt was right and I just have to believe that if she didn't use the money for it's intended purpose, she'll have to answer for that.Good job, Obey..........I hope if I ever get stranded in Vegas and need a friend, I can find someone who can locate you! :club:

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well first off . what did she look like .? was she strung out looking ,malnurished ? any reason to think drugs ? if its a scam its a damn good one .. i prolly wlda have put 20 bux of gas and tell her to go to a police station or shelter. but if i beleived her i probly would went into gas station buy the kid and them some food that will last the trip . i dont know how far cali is from vegas but im sure 150 wrth of gas is more than enough no ?if i had any reason to beleive they were coning me id ask alot of questions and also id ask for photo id and phone # incase i made a deal to get paid back . if i get no answer .. well than theres my clue lol

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When we give we are doing it just as much for our own soul as for the other person. They are responsible for the direction they take after you helped.You are the better man overall, and in the long run, wouldn't you rather be thought of as a good guy that can be fooled for a little help now and then, or a hard dude that wouldn't piss on a burning dog?You're in a profession that is focused on pounding on people that are off their game, on taking the maximum off someone whenever you can. It's a good thing to be the opposite when you are away from the tables, brings your soul balance.BTW, my wife needs new rims for her Jag..could you spot me a couple grand till my visa bill gets paid?

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When we give we are doing it just as much for our own soul as for the other person. They are responsible for the direction they take after you helped.You are the better man overall, and in the long run, wouldn't you rather be thought of as a good guy that can be fooled for a little help now and then, or a hard dude that wouldn't piss on a burning dog?You're in a profession that is focused on pounding on people that are off their game, on taking the maximum off someone whenever you can. It's a good thing to be the opposite when you are away from the tables, brings your soul balance.BTW, my wife needs new rims for her Jag..could you spot me a couple grand till my visa bill gets paid?
well put...'cept for the part where your wife needs a rim job.
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When we give we are doing it just as much for our own soul as for the other person. They are responsible for the direction they take after you helped.You are the better man overall, and in the long run, wouldn't you rather be thought of as a good guy that can be fooled for a little help now and then, or a hard dude that wouldn't piss on a burning dog?You're in a profession that is focused on pounding on people that are off their game, on taking the maximum off someone whenever you can. It's a good thing to be the opposite when you are away from the tables, brings your soul balance.BTW, my wife needs new rims for her Jag..could you spot me a couple grand till my visa bill gets paid?
lol, never heard that one before.. Piss on a burning dog?! lmao... you do make me laugh sometimes, you really do.
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Cool, I feel better, thanks.Might've been a grift job, if so, she'll have to answer for that someday. She definitely did NOT seem strung out, and they were both heavyset, not skinny minnie druggies, but that doesn't mean they weren't, or there wasn't an agenda here.Next time, I have a different approach. I'll still help of course, but I'll instead find a local shelter that helps with things like this and help her notify the police if she's claiming theft, etc. The reactions/responses gained from this should likely give me all the information I need so I can be sure one way or the other. lol @ rimjob.

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I guess I'm an *******. I'm happy giving a few bucks for a cheapie charity pen/pin etc every so often but when people come up to me I usually just say I don't carry money on me. I'm a student and work hard for my money. This would be me in your situation:Lady: 'I need money for medication, people have been asking me for sex...'Me: ...Me: *Whips out penis*That said, good for you. There is a good chance that the money would be used for its intended purpose, and its good to know that there are nice, generous people out there. I hope you get some good karma.

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I think you did the right thing. No matter what the real story was, you helped out the kid in some way.I used to work at a church. They "prided" themselves in reaching out to the community. The first time someone walked into my office looking for help, I went to see what we could do. Turns out, all we did was refer them (i.e. give them the phone number) to a local shelter. I was shocked to find that this was official policy. Over a couple of years, I watched our secretary be a hard nose to anybody seeking help.It was my personal policy to help out anyone who asked by giving them money out of my pocket. I feel that if they are scamming me, then they'll have to answer for that one day. However, If they are truly in need and I don't help, I'll be the one doing the answering.

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i rarely smooth call preflop.3-bet that shit all day with a "i was gonna ask you for a few bucks cause i need 2 quarts of oil."
I used to do that to telemarketers. My favorite was trying to sell my Foosball table to one of them. Every time he tried to talk, I came up with another reason why it was a deal that he just couldn't refuse. He finally gave up and hung up. Ah, the good ol' days of having a landline.Sorry for the hijack. Carry on...
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I used to do that to telemarketers. My favorite was trying to sell my Foosball table to one of them. Every time he tried to talk, I came up with another reason why it was a deal that he just couldn't refuse. He finally gave up and hung up. Ah, the good ol' days of having a landline.Sorry for the hijack. Carry on...
Whenever a telemarketer used to call my uncle would put his 3 year old neice on the phone, who just loved to talk to anyone that would listen. It seriously *never* got old. lolAs for the original story, Obey, I'm like you: I'll give the shirt off my back, and never truly feel at peace about it. But I never question giving when there is a need. Karma is all encompassing in this world.
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This reminds me of an incident two summers ago, I was driving on the interstate and I saw these flashing lights in my rear-view mirror. Uh-oh, I thought, am I speeding? It was a 60 zone, and I was going no more than 65, but whatever. I guess I'll pull over, no harm in finding out what the problem was. "Sir", the officer said "We've had a report of a fatal hit and run, and the car and plate match yours". Oh great, I thought, here we go again. Spare me your sob story and just tell me what I owe. "We need to take you into custody". For what? Speeding? "No", he said, "for the hit and run, the one where you killed somebody, and then left the scene of the crime whilst blaring the song 'Eye of a Tiger'". Oh right, that. "I don't believe you" I said, to which he curtly replied with "There's a piece of an arm sitting in the seat beside you, which the victim must have lost in between the time he went through your completely destroyed windshield and then left through the back window, and eye of the tiger is still playing quite loudly, and I see you have it on repeat. It's a good tune, that's for sure, there's no getting around that." Now, at this point I had two options. Call this joker's bluff or get taken away to see how things played out. I couldn't put my finger on what this punk was really after, so I told him I wasn't going to go into custody without a fight, and I said it with this subtle grin that told him I wasn't a fool, I was on to his games. That's when his "backup" arrived. It was a much bigger operation than I had previously imagined, and I was more than a little surprised to see that every last one of them had a replica cop car with replica guns and replica badges and replica clothes. That's when I knew I'd been beat, by a man who cared more about his craft than I could dare imagine. And when the replica judge in that replica court declared me guilty and to be sent to replica jail for life, I just had to laugh. You were beaten by the best, RodReynolds, beaten by the best. Of this I am mildly certain.

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I guess I'm an *******. I'm happy giving a few bucks for a cheapie charity pen/pin etc every so often but when people come up to me I usually just say I don't carry money on me. I'm a student and work hard for my money. This would be me in your situation:Lady: 'I need money for medication, people have been asking me for sex...'Me: ...Me: *Whips out penis*That said, good for you. There is a good chance that the money would be used for its intended purpose, and its good to know that there are nice, generous people out there. I hope you get some good karma.
I el oh el'df'n classic man......well played sir. :club::D :D :D :D
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well put...'cept for the part where your wife needs a rim job.
mad e-val. That is hilarious.And good job, Dog. I'm the same way in those situations, but it feels good to help and all you can do is hope she was on the up and up.
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I was walking down the strip and this guy approaches me and asks for a few bucks so he can get something to eat.I said, "How do I know you're not gonna use the money to gamble with?"He said, "Naw, I got plenty of gamblin money."Actually, I guess my story is more about bankroll management than helping needy people.

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Someone in this situation i think would get a phone # from you and act like they were actually going to make an attempt to pay you back someday.So im thinking you got scammed, but being a good person means alot more in life than most people think.

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There's another way that this is like poker. If you help them and they really needed, you have done a great thing. If you help them and it's a scam, you're out pizza and beer. So, even if your read is scam, you can help them because of pot-odds.You have nothing to feel bad about if they are running a scam. You can't control them.That said, I think we're better off giving to established charities

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Fold preflop.Seriously, never give people cash for anything. If you're really generous, you buy them gas, or I give homeless people food all the time here, but NEVER money.

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When we give we are doing it just as much for our own soul as for the other person. They are responsible for the direction they take after you helped.You are the better man overall, and in the long run, wouldn't you rather be thought of as a good guy that can be fooled for a little help now and then, or a hard dude that wouldn't piss on a burning dog?You're in a profession that is focused on pounding on people that are off their game, on taking the maximum off someone whenever you can. It's a good thing to be the opposite when you are away from the tables, brings your soul balance.
:club: Pretty sure I just decided to quit poker......(again)
i rarely smooth call preflop.3-bet that shit all day with a "i was gonna ask you for a few bucks cause i need 2 quarts of oil."
LMAO! That is so you man. You going to meet the crew one of those nights at Commerce? We'll be there all weekend.Obey, you are a kind soul dude. Me likey. Sometimes the scams are SOOOOO obvious that I just can;t give them anything. But more often than not (and like Balloons classic quote below in my sig) I'm on your side on this one.
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