Tulsa Street Hustles (share ones you've heard here)

[RidgeHunter]

I pull in to the QT at 51st and Mingo today and see a small SUV with out-of-state plates pulling up weirdly at an angle. When I park she is pulled up facing my passenger door. I get out and start to walk in when she honks at me. A middle-aged woman was driving this SUV and immediately started in on a story about how her husband is at the VA clinic, they are from out of state and in a world of hurt, they both have diabetes, both can barely walk, etc. Everything seemed very rehearsed and followed the pattern of the many other times I've been approached like this. Her husband was a Vietnam Vet, and immediately upon telling me about him she showed me some sort of photo ID with a man on it for about a split second. When she got to the part about barely walking, she pulled out a cane to show me. Closes with how they only have $0.15 in their account and asks for any money I could give. I was not given a chance to speak until her story was complete.

Now she may have been legit, and if she was, sorry lady and I wish you and your husband the best. It's just that I didn't fall off the proverbial turnip truck and her story, with its rehearsed structure and props (ID, cane) set off the scam alarm in my head. (I've found they usually have a prop, like a gas can or something. I've even been approached by people who said they were on empty and needed a bit of gas to get a few miles home...as they sat in their idling car they drove up next to me in. Not kidding.)

I told her I had no cash and wished her good luck. Did not see her when I came out. Honestly if she wouldn't have been trying so hard to sell me I probably would have given her some cash. I also seem to get approached by these kind of people fairly often; I assume because I look like an Opie Taylor with no street smarts. That belies the fact I often find myself in somewhat sketchy areas for work or otherwise and I've heard most of it before, in several cities - and it always follows a similar script.

You guys? Tulsa street hustles you have heard?

 

[HMFIC]

The gas can in the parking lot of Target or Wal-Mart guys always come out in force during the Christmas season.

I haven't seen too many lately and even the corner of 71st and 169 hustlers are noticeable absent.

Maybe the enconomy is picking up...

 

[Perplexed]

There was the time I was accosted by a leather-clad woman in the parking lot of a restaurant, and she had a tall female sidekick with her. They demanded some surplus 30-06, which I felt was prudent to hand over to them.

Actually, I was once approached by a fellow in a QT parking lot in midtown, with the usual SOB story about being out of work, needing money for food, etc. I happened to have a card from the John 3:16 Mission, so I handed it to him along with a quarter to make the phone call. His reaction? A look of disgust, followed by a tossing away of the card and pocketing of the quarter as he walked off.

 

[Danny Tanner]

I'm surprised you run into anybody in Tulsa. Seems that I'm constantly being approached by people low on gas trying to get back home to Tulsa. Why can't you Tulsans can't keep gas in your tank?

I give none of them money.

 

[druryj]

This same crap happens in OKC too...I know, I know; it's shocking, but we have them here too, right in the middle of the Heartland's very capitol!

 

[Fyrtwuck]

Not in Tulsa, but I had a guy approach me and tell me he was trying to get back to Texas, but couldn't because the starter went out on his car and he didn't have enough to buy one. We were outside the Pep Boys and he pulled out a wad of cash and told me he only needed $70.00 more to get the starter and could I give him that much.

He of course offered to take my address to send the money back to me once he got home. I asked him about how was he going to get gas to make the trip back if that was all the money he had. He gave me a strange look, shoved the money back in his pocket and stomped off.

 

[ripnbst]

Not in Tulsa, but I had a guy approach me and tell me he was trying to get back to Texas, but couldn't because the starter went out on his car and he didn't have enough to buy one. We were outside the Pep Boys and he pulled out a wad of cash and told me he only needed $70.00 more to get the starter and could I give him that much.

He of course offered to take my address to send the money back to me once he got home. I asked him about how was he going to get gas to make the trip back if that was all the money he had. He gave me a strange look, shoved the money back in his pocket and stomped off.

Perfect response.

 

[Stainless]

Seems like im getting approached anywhere now, in stores, gas stations , etc... one lady drove up to us as we left a resturaunt and gave some bs sob story asking for gas money. I wanted to say well then quit driving and try and find something to do that will make a few bucks, but i just said no and she sped off.

 

[druryj]

Bums and hustlers burn my azz...

 

[RidgeHunter]

Yeah, I get approached by them quite often myself. My main reason for this thread is to see if any of us have been approached by the same person in the same areas, etc. Be telling if we were/are, but on different days.

Most of my other stories are not worth telling, but one of the more interesting strangers to approach me was again at a QT in Tulsa, this time on Riverside. Anyways, I'm there pumping gas after dark one evening and was standing messing with something in my truck. I guess I was tired and not paying attention to my surroundings close enough because I did not see anybody around me. In boots I stand about 6 feet tall, and when I turned around I was face to collar bone with this monster of a man in work clothes and a hard hat. Looked like a construction/shop worker. I mean this cat was a good 6-8" taller than me and looked fawking solid.
He's unwrapping a brand new pack of Pall Malls and startled I say, "Hey man, what's goin' on?"

"A, you ain't got a light on you do ya brotha?"

I don't smoke but I always have Bic lighters everywhere. I had one in my door pocket. I really could not figure out why this dude what this dude really wanted. Parking lot was nearly empty save for a guy about 2 rows over who was watching us, I guess because it looked strange. In my head my goofy idea was to talk loudly just so the other guy would notice us more.

I say loudly "Yeah man, I got one right here." Dude at the gas pump 2 isles over is now standing by the trunk of his car on our side watching us.

Hand him the light and he lights his cigarette and is all "thanks my man, you alright". I tell him no problem and to have a good night, then hang my pump up, and nod at the dude two pumps over to show everything is cool. I get in my truck and sit there to see where Giant Man goes. He walks to the very far end of the lot, where he gets in a truck with another dude that appeared to be in work clothes. The odd part that made me a bit uneasy later was that 1.) the dude just bought a brand new pack of cigs and had no lighter? What smoker doesn't have a lighter? How was he going to smoke the rest of the pack? and .2) did the truck not have a lighter in the dash? Looked like it should have.

My best guess later was that he looks so intimidating that him and his buddy thought it would be funny to see my reaction when his huge ass crept up on me (I'm far from an intimidating looking person as the folks who have met me will tell you.) and they drove off laughing like hell. It was either that or he was going to do something bad to me and the guy watching us 2 pumps over stopped him. I didn't really get the criminal vibe from Giant Man, so I honestly think him and his buddy do this for laughs, because he surely didn't need a light from me. I probably would if I was him. If he does it enough, I know he gets reactions like this:



Honestly I think it's because I'm all Opie Taylor looking. People will think I'm naive or will be scared of them when they approach me. Sheet mang, I'll look you in the eye, shake your hand and shoot the ****. You don't make Opie nervous, and no, you can't have any money.