Hey, this brings up an interesting question. I was driving at about 5 a.m. on Ness Lake Rd. a couple of weekends ago, and some guy was hitchhiking. It was pretty cold and like an idiot I pulled over because I thought he was maybe a neighbor in trouble. Turned out he was some kid who hitchhiked out the night before and was hitchhiking back. That said, he would likely have froze to death if I or someone else hadn't of picked him up.

So, if I read this correctly, does that mean I can call the RCMP, report a hitchhiker on an isolated road in danger of freezing, and they will send someone? I'm somewhat skeptical this is true but I prefer that option to letting them in my car. I'm not half the man I used to be :) when it comes to scrapping and I get nervous picking up hitchhikers. So can I pass by the hitchhiker and call them on my cell and they'll take care of it?

Ah crap, I got scammed a few days ago by this guy at the Pine Center Parking lot. He claims that he has been walking all day, needed to get money for propane. I think he claimed himself as a tile setter, showing off his callussed hands.

This scammer has been around awhile. I have been asked by him twice, once at the 20th Petrocan and once in the hospital parking lot. The first one was well over a year ago. He told me he needed money for propane because he had forgotton his wallet at a gas station in Mcbride. The description of his appearance is dead on. I just said no and wrote it off as another panhandler, didnt even think to call the police.

Yup thats him He Spoke - he mentioned the tile setter work to me as well.

And there's the other one. The lady who came to town for Cancer treatment and car ran out of gas, has to get back to Vanderhoof,
hangs out in pubs and Hart shopping Centre.
Or the guy last week in Spruceland mall, carrying a snow shovel, not a drinker, not a druggie, just went thru a divorce, just cut off EI, man he had everything covered.
The ones who don't scam are the ones I help.

It's really to bad that people like these scammers will put so much effort into stealing hard earned money from others, but no effort to get a job and contribute themselves. Craigslist is FULL of them, selling cars etc that they don't own, taking money from others.

how is this is a scam? maybe he does need propane for his truck

Thanks for all the great ideas. I was wondering where I would find the extra money for that big Carat she's been looking at for Christmas. See you in the parking lot...

Yeah James - he has needed propane for a year and is still wandering the streets...I hope his battery isn't dead.

I look at it this way. Like prostitution, this is probably an age old "profession" that has been around for thousands of years. There are some good actors and some bad actors, but it is an act. I find it strange that such minor "scams" would make the news. Have we become so isolated from reality that we do not have the streetsmarts anymore to determine what is real and what is not anymore?

I remember at one time I was engaged by one of the many working their "profession" in Vancouver. I had some time. It was a nice day. The fellow was pleasant looking and he had a great story of coming from Montreal (he had that wonderful Quebecois accent) being in Vancouver to take some specialized trades training and ending up getting shafted by WCB when they reduced his monthly payments to half. He needed some money to tide him over till he got the problem sorted out. I started talking to him and he responded very credibly.

This fellow was either for real or he was very good.

I gave him a couple of loonies that were in my pocket because in either case, I felt he deserved it even if it was for 5 minutes of "entertainment" as another form of busker.

well gosh darn, I got taken in by him!! a couple of weeks ago while I was at the bank machine at 15 & Central.

and I even came to work and told my co-workers what happened and they told me I just got taken to which I replied, maybe, maybe not, but you know what I would rather lose out a few dollars, than not and find out that they were actually in desperate need and I turned my back on them!!

I know bleeding heart!! but at least I have one!! and always believe in giving the benifit of the doubt to everyone!!

but...............now that I know!! LOL he should hope he never runs into me again!! LOL

I remember something like this happening when I was a kid. It was two days before Christmas, and I was with my family for dinner in Gastown. We were approached by a grubby man carrying a jerry can. He was extremely polite and said that his car ran out of gas... my parents initially said no, but as he was walking away they had a change of heart and gave him enough for a six pack and a warm meal. Should they have done this? Probably not. But I remember it very clearly as my first true lesson in the spirit of Christmas giving.

haha..my husband got suckered last winter by this same guy...and then he approched us a month or so again by the Great Wall...says his truck is broken down and he's got to get to Quesnel...he looks pretty normal actually but obviously just needs his fix of the day.

I got hit up by this guy at the Massey McDonalds about a year and a half ago.... I was in the parking lot in my Van just out of drivethru with my kids .... gave me the no money story ...

I told him I didnt have any cash but he could have a Cheeseburger as my youngest was asleep.

I will not give anyone cash ... But if they look actually in need I have no issue buying them a Sandwich

I can't believe how many of you have been suckered by this guy, no wonder he keeps it up as it is obviously very lucrative. I'm also surprised that this made the news. On an average of 20-30 times a year, I am assaulted by a barrage of panhandlers, cons and quick change artists. Well ok, quick change artists have gone the way of the dodo, but my point is the hills are alive.

Ever been in the hospital parking lot? I never fail to be targeted as mark, someone always follows me out to my car and gives me some whiny spiel, little do they know how close they are to being put in the hospital themselves. Not really...but it sure burns me. They probably think people who are incapacitated with grief are good pickings. It rankles me. I've seen it all over the years from the deaf guy that shoves a written request for funds under my nose, to the woman outside of Winner's that is from Pineview, western acres, snotnose slough or wherever the hell and needs money for gas to get home, to the fellow dressed to the nines(stupid ruse if you ask me)on Boxing day outside the mall that needs money for a cab home as he didn't know the buses weren't running. How did you get here in the first place cretin? Why are you at the shopping mall without cash or your bank card? You think I'm going feel sorry for you because it's the day after Christmas and you are too well dressed to be a scumbag, well...wrong lady, scumbag. I know there are people in need and I give to the kettle and various other organizations through out the year. I'd be more apt to give the old guy with the shakes a couple of toonies if he told me he needed the money for a mickey than the well dressed dude lying bold faced to everyone at the Mall. But,I will not be scammed, it's my policy.

big deal you gave him 2 bucks lol wow lets call in the FBI.

Let's not and say we did.

Sounds like the guy that tried to get money out of me in the parking lot of Superstore last summer. I won't give money as a rule too, and suggested he go into the store and ask for help, or I would do it for him. He walked away rather quickly after that.

ski5@I wouldn't bet on it. I've seen the RCMP arrest a driver on a remote road in winter and leave the passengers to fend for themselves. Maybe it would have been different if they'd been white, maybe not.

Jamestoney - spoken like someone on social assistance. What do you do for a living?

JamesToney:
Fill up your propane bottles and go look for him.
Junco: Well done, you've been scammed one time too many I think.
Just remember, its what your gut reaction is to the request that will always help. I've heard the tales of woe too many times, but once in a while,there comes a person in need, but its usually told to me by another person. That's when you help, and damn it feels good.

This dude nicked me about six months ago, along with a number of my friends. Seems like he is making some pretty good money.

Obviously he has a problem. He's either one lazy SOB, or he has a bit of a mental problem.

Well, my wife was shaking her head, and told me he was a scammer..... but good ole me, being a gullable sap. I continued to empty my change onto him. Oh well, I suppose its better than him convincing kids to buy drugs.

It was a couple twoonies any way, and it is so close to Christmas.

Does this world need to get that cold, that we wouldn't give a poor guy hustling to make a couple of bucks. He did engage in a good coversation, and must have worked on that story line. It was a solid five minute performance.

We pay $100 to watch a concert, we pay $25.00 to watch a play at TNW. We pay $14 to watch live hockey on ice. So I look at it as paying $4.00 to a story teller.

It is a different way of looking at it. a thousand years ago, there were professional story tellers, that travelled around from city to city, and spread stories, news and events that happened fifty miles away, and made a meager living with it.

Maybe we need story tellars, it better than them coming to you saying your money or your life. Think about it, its only a couple bucks, they may be heading to Mc Yucks or getting a hit, regardless, he is not doing nobody any harm but himself.

I would rather see this then them robbing a business to feed their habits.

I walked down to the White Spot one Sat morn with my wife for brekkie. An Old native guy (clean clothes) asks me for money for coffe and a sndwich (he appeared very hung over). I told him to come into the White Spot and I would buy him breakfast; he politely said f*** off asshole and turned the other way. I was sort of stunned but I just broke out laughing---so did the wife.

About a month ago a young guy with an Aussie accent and long hair wearing a hoodie knocked on my door in College Heights asking if I wanted to buy one of his brown lunch bags decorated with cellophane and some type of shell glued onto them. He said he was from Australia and was traveling around BC. He was selling these things to help pay for his travels.

A week ago there was another guy that knocked on my door asking for money to feed his family.

The cool thing is its great to live in Prince George, yeah we are all getting taken by con men, and yeah we have all given up money or help that we probably went into unawares, but you know what? everyone ( well almost everyone) have truly wanted to help their fellow man that was in need of help. We all got scammed because we believed in helping others, not a bad rap I'd say, well done Prince George!! theres allot of other things we can be guilty of, but i think being guilty of caring too much is a pretty great thing!! I can say i am proud to be Canadian. Merry Christmas!!

Now we have people writing stories on blogs like this for free. :-)

I too have met this guy. Told me about his truck that had been broken into and how he had to walk from the BCR. Showed me the calloused hands and the whole bit. Was about 75% sure I was being taken but gave him the benefit of the doubt. Now that I've seen this and spotted him late at night by Treasure Cove and Great Wall several times in the past couple of weeks I am now 100% sure. At least he didn't pull the ol bus fare routine.

Yup ....was at the Spruceland parking lot last summer and got hit up by this guy too. Was ready to dish out some cash...I mean the guy was pretty convincing. The Wife caught on right away....had been approaced by him a few months earlier....he doesn't stick around long after hes busted. Seen him again a while later at the Pine Center mall lot and asked him if he ever got his truck fueled up. He just kicked in the after burners and zoom....he was gone. Now if I'm out an about and I see some one making a B-line in my direction like they're going to hit me up ....I get the jump on em and I ask them for a loonie first...

Just ask him if he has change for fifty.

Stops em dead in their tracks.

A couple years back while hunting up north we stopped at the Goodlow store/restaurant/post office/liquor store for lunch. There was a group of local natives outside in the parking lot with 4 or 5 kids. The second we exited our vehicles the mother of these kids was asking for gas money for their new truck. They needed to get home to feed the kids and ran out of gas. One of the guys in our group donated to her cause. While we were in the liquor store paying for our drinks the mother lined up along side us with 2-24 packs and 2-50 dollar bills.

not new - same guy tried working me in the Superstore parkling lot last year