Approaching the M40 slip road today, around lunchtime, reasonably fast moving traffic.
Car parked 20 or so metres along, young guy waving his arms around, in the road, female doing similar, in distress, apparently, both of Eastern European appearance & another person in the vehicle.
We stopped, of course, Mrs V, lowered the window & we have a habit of locking the doors, as a matter of course (yes, we still live in Luton!!). Guy runs to the window, has a small business type card, proclaiming he's from Germany, shows the card (to identify himself), then has already started to slide a gold coloured ring from his finger, with the story of needing £$£$ for petrol!!!
He also wore gold necklace & a braclet, together with his scruffy jeans & T shirt. Perhaps he was a Polish plumber, really!!
We declined to offer any further assistance, but another motorist was quickly kind enough to pull over, as we filtered onto the motorway!
& upon our return journey, they're at it again, on the next junction & opposite carriageway. Obviously only had enough £$£$ raised for a few miles worth of petrol!
Dangerous, stupid & no doubt there are enough helpful, but not so street wise other drivers that will help these people out.
VB
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 13/10/2007 at 21:32
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I was not aware of this sort of thing going on. Tell the police, who may actually do something about it if it's on a motorway. It's not begging - it's more criminal than that.
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The other day at sandbach motorway services i had a similar thing happen - i was filling up at the petrol station and a guy pulls up in a ford escort and comes over to me offering a ring from his finger for petrol money. When i declined he went round the forecourt offering it to everyone.
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Much like the "leftover suits" from an exhibition.
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guy pulls up in a ford escort and comes over to me offering a ring from his finger for petrol money. When i declined he went round the forecourt offering it to everyone.
To be fair, if you were out of petrol, and in possession of a real gold ring (but few mental faculties), you would try others after an initial refusal, wouldn't you?
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Yes, it WAS the motorway, technically!
Didn't want to 999 call, but of course, we also never had a local Police fone number, else we would have done.
VB
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Usually the man hides and only the woman makes a doe-eyed sob story, that's what happened to me in Kidderminster.
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I remember once on a crosschannel steamer there was some sort of east European or Greek or Turk going round trying to get people to cash a cheque. He had made himself noticeable on the train too. Eventually a quiet fellow in a thick tweed jacket and a tie, with sensible good-quality brown brogues, led him away for an interview with the captain. He reappeared looking traumatised half an hour later and remained pale and quiet after that.
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I think this happens on the continent. Some while back I was with my wife on a motorcycle in Hungary. We stopped outside Budapest at a lay-by. A car with Rumanian plates drew up and someone tried very hard to sell us a gold ring. Could not get rid of them so we rode away.
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Forgot to mention the chap that tried to sell me a ring looked like an eastern european gypsy
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