I was at the Container Store the week before Christmas and was approached by a woman. She told me she had a nail in her tire and had been trying to get someone to help her for hours. She was traveling through town (I think she said to Arizona) and just needed a can of fix-a-flat. We had a conversation about fix-a-flat and whether it would do what she needed. She wanted money for a cab to get to an auto parts store. I offered to go to WalMart for Fix-a-Flat. She assured me they didn’t have it. I went anyway and came back with a can. I looked for her in the mall parking lot (where she said her car was) and spoke with mall security who said there’s nothing they can do to help with a flat tire, Didn’t see her anywhere around and didn’t think much more about it.
I was approached by the same woman this week as I came out of Von Maur. I recognized her hair and handbag. This time she told me she needed bus fare to Birmingham and asked if I could help her with some cash. I told her I didn’t have any. As I got in my car I saw her walk out the doors and watched her walk through the parking lot to Dillard’s where she hung out by the door for a bit. I walked into Dillard’s and she asked me if I could help her with money for car repair because her car had broken down.
Caucasian, brunette, ponytail down to her waist, slender, maybe 5’6″ or so, 40’s, carrying a light pink rectangular purse.
I know there are a lot of kind-hearted people around and I hate for anyone to be taken advantage of.
Were the police called?
Just a thought….. sometimes when people are in need it’s too embarrassing for them to straight out ask for hand outs, so they come up with elaborate stories. I’m not saying that she wasn’t scamming you, but maybe….just maybe she was in need of money and was too embarrassed to ask. Just something to think about.