Beggars are getting more brazen around DC. I am routinely approached at our local 7-11.
Often it’s young kids dressed up and clean cut looking. They just have no shame anymore.
Stopped in southern Arkansas in a desolate McDonald's parking lot at 3:30 am to let them run around and take care of business. Was leaning on my hood when a very, very large black man wearing a wife beater creeped up on me with lights out, exited his car with a big smile on his face and headed toward me. I had my hg under my seat but no time to retrieve it. But I did have a very large spring assisted knife, as always, in my front pocket, and I decided to not wait for him to come to me, so I met him halfway, and adopted a closed stance at abt 5ft (something I learned years ago in taekwondo). He still hadn't noticed the dogs out running around yet. He proceeds to tell me he was from Stamps, Ar and he needed gas money to make it to Little Rock and additionally wanted directions(now why would someone set out in the middle of the night without sufficient fuel or the means to acquire it and not know the way? Everyone from S Ar knows you take the only way there--interstate 30). He reached into his pocket to pull out his DL, which he held up to my face. I believed this was intended as a distraction, and he likely would make his move as I inspected it if I was stoopid enough to do so. I knew something was abt to go down and had decided to break his knee cap and gut him before he ever knew what hit him. I secured my weapon...er, I mean my pocket knife...ready to pull when my Pit came running to check the guy out. He was prettified and backed away, asking me to keep the dogs away from him. I informed him I had no money to give and wished him luck.
Lesson: be attuned to any potential threat and always have a plan to deal with it, now more than ever. And get a dog.
Off subject, but I have to pass on what my wealthy friend does with salesmen:
Salesman calls my buddy trying to sell investments, usually oil & gas partnerships.
My buddy says, “Yes, I am the head of the family corporation and am responsible for investing several million dollars. Please send me your prospectus with a check for $2500 and I will have my CPA and Attorney analyze it. They cost $250 per hour, and it usually takes about 10 hours to analyze a prospectus. If their time runs over 10 hours I’ll let you know how much more money to send.”
Click.