Ever met an old man who ask you how to walk to Hougang?

[behyx]

I had TWO encounters with this old man..

First time is in Orchard, where he ask me 'how to walk to Hougang from here'? - In mandarin. I told him it's impossible because it's damn far.. So i advice him to take a bus or MRT.. Then he took out a 50cents coin and tell me that's all he left. So i handed a 2-dollar note and tell him to take bus to Hougang.

After months, i met him again at Beach Road! Initially i forgot how he look like already, but his exact same question and tactics stunned me.. Upon recalling the previous incident, i told him 'You asked me the exact same question before..'.. He tried to act blur and said he didn't.. etc.... And i just walk off, felt damn pissed off.

I felt that he have hands and legs, if he don't have money, he can work for it.. Don't have to become a cheater. ;(

 

[adamadam]

Is this his scheme to collect money from everyone?

Next time offer to drive him there haha

 

[XXX Boy]

I also met such people b4, wonder if it is the same man?!

 

[Flyingpig]

I met such people too...oh wel...

 

[AReality]

Suffering from mental dementia?

Maybe he really live in hougang.

 

[Canonised]

He is a CON-man.
Last week he walked toward me along Beach Road and asked me how to travel to Ang Mo Kio. I told him to take a train and he asked me for $5 for the fare. I have seen too many con-ppl in my life and so I said no. The next moment he blarred out all kind of hokkien #$^*&@#$%^& at me so loudly at the bus-stop that I nearly gave him a wrack with my camera gear. I told him that I am calling the police with my hp .... and he just walked away continuing with his profanities, .....
PPL here, dont answer his question if you ever met again ..... small-built, short skinny forites/fifties guy. Just ignore him or if you have more ppl just give him the English @#%$%^&&*+ before he let go his hokkien!

Any CS member who took his photo and post it here will be rewarded with a bowl of barchormee + kopi-o from me at the next seed!

 

[adamadam]

Once I was in the bus port, I heard this man ask for money from a couple, they gave him some, and he said, no, this is too much, so he gave some back.
Then he came to me, and I looked at him and pretend that I can't speak english

 

[reachme2003]

I had TWO encounters with this old man..

First time is in Orchard, where he ask me 'how to walk to Hougang from here'? - In mandarin. I told him it's impossible because it's damn far.. So i advice him to take a bus or MRT.. Then he took out a 50cents coin and tell me that's all he left. So i handed a 2-dollar note and tell him to take bus to Hougang.

After months, i met him again at Beach Road! Initially i forgot how he look like already, but his exact same question and tactics stunned me.. Upon recalling the previous incident, i told him 'You asked me the exact same question before..'.. He tried to act blur and said he didn't.. etc.... And i just walk off, felt damn pissed off.

I felt that he have hands and legs, if he don't have money, he can work for it.. Don't have to become a cheater. ;(

Yes, there are such 'con men' amongst us. Your last para is cliqued and heard too often. The reality is that there are old and not so old men and women with hands and legs unable to get employment. I am not in favour of them adopting such modus operandi. Again, the reality is they do need to fill their stomachs daily too.

 

[glennyong]

i think met the same guy as u..... i was in Beach road too... i was with my whole unit of guys.... about 40-50 of us.. walking in a huge block... and i was in front as i was holding the highest rank, followed by my subordinates and younger cadets... i walked past the bakery shop and i asked if anyone needed to get some bread here, cuz i didnt want to waste time getting them to eat there... den....

this old man... very dark and short.. came forward.. asked if i have some coins for him to take bus.. i said i have some... so i took out some 20cents and gave him.... den he said.. somemore... in chinese.. so i said... i try and ask my cadets... we fork out like $2.50.... cuz all of them carried notes.... and there wasnt much coins...

and the worst part was... he asked for a $5 note.... i said.. no.. i dun haf any..i told him i carried cards i dun use cash... den he went to my cadets and ask for more...

without hesitation.. i called all of them ignore him and continue to the beach road hawker centre...den it made me feel so heartless... and bad... cuz at that particular moment, i knew he was some kind of a beggar or scammer who tries to cheat $...

he was tat lucky.... i was in uniform so i wasnt able to use profanities... if not.. he would have tasted my boots.... darn old man.... and if my boots were to land on his Ars* i guess he would need more $ to see the doctor of his piles and constipation.... kao.....

i think we have encounted the same guy..... i will remember to take his photo when i go to beach road of encountered him again.. this time i will take his photo and publish on the newspaper and report to the police.... ;( :angry:

 

[zha]

Yes, there are such 'con men' amongst us. Your last para is cliqued and heard too often. The reality is that there are old and not so old men and women with hands and legs unable to get employment. I am not in favour of them adopting such modus operandi. Again, the reality is they do need to fill their stomachs daily too.

I feel likewise.

There are still the needy ones amongst the population. If you are approached bu such persons, you'd have to make your own judgement I guess. But never treat them as "dirt". Ever heard of retribution?

Well, everyone's entitled to their own opinion...

 

[behyx]

Anyway, the man i met was in his 50s... around 150-160cm tall, very tanned. i told myself the next time i bump into him, i will take a photo of him...

 

[bigfatfish]

Anyway, the man i met was in his 50s... around 150-160cm tall, very tanned. i told myself the next time i bump into him, i will take a photo of him...

just scare him la , tell him " HOUGANG? very NEAR! Come, ah pek, I walk with you.... very fast one... 2 hours only. "

 

[Photominia]

just scare him la , tell him " HOUGANG? very NEAR! Come, ah pek, I walk with you.... very fast one... 2 hours only. "

:bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie: no no just tell him very near, 5 min walk from this direction ... but dont walk with him wait he got chance to ask for $$$, tell him walk himself!

 

[ericp]

C'mon guys, be nice. What's $5 ? One bak-chor mee and a couple of kopis ? He has to work hard to figure out who to target, you know ?

Seriously, it's not a lot of money, and whatever his reason or situation is, it doesn't really hurt you to donate that little bit. You wouldn't want to be in his situation, would you ? At least he doesn't need to resort to some of the things that I've seen overseas, e.g. using grubby kids, getting an injury and letting it fester ... it breaks your heart when you encounter that.

Even if he walks to a chauffeured Rolls Royce right after getting that $5 from you, you'd have an entertaining time wondering why :bsmilie:

 

[Drudkh]

if i get to meet such ppl, i would say "that's great! i'm walking to hougang/amk too. lets walk together!" :bsmilie:

 

[giddygoat]

never encountered the old man before but had lots of kids asking for money cos they apparently lost their wallets and had no money to top up their easylink cards. how true i'm not sure so just ask them to come along with me and topped it up for them at the counter rather than giving cash. once ran into this small kid in chinatown who asked me and my friend for money to take cab back home to telok blangah. he was like 7-8 years old and when asked what he was doing here he refused to answer. got his address, flagged down a cab, gave the uncle enough money and told him to send him to his home. better than giving cash just in case he actually wanna use it to buy the latest pokemon or yugi-oh cards.
i suppose if the old man in question makes a big deal, you can always stuff him in a cab and send him to hougang. just remember to ask the driver to keep the change.
if he is in need of money, ask properly. we are not heartless. just don't con us!!

 

[leadwe]

This thread reminded me of an incident when I was only 10 yrs old. I took a wrong bus and had to change bus to get back home. The problem was that I have no more $$, only one US$1 bill which my dad gave me as a gift. When i asked a lady sitting next to me if I could have 70 cents to get home, she chided me and rejected outright. She only agreed later to change my US$ bill for S$1.50... only then could I get home....

not sure what's the moral of the story but I guess if there is someone who asked me for $$ to get home and it doesn't seem unreasonable (not taking cab lah...), I will probably give.

 

[anthony.phua]

There are lots of these people around in Chinatown. Be careful when u r in the area.

There are also quite a number of old people in Chinatown who will do weird things (eg if u buy a can drink and sit down to drink, they will try to pour your drink into your cup without u asking so they can get the empty aluminium can).

I find it so ironic that it's sort of like a "slum" area just outside our wealthy CBD.

Anthony

 

[rusty]

Met the man at Bukit Merah Central 2 weeks back on a friday afternoon. He asked how to walk to Hougang, so i pointed him the direction. Then he said he only had 50 cents and wanted to have some cash to take a bus home cuz he didnt bring his wallet and nobody answered the phone when he called home so i gave him 2 dollars and he gave me the fiddy cents... i suspect he's the same guy.

There are many many poor people in singapore. Don't be surprised, some ppl who look well to do or in control of their lives might be heavily in debt either becoz of some probs or they donno how to live within their means. People who cheat are only making people like us think twice about helping people in need, kinda like the "boy who cried wolf" situation.

But i wouldnt generalise a person asking for money as a conman, it'll be better to assess each individual situation and decide.

 

[alechim]

Well not only old men, there are alot of PRC that uses the same tactic...they will act lost and said about having no cash to take public transport to their hotel blah blah...
I actually encounted such a couple in Orchard, well outta of gd will and giving them a benefit of doubt, I gave them $5 (thats all I have), but what I was pissed is that they even peek into my wallet when I was dishing out the cash!Then I know they are con men...well,there are "bad" people like them, else how will gd people like us exist?! hahahha