I gave him directions to the nearest gas station; he had an excuse. I offered to give him a hand, he had an excuse. I finally said "take me to your car so I can see this flat tire" and he refused.

I just walked away, and that's when he started screaming crap about how I was racist and how I'd help him if he were white. Yeeaaaaaaaah.

He got me out in front of the Pru on Boylston a few years ago. Flat tire, kid in the car, needed a can of fix a flat for $7 and change. I never give into these guys, but he was persistent, well dressed and it was Christmas time. I gave him $10 to leave me alone basically, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I got had. Who would leave a little girl alone in the car in downtown Boston? He even asked how he could get me the change back since it didn't cost $10 for what he needed. I just wrote it off as a Christmas donation, but it reminded me to stay on my toes. Sucks for anyone I encounter from here on out who is actually in an emergency. I should have just walked to the hardware store on Newbury to buy him the stuff.

This guy!

By BostonUrbEx on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 4:30pm.

Can't believe this guy is still on the streets. Hope he finally gets run out of town some day soon.

After reading his guy's

By RhoninFire on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 4:57pm.

After reading his guy's history. He should be run out of town, eastwards, starting from the BU Bridge since he likes to be around BU so much.

Is that Sob Story Guy or just another sob-story guy?

By MC Slim JB on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 4:36pm.

I thought I knew who the Sob Story Guy frequently mentioned here was, but the person I always assumed UH posters were talking about was the fellow I see using this same scam ("car broke down / was towed, need money for commuter rail fare"). He works the streets near Back Bay Station and occasionally in the South End: a white guy in his late 20s with brown hair, occasionally accompanied by a young blond woman, both looking a bit street-hardened.

I think Sob Story Guy is a

By Matt, North End on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 4:41pm.

I think Sob Story Guy is a generic type now, like Cuts Fingernails on the Train Girl, rather than a specific person. I've seen at least a dozen people trying to pull it off over the years.

Pretty sure this is just a sob story guy

By 413 on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 5:03pm.

Not Sob Story Guy™, who is a (probable) drug addict who hassles people for money to see relatives in Springfield/Worcester around South Station and Back Bay. There's also a middle age guy who has a younger woman with him who pulls a similar stunt.

There are more than a few Sob Story Guys in the city...

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 5:09pm.

The one who didn't like to have his picture taken, I've never seen before... I would NEVER suspect a guy that clean-cut and well dressed to beg like that.

The Sob Story Guy I've always encountered on the T absolutely looks homeless, always wearing a thick red winter jacket, even in summertime.

Ya, the clean cut thing throws you off.

By downtown-anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 6:19pm.

I had a middle age white guy about 3 months ago. Claimed to be from Hingham. Seemed legite until he showed me a government ID which is what you get when you can't get a drivers licence. Had cell phone. Fast talking should be the clue.

I've met a sob-story woman

By anon on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 8:50am.

I've met a sob-story woman who looked quite clean cut and professional, but asked for money for a cab and did the whole standard "I just left my wallet at home, if you give me your address I'll mail the money back" line.

If these sob story people

By anon on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 10:47am.

If these sob story people appear clean cut, well dressed, and professional looking, it tells me they are NOT homeless. They are living SOMEWHERE where they can maintain their look. Elliot Davis (the main character Sob Story Guy in this discussion) is definitely a professional conman and with a police record to back it up. As it was previously mentioned, he finished serving jailtime earlier this year. And still had some place to stay, maintain good hygeine, and resume conning people. The well-groomed appearance (if you look at it from the Bad Guy's point of view) works as you can easily blend into the crowd fast after robbing/conning someone. It will make you harder to find especially if the police are actively looking for you. I'm assuming Mr. Davis has been doing this for many years, and likely learned from his police encounters to keep a lookout for any cruisers and officers in his hangout spots before doing his "thing."

It was mentioned at the beginning of the discussion that he was starting to get violent. Thats not a good sign. It tells me he's getting desperate or getting more sloppy, or getting stupid, or simply doesn't care anymore (as long as he gets the cash). Perhaps all of the above. I expect this guy to get worse.

Spoiling it for the rest of us

By Annetters on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 3:46pm.

Now I'm afraid of the day that I'll GENUINELY need something and every passerby will ignore me for being one of *these* types. It'll happen the day I need to board a bus and realize there's no cash in my pocket. It'll happen the day my Debit card rejects my pin. Can I have a dollar anyone?

Won't matter that I'm dressed in clean clothing and look like a professional. Won't matter if I ask them for a way to pay them back - it'll only look worse.

No,no,no,no

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 4:44pm.

The real Sob Story Guy is a a short, white dude, homeless, I judge to be anywhere from late 20s - mid 30s, balding; he gets on crowded trains, waits for the doors to close, then starts crying and giving his spiel about needed $ to get to [fill in the town] to meet his: parole officer, 3rd cousin who is letting him crash, shelter and/or detox of some kind.]

The way you handle a guy like Davis is being aggressive right back at him. You DO NOT in the first pl;ace engage in ANY conversation with him, period. And make it very clear he needs to F-off. I imagine he knows who to target and picks certain neighborhoods. He certainly wouldn't pull that crap with me.

Crying sob story needs to get to Worcester guy

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 5:39pm.

The other night I saw the famed high pitched whining/crying "I need to get to Worcester/Springfield in 20 minutes (Yeah, right) to get a bed in a shelter/detox/see my family" sob story guy on the Government Center Blue Line platform running his scam. I'd NEVER seen him trying it on the Blue Line before. He tended to stick to the Green and Red lines. I guess he is expanding his territory.

I usually see Worcester sob story guy

By roadman on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 2:04pm.

trying to hit up waiting commuter rail passengers at North Station. For a while, he was actually brazen enough to walk through commuter rail trains waiting to leave. But most of the conductors put a stop to that pretty quiclky.

Offers ID

By WhatTheBins on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 5:51pm.

I like how this guy offers a different ID of himself from an area school/hospital/business to legitimize his claim for assistance. He doesn't like my suggestions to seek assistance from his school/hospital/business, which would be much more likely to offer negligible, temporary financial assistance to a verified student/employee than some random passer-by.

I have a feeling suit sob man

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 7:25pm.

I have a feeling suit sob man is himself a racist for accusing someone for being racist who clearly didn't do anything to be accused of that other than not give him money. Pisses me off. He must have a metal issue. The agression part makes me think he's not all there. Wtf is up with the suit too... What goes though that guys mind???

Faneuil Hall

By Robert Paulson on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 6:56pm.

This guy came up to me last week at Faneuil Hall. I had seen his tactic used a few times. They carry a "fancy" leather bound binder with pages inside detailing the charity they are raising money for. I was once asked if I wanted to donate money to end racism and when I told the guy that money wouldn't help he started yelling in park street that I was racist. This guy here said he was raising money for AIDS. When I said no he stood in front of me aggressively asking me for my time and then he asked if I had no holiday spirit to which I responded "not yet." What a joker.

The guys with the books

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 10:27pm.

I remember those guys with the books from as far back as the 80s at least. On occasion when I would pass them and they would ask for money (their come on was something like "hello brother, shake a black hand") I would politely decline as I moved along. They would yell after me that I was racist. It bugged me at first that they would misinterpret me that way, until I realized they were doing this to everybody. Are these guys a legitimate charity? Using tactics like that I can't believe they are still around.

Wow

By anonx3 on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 8:57pm.

It's really depressing how many Boston Redditors seem to have given this guy $20 or more. We're supposed to be the grouchiest most cynical city in the country, people! If this scammer moved to the Midwest, he'd be King of Oshkosh by now.

Are you kidding me? All the

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 11:54pm.

Are you kidding me? All the idiots that go to the schools in the Boston area feed the con artist and "homeless" population. Why do you think places like Harvard Square or Central are full of these people.

He's still here?

By Jason on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 10:54pm.

He got me for $20 back when I was at NU, must have been 2006 or so. Jumped out at me on my bike near Longwood and gave me a great story about a kid in the hospital and a flat tire. Well dressed, convincing story, gave me his cell phone number and even took the watch off his wrist and gave it to me as collateral. When I got to the bar my friend noticed the watch was still sporting the made in China sticker. I kept the watch as a souvenir for years.

The sad thing about this guy is that strangers have helped me more than once through the years when I was really hard up. People like him make it all the more likely that people who really do need help won't get it

Damn. There are an awful lot

By anon on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 10:40am.

Damn. There are an awful lot of suckers in this city.

This guy...

By anon on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 1:13pm.

Gets around. I remember him from 5 years or so ago, in East Boston, on Marginal St. of all places. Same basic premise, well dressed (better than me by a long shot!) I was walking my dog, he gave me a story about being totally lost and needing a cab to get home - car with a flat tire, etc.The only reason I remember is because I thought it odd for anybody to panhandle on such a desolate street, early in the morning. BUT, I know it was him because I encountered him at least once more in the same place. Made me think that maybe he lived in East Boston.

Sob-story guy doesn't like his picture taken

Comments

Support Universal Hub

In other Fenway news