Oh, for simpler days, when sob-story people just asked for money to get to Worcester

I keep seeing these people on the Orange Line.. While they aren't disruptive, it's still annoying. I can deal with people at the stations or outside the stations doing this or begging for money.

But when I'm inside a train car.. I have no where to go. You've held me captive. I think it's illegal ("captive audience" comes to mind). The problem is.. these people are so quick about it. They come and drop the tissue and note down, and within a few minutes.. come back and sweep it back up, and they get off at the next stop. Long before any T officials (or TPD) can do anything about it. (this is why I try to take photos of the person, so the T folks can look at security cameras at stations)

Here's my recent tweets from Saturday about this...

Hey @MBTA and @MBTATransitPD can you please do something about these people. Its illegal. Today on orange line car #1202 @ 1249p Saturday pic.twitter.com/cyezxRy3YF

— Kris H (@cybah) June 10, 2017

And their reply:

Hello! Supervisors were notified of this at the time of your tweet and have investigated. Thanks for reaching out to us.

— MBTA (@MBTA) June 10, 2017

In order for a scammer to be viable, they have to adapt or adjust their tactics when people get wise to their previous scams. In this case, they're now using a passive, under-the-radar method to wring money out of the unsuspecting and not to attract attention.

That's why you rarely see Sob Story Person or Spare Change Guy anymore (although I have seen him on very rare occasions) - when people finally figured out their MOs they got wise to the scammers and ignored them.

I don't understand when they have time to collect money, how it makes it worth the time. They have barely set it down and I'm about to mention the scaminess of it to other riders when they pick it right up again.

And to the tweet reply to Annie O, of course it's a scam and not panhandling if they are inventing a story as opposed to just asking for money with no made up story.

I have read elsewhere, about the UK people maybe, that they are affiliated with human trafficking and organized crime, but... ? seems a very low level operation to really be connected to those? On the other hand they are clearly part of a group, I don't think people are just copy catting this method.

Last week, on my Orange Line ride home, the train stopped at Stony Brook (or maybe it was Jackson), the operator rushed out of her booth, some transit cops showed up, and they tossed a tissue-begger off the train. Good.

These are obviously organized groups. They all follow the same M.O., they have similarly printed leaflets, and as we see in the pictures here, they all seem to call their tissue packs "a napkin." At least they respect the right of most of the riders to totally ignore them.

Take their tissues and their cards.

The scam only works if they can use them over and over again.

If they accuse you of taking them, play dumb.

If the cards and napkins start disappearing, they'll have to figure out something else.

(And, yes, the "napkin" word usage is weird; makes me think it is some kind of organized scam/cult.)

I have been on trains several times when someone drops one of these on the seat beside me. I don't lift my eyes from my book when they drop it off or pick it up and it works fine. They are no more or less annoying than other people who ride the T. I'd like to ban people who have never learned to blow their nose, but they have a right to ride the T too.

Why do they give napkins when they're free everywhere? Do they own a napkin factory?

I've seen these people on the Red Line a few times. I've also seen Spare Change Guy soliciting within the confines of a moving Red Line car. I took his pic and reported to MBTA at the time.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As a rule, I just ignore these sorts of things but man oh man, during certain points of allergy or cold season, I would probably gladly fork over to avoid that dreaded snarf or desperate dig for a spare napkin. For myself and anyone sitting near me.