So this Deaf/Mute fellow came into my office

[JR6ooo4]

Reminds me of the the guys at the offramps from the expressways here in chicago. They do not pay any taxes on the money they get. One guy was followed by a newspaper reporter. After "work" he walked a block, got into his cadillac, and drove home to a house in shaumburg!!!

Mikeeee

 

[Crankyshank]

Hmm... I seldom have cash on hand. Think I should print out some cards so I can bum change off people?

The deaf mute thing is a very common scam around here lately.
At one traffic light down here by a park and a lot of traffic, there's one panhandler that hangs out at the corner and goes up to people waiting at the light, taps on their window, and begs for change. Or he gets in front of the vehicle and stares at them. For someone who is in need of cash, he showers and changes his clothes daily. And the other day he was smoking cigarettes. If you can afford smokes and all of those clothes, you don't need to panhandle.

 

[DisneyJules]

He was looking for a handout, not an honest living. I wonder if he was really a deaf/mute. What a jerk.

I've always been nevous about that in the past. Or even wondered if the person were really deaf in the first place. It wouldn't take much to get a hold of those cards and make a few bucks. I have however given money in the past and I don't kind helping someone out. But growing up, my friend's parents were both deaf. They both held stable jobs, were successful and raised a family of five. If they could do it, so could anyone else.

 

[Sir Ron]

Some people HONESTLY do not either read entire posts or they just choose to be contrarian. This is a well known scam and not a guy starving for a candy bar. Pre-printed business cards would be handy for all situations. geez.

 

[barkley]

I studied ASL and Deaf Culture and I can tell you it is a scam. Those people give Deaf folks a really bad name. That's how a lot of them make their living.

Dh and I were actually approached in a mall and the woman almost passed out when dh started signing to her!!

i know someone who will also start signing in these situations. so MANY times the person feigns only to know how to lip read. so then friend starts talking-but does not speak out loud, just talks. again-many a fraudulent person has been uncovered this way

 

[Cass]

Some people HONESTLY do not either read entire posts or they just choose to be contrarian.

Definately the latter

This is a well known scam and not a guy starving for a candy bar. Pre-printed business cards would be handy for all situations. geez.

We don't even have vending machines in the building! lol well I suppose he could have been anticipating the arrival of the coffee truck which comes by twice a day

 

[TheGoofster]

Reminds me of the the guys at the offramps from the expressways here in chicago. They do not pay any taxes on the money they get. One guy was followed by a newspaper reporter. After "work" he walked a block, got into his cadillac, and drove home to a house in shaumburg!!!

Mikeeee

That's interesting, I wonder if that is an urban myth because I heard about the same exact thing happening, but only in Greenville, SC.
It actually sounds a lot like a Sherlock Holmes story about a reporter who started investigating the poor and needy, so he went undercover, and found out that he made a lot more money panhandling then he did at his regular job. Of course SH nailed him.
Here in Mexico there are a lot of poor people always asking for handouts (whenever you eat at a restaurant you can expect to be approached by at least 2 or 3 of them). Although it is hard to say no, the fact is that more often than not it's also part of a racket. Often times ladies will be holding babies that aren't even theirs. What my wife and I like to do is if there are kids there we will buy the kids some food (especailly an ice cream), instead of giving the people money.

 

[MELSMICE]

I'm employed and I don't have any cash on me right now. But I'm not going to wander into a random office and ask a total stranger for money, no matter how badly I'd like a Snickers bar.

Thank you!

How many people do you know who print up a business card to get some spare change? Seems like this might be a recurring habit for this guy.

Exactly! I can hardly believe he would be able to afford pre-printed business cards if he's looking for handouts off the streets.

He was offered a legitimate job & chose not to take it. Seems to me that he isn't as hard up as he wants people to believe.

 

[Oreo Cookie]

OH good grief.....it is a racket.

I cannot tell you how many times I am in the Food Court Mall and they sweep in and pull this stunt.

Usually they give out a pin, or some token,your guy didn't even give you ANYTHING!, well except the finger.

I've seen it often too. It is a scam. Sad, but true.

 

[Disney Doll]

I have been approached by folks asking for money because they are "hungry & need to buy food". So I offer to buy food for them and they get angry.

Well, if you're hungry and someone offers to buy food for you, why would you get angry??? You're still getting the food.

Clealry, they don't want the money to buy food.

Same with your guy. Deaf/mute or not (which who knows if he really is?)...people who are honestly poor and down on their luck should take an opportuity to earn $$ if offered.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

It's a total scam. I've been approached many times by these people. I always shake my head no and walk on.

I grew up with a deaf sister and deaf people qualify to get Social Security Disability. If they don't want handouts, they can always try to get a job.

But, surprisingly, panhandling can be quite lucrative. Never give money to those that beg. Give them food or clothes or housing (if you can), but never give money. There are far too many out there that are just scamming people out of money.

 

[Camicar]

The deaf/mute scam has been around for decades. I remember on my first flight about 1977, I was approached in LaGuardia with this scam. Even at the age of 16, my natural NY suspiciousness was in full force and I told him to bug off. LOL

 

[Talking Hands]

Yesterday, this fellow walked into my office, I stood to greet him and ask could I help him. He thrust a business card at me that read something like "I'm a deaf mute, can you spare some change?'

Just a few moments earlier, my husband and I had been talking about hiring some more employees for general help.

I asked if he understood what I was saying (did he read lips) and he nodded yes, I asked him if he would like a job? I said he could start right away or the next day, whatever was good for him.

He pulled the card out of my hand, gave me the finger and stormed out of the office.

It is a scam that goes on in the Deaf community. These people have the equivalent of a pimp who provides the cards and they pay them a % of what they collect. Often the "pimp" get 95% and the deaf person 5%. I just tell them to get a job and they become really embarassed and usually leave the place. They want to deal with a person who can speak directly to them in ASL.
Just a heads up. The term deaf-mute is derogatory as is deaf and dumb. Deaf people are rarely mute (incapible of producing sound) but choose not to speak often because hearing people have a hard time understanding their speech. They take speech therapy for years in school only to find that what the therapist call good speech is in reality not understood by hearing people. Also although he said he understood you, it very well be he didn't. Many deaf adults cannot understand speech reading and even if they do only about 35% of Englsih sounds can be seen on the lips. The rest is context and guessing.
As a hard of hearing person with many deaf friends I do understand what we call deaf speak but I am used to it. Also I am pretty fluent in ASL and CASE as I have been through an ITP and function as an interpreter much of the time at church and for my friends. I have friends in the deaf community who will use voice and others you will never hear use voice. In fact, the gentleman who wrote my ASL linguistics textbook choose to use ASL exculsively and I never heard his voice ever. This man was a highly educated deaf person. He was able to teach me what a predicate was when no English teacher had ever been able to explain it to me. Deaf man taught me Englsih grammar!

My advice when deaf people show up with cards for begging is to either ignore them or ask them to leave. In my case I just tell them to get a job and stop begging.

 

[MushyMushy]

Reminds me of the the guys at the offramps from the expressways here in chicago. They do not pay any taxes on the money they get. One guy was followed by a newspaper reporter. After "work" he walked a block, got into his cadillac, and drove home to a house in shaumburg!!!

Mikeeee

When my DH worked in the city, he was always approached by the same panhandler during rush hour. Once in a while, he'd give him a few bucks, but other times just a friendly word or two. At one point he was stuck there for quite a while and they got to talking. The guy said he usually made about $120 in a day. Tax free. Not bad for a few hours' work!

Substitute teachers where I live make $75 a day and have to have a college degree and teaching certificate. Plus they get taxes taken out.

 

[suzannen]

A total scam that I fell for years ago. I was on the subway when a young man handed me the card and the pen. I gave him $2. At the next subway stop (my stop), he got off and was joined by another man. As I was following them up the stairs, he said to his friend "how much did you get?" I was totally shocked. Of course, I am not saying that all of these people are pretending to be deaf, but obviously a few are and since that one time, I have never ever let anyone hand me one of those cards ever again.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

That's true. Because people who are employed always have cash in their pockets

You seriously think this was just some average, hardworking person looking for money for a snack? With a pre-printed card? I can understand a card stating one's disability, but asking for money? Doesn't sound like someone who is just short a few cents for a candy bar, to me.

 

[Cass]

Just a heads up. The term deaf-mute is derogatory as is deaf and dumb.

I'm sorry, didn't mean to use derogatory terms

Honestly though, that's what it said on his card... there was a yellow happy face and then "Hello, I am a deaf mute..." then something about sparing change.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

i have to stop DISing before my coffee had kicked in. I read the OP as the guy handed her a card saying he was deaf and wrote "can you spare some change?" not that it was on the card. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding and being a smart ****.

Yes, definitely a scam.

I applaud you and your husband for wanting to hire some general help and all that, but I think it's a little dangerous to just offer someone a job who just walked in off the street.

 

[Cass]

No problem Lindsay

Thanks for explaining. I've hired lots of people who walk in, sometimes high school kids with no experience or resumes, sometimes someone a little desperate looking. One of our employees (who is make 40k+ now) started out as a walk-in at 8.00 an hour (10 years ago)

I'm not too nervous about it, we run 24 hours and have lots of guys to help if there is a problem.

 

[DawnCt1]

If I just needed $.50 for a vending machine and someone offered me a job instead, I may be a little peeved, too.

Or maybe he was looking for enough money for a bottle of Thunderbird. Maybe he really couldn't read lips. Maybe he could hear.