Would you let a stranger on the street use your phone?

ejmaztec · 03-07-2012 01:39AM

hondasam wrote: »

Depending on the circumstances if someone was distressed or upset them yes I would other than that probably not.

They could be stressed or upset because someone just ran off with their phone after "borrowing" it for a minute.:(

Karen23 · 03-07-2012 01:45AM

Karen23 wrote: »

Looking at it from the other persons view I'd hate to be a genuine person in need of a phone and nobody would help but of course I can understand why people wont help each other anymore.

I was in an Aldi carpark and approached by a guy in working gear and gave me a story about just finishing work and he'd run out of petrol and had no money and could I help him out. I gave him whatever loose change I had in my purse but afterwards I realised how stupid I was to take my purse out when he could easily have grabbed it. It never dawned on me at the time because it was a busy car park and I'd seen him ask other people too.

Found out later on that this is a regular scam going on in shopping centre car parks.

Pushtrak wrote: »

I'm sorry, but what is the scam? People grabbing handbags or people dressing up and asking for money?

People pretending to have run out of petrol on the way home from work and wanting you to help them out when this hasn't happened at all and they're using this as a cover instead of the usual '' any odds '' cos that doesn't work anymore.

B.A._Baracus · 03-07-2012 01:53AM

MrReynholm wrote: »

A lot?

No, not really. A small amount are out to rob you or similar. A very small amount.

So small that I'm not going to be a dick to every stranger on the off chance they're one of them. I'll do as I've always done and trust my judgement of the person by the way they're dressed, talking and acting. I'll re-evaluate things if it ever does wrong of me.

and i'll remain cautious of most people as my experience has lead me to believe

B.A._Baracus · 03-07-2012 01:56AM

Karen23 wrote: »

People pretending to have run out of petrol on the way home from work and wanting you to help them out when this hasn't happened at all and they're using this as a cover instead of the usual '' any odds '' cos that doesn't work anymore.

Ah the ol' tapping story :pac:

After a while you hear so many. From "you wouldnt have a euro for bus fare?" to "I lost my wallet, you couldnt help me out with..."

Jesus Wept · 03-07-2012 02:01AM

Diego Maradona wrote: »

Scummer in a tracksuit, no! Little old lady, yes.

Scummers grow up to be little old ladies eventually. :eek:

Kirby · 03-07-2012 02:05AM

It depends. On the street? Definitely not. In a shop or on a bus or somewhere like that.... I would. I've been in similar situations before and kind people have let me use their phone so I always like to return the favour. But I would never just hand it over in the middle of the street. It could be gone in jig time.

SweetCaliber · 03-07-2012 02:13AM

For the money it would cost I'd just give them a euro to use a local payphone, that way you wont have anyone running away with a €600 phone.

kumate_champ07 · 03-07-2012 02:27AM

lee3155 wrote: »

For the money it would cost I'd just give them a euro to use a local payphone, that way you wont have anyone running away with a €600 phone.

so you suspect someone of being interested in robbing your phone and you give them 1euro? why give them anything

kumate_champ07 · 03-07-2012 02:29AM

it depends on the person and you shouldnt judge them on their appearance either. Ive let some 'dodgey looking' people use my phone because they genuinely needed to make a call, they didnt run away with it

read their body language, make eye contact, listen to their voice, make up your mind if its genuine or a scam/potential robbery

SweetCaliber · 03-07-2012 02:42AM

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

so you suspect someone of being interested in robbing your phone and you give them 1euro? why give them anything

No but I wouldn't take the chance, they could be down to earth and could leg it with the phone!

You'd be surprised.

TheStook · 03-07-2012 03:13AM

I remember on holidays a couple of years ago, my mam asks some genuine looking chap to take a photo of us, he says ok so we hand him the camera and whaddya know, he sprints off like Usain ****ing Bolt. Good feckin camera it was aswell.
Not the same but the same principle.
So no.

JohnMearsheimer · 03-07-2012 03:38AM

I did once in a supermarket in Vancouver. I gave a girl in front of me in the queue who seemed high as a kite a loan of my phone so she could call a taxi. She asked the checkout girl what the cross street of the supermarket just before she asked for my phone so I said feck it. She didn't do a runner with it anyway.

Carlos Orange · 03-07-2012 03:44AM

Sad Professor wrote: »

Would you let a seemingly genuine person on the street use your phone under any circumstances? Obviously nobody is going to let some tracksuit-wearing scumbag who is slurring every second word use their phone. But how do you determine if someone is genuine? Or are you a deeply suspicious person who would refuse everyone regardless?

Happened to me last week so I know the answer is no.

Then again it was also 11pm on an empty street, iirc he was wearing a tracksuit, it was my second day with a brand new phone and I was much more interested in getting home than entering into conversation.

The day before in daylight when I had two working phones in my pocket and a business man it might have been different.

beks101 · 03-07-2012 04:38AM

I had this used on me as a pick-up line recently. Very creepy.

Some dude randomly stopped me as I was walking to work along a busy street in Toronto, seemingly distressed, asked if he could use my phone to call his boss coz he was running late for an important meeting.

He was in a suit and not dodgy looking, so I totally and completely reluctantly agreed, asked him what the number was, put it in and handed it to him half-jokingly saying 'if you run off I've got about 100 witnesses'.

He then pretended to wait for an answer for a few seconds, then said, 'well I've got your number now, I'm Jay, can I call you sometime?'

Kinda freaked me out for the rest of the day to be honest, expecting this random guy to pop up on my phone at any moment. Creepy McCreeperson.

Oranage2 · 03-07-2012 05:53AM

yep i would if the person looked genuine.

i remember letting a junkie use it at the museum luas stop, he looked a good skin and he wanted to call his mates, he even offered me his sleeve so he didn't run off but i refused the offer - well afterwards i had 'Deco' ringing me about. heroin for the next week.

fasttalkerchat · 03-07-2012 05:56AM

I was locked out of the house with no phone or wallet. After 6 hours waiting on housemates to come home I asked a neighbour (didn't know her) could I use her phone because I was locked out. She said no. Not that she didn't have credit, just no. I couldn't believe it!

kegzmc · 03-07-2012 06:25AM

1ZRed wrote: »

Everyone has expensive iPhones and smartphones these days including me so the answer is not no, but FŪCK NO!

It's the same thing no matter how you say it. No is your answer.

saiint · 03-07-2012 09:10AM

ya i would no problem

i have one of those big blokia phones from the 80's
i need a reason to get a new one....

Fizzlesque · 03-07-2012 09:13AM

Yes, I would and have done. I don't have an iPhone or Smartphone, just the standard phone the kind a thief would probably upgrade for you if they ended up snatching it. Depends on who's asking, where I am, mood I'm in, vibe I get off the person, etc., but yeah, sometimes I would.

efb · 03-07-2012 09:15AM

beks101 wrote: »

I had this used on me as a pick-up line recently. Very creepy.

Some dude randomly stopped me as I was walking to work along a busy street in Toronto, seemingly distressed, asked if he could use my phone to call his boss coz he was running late for an important meeting.

He was in a suit and not dodgy looking, so I totally and completely reluctantly agreed, asked him what the number was, put it in and handed it to him half-jokingly saying 'if you run off I've got about 100 witnesses'.

He then pretended to wait for an answer for a few seconds, then said, 'well I've got your number now, I'm Jay, can I call you sometime?'

Kinda freaked me out for the rest of the day to be honest, expecting this random guy to pop up on my phone at any moment. Creepy McCreeperson.

Surely Jay Rae Jefferson, Carly's brother???

saiint · 03-07-2012 09:21AM

Fizzlesque wrote: »

Yes, I would and have done. I don't have an iPhone or Smartphone, just the standard phone the kind a thief would probably upgrade for you if they ended up snatching it. Depends on who's asking, where I am, mood I'm in, vibe I get off the person, etc., but yeah, sometimes I would.

you must stand their starring into space thinking about all that before you give an answer to the person
by which time they've probably walked off ha

doughef · 03-07-2012 09:23AM

on the other hand..

I was just after completing the Dublin City Marathon a few years ago.,
I had seen all the gang cheering me on about 500 m from the finish, however when I finished and came out the back I couldnt find anyone so I asked a nice lady could I use her phone..

She said yes... and after I used it I had to wipe it for a few mins to get rid of the sweat :eek:

TouchingVirus · 03-07-2012 09:28AM

Depends on the person & circumstances of their needing my phone. I'd no battery left and needed to call my sister when at a festival last year, some really nice girl let me use her phone but insisted we sit down first so I didn't do a runner. I'd do something similar I would imagine.

biko · 03-07-2012 09:35AM

You're my phone now Dave!

but real answer, depends where I was.

kfallon · 03-07-2012 09:40AM

Depends on the circumstances but in any case I'd prob want to be holding them by the scruff of the neck as they make the call :pac:

emeraldstar · 03-07-2012 09:48AM

I have done once or twice in the past when my phone was the shittest piece of shit imaginable, barely worthy of being called a phone, but most likely I wouldn't now with my smartphone.

charlietheminxx · 03-07-2012 09:48AM

I've done this twice recently.... I wouldn't lend it to everybody, if I got a dodgy vibe I would say no, but I use my cop on and it's been fine.

I've been stuck myself and would probably never ask anyone though, I'd rather go to payphone than ask a stranger.

JustAddWater · 03-07-2012 09:51AM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

El Weirdo wrote: »

What utter nonsense.

Not in England or the US.

Great, next time I'm on hols I'll remember to say no then....

Carter P Fly · 03-07-2012 10:00AM

I have lent a phone on more then one occasion and my wife has borrowed one on more then one occasion.

I dont believe people who say its a blanket NO. If a girl who was obviosly in distress needed to borrow your phone, even your precious poxy Iphone, you would lend it to her.

03-07-2012 10:03AM

I let a woman use my phone once, she said she was on her way back to the hospital, she appeared to be out for a few hours

no harm done

generally speaking though, not a chance

Would you let a stranger on the street use your phone?

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