Teen Scam Artists

Thanks for the tip. Where is your neighborhood?

I had a youth on a bike ride up to the Durty Bird Patio (9-10PM) and tell us he was selling candy bars for school whatever. No identifying school shirt, jersey, etc. They were mixed king sized candy bars in a tupperware container. He proceeded to go table to table and then into the bar area. Finally he left. I head from Point Place Block watch on FB that there has been kids in Kroger's parking lot doing the same thing, again with no identifying school paraphernalia.

Wasn't there a woman that was raped recently in her apartment somewhere in South Toledo, and this is how the rapist gained entry into her house? I seem to recall something about him saying he was selling candy for a fundraiser...

I was at the Shell gas station on Reynolds at Angola and had the same things happen...however, they claimed they were selling them as a fundraiser for Whitmer football.

I was also accosted outside Doc Watson's in a similar situation.

Dell..you are right...that is how it happened...

smbfc - We had a similar situation outside of the building I work at where customers would be approached by kids selling similar items. Candy bars and candles and such. We spoke with the police and the police explained that these children are often exploited by parents and relatives with drug habits. We also noticed that the children were dropped off occasionally and almost always had an adult somewhere in the picture.

When I was a kid I was industrious and used to sell gold balls I would find on gold courses but no adult was pushing me to do it and I was not misrepresenting a cause.

Call the TPD non emergency line to make it more difficult for the parents to exploit these kids.

Gold balls? Any relation to Goldmember?

: ) typo

GOLF BALLS...

But... Gold balls would have rocked too!

We get this all the time downtown when we are walking on our lunch break. Selling candy bars for "Churches or School crap" ...it happens usually every other day when we walk..oh that and the occasional floating dead body.

I had a young man trying to sell me candles at work. I didn't know the kid, he wasn't from the neighborhood so i didn't buy any. Occasionally the neighborhood kids do sell the candy but they always tell me i live down the street at so and so address and its for my team (or whatever) those kids, i usually clean them out. 8-)

About three weeks ago, I was walking out of the Savers on Secor when a kid about 12 holding a box of candy approaches me.

Kid: "Excuse me, sir -"
Me: "No thanks."
Kid, under his breath when I was about 20 feet away: "Racist motherf--ker."

So that was nice.

In Chicago, there are kids that go around trying to let them "shine" your shoes. Really, they just squirt something like hand lotion on them and then want $10. Often, they will waylay tourists by getting the lotion on one shoe and then you have to let them finish. Well, I lived there and knew their M.O., so would always try to avoid them. One time, I said no thanks when I saw one and tried to go around him. Apparently pissed, he squirted lotion all down the back of one of my pant legs. The worst part? I didn't know it until I got back to the office and someone asked me why I had, umm, "male genetic material" all over my leg.

I only buy from kids in my neighborhood that I know. We have had other people canvass our neighborhood, but when I ask them where they are from, the stories begin. I just say I only support Oregon, Ohio teams and that is the end.Lots of kids take up a street corner outside sporting events...some legit, probably some not. Seems like there is a different group outside certain retail establishment every time I am around.

I get it all the time. Things that I think about doing but never seem to do:
1) immediately taking their photo ("it's for our file") and asking them to sign a liability waiver.
2) opening the door a little and screaming "Hey honey, it's another one" "Let the dog out again. Quick! He looks fast."

3) (Through the door) "Slide three forms of ID under the door and have a seat on the bench to your left. I'll be back in a minute."

4) "I can't open the door because there is an escaped convict and they told us not to go outside until they get him."

5) Talk over them nervously, trying to get them to give me 5 bucks because my crazy neighbor is coming over and if I don't give him the 5 bucks he is going to kill me. "In fact, can you wait here? He can do anything while you are here, unless he gets us both." (Then don't tell them which house is the crazy neighbor)

I don't answer the door if I'm not expecting visitors. Problem solved!

I try that, but they find me.

On Sunday a Jehovah's Witness wandered into the path of my lawnmower in the back yard, forcing me to shut it down.
I was not impressed.

I have about a 350ft. long driveway, so lots of land. When people come to my house, I let the dogs out to greet them. Combined about 165 lbs. of dog running full out barking at them. Priceless to watch their reactions.

Wow he has balls of gold, must match his heart.
With the price of gold now imagine if you still had them all.
That was truly a funny misspell.

I remember a comedian think he called himself your uncle Larry, talked about Jehovah's Witnesses coming to his door and wanted to invite them in to join in the sacrificing of a goat.

Ace-I know what you mean about Chicago. A few years back my husband and I went there for a long weekend. First time either of us had been there. We had seen those shoe shiners, but one night we got cornered. I had on nice dress pumps along with hose, and before I could get away these kids took their black cloth and "shined" the whole top of my foot up to my ankle. Besides ruining my hose, I had to walk back to our hotel looking like I had boots on!
As far as kids coming to the door, we have a "NO SOLICITORS" sign on our door. Doesn't always work though, as sometimes they claim they are not selling anything..My mom had to call the cops on a Kirby sweeper guy once. They refused to leave her house. They vaccumed her carpet so hard for so long that the backing was starting to come up. When people knock on my door, they'll see me open it, hear me tell them "No Thanks!" and see the door closed back in their face (except for legit neighborhood school kids/scouts, of course!)

When I was a kid I was industrious and used to sell gold balls...

I presume you sold when the price topped out, just before the inevitable slide down a few dollars.

...I would find on gold courses...

So you didn't have to actually mine the gold? Just go out to the old gold course and hunt for the gold balls? Nice deal you had there.

_ ...but no adult was pushing me to do it..._

I wouldn't think so, with the price of gold being the way it is. What happened, did the supply run out?