"I need some money for the meter" at 6am

[Mark]

grrr, the door buzzer went at 6am, it was a woman "Hi, sorry to disturb you, I'm desperate for some money for the meter, ?4 is all I need. We've got no electricity". My spidey senses immediately tingled as I know other people have mentioned her before on the forum so I told her to hang on, I'll bring some money down in a minute and my girlfriend's called the police, then watched out the window. See her run, considering how she was desperate she was for ?4 I thought she would have waited. If she comes to you, call the police on 020 7378 1212 whilst she's there. She's black, short hair, mid 30's and my neighbour, who also saw her, said she can sometimes be seen outside the EDT asking people for cigarettes.

[ratty]

I think I know her and if so then she may suffer from Mental Health problems so please don't get too angry with her. :(

On a slightly differnet tack - do meters take cash anymore? I thought they were all cards now!

[Mark]

You're right, she said that she needed money to top up her meter card at the garage.

[downsouth]

I got stung by her once. "Kid were in the cold, husband was at work". Never again!

[Asset]

She's been to me too, a couple of years ago, but my neighbour (who had previously shelled out some cash to her) recognised her and sent her off with a flea in her ear. I can't believe she's been scamming the area for so long! She must have done nearly all the houses in ED by now.

[downsouth]

I'm in West Dulwich so she works a big patch!

[Asset]

Probably earns more than me (student, so not that difficult!)

[Catalyst]

From the looks of her I'd say her outgoings were fairly substantial.

[dulwichbloke]

She did us at 5am about 6 months ago! I was so tired and confused so early in the morning (having been woken up) that I didn't get up the nouse to punch her hard in the mush! It took me 15 mins of raging (because I couldn't get back to sleep) before I decided that I should have done that. Obviousy, in reality I would never have done such a thing, but I wished I had called the Police or at least given her some verbal abuse. To top it all, she started off by saying (she claimed to be locked out from a flat across the road) that she had waited before ringing the bell, until a reasonable time to allow people to be up and out of bed! Like she was doing me a favour. Bloody cheek!

At least she didn't get any money from me, although she kindly volunteered to accompany me to a cashpoint!! Nice.

If she miscalculates and comes around again, I shall not be so hopelessly polite to her.

[*Bob*]

I have pre-filled a bucket with water - just in case she comes our way.

[ratty]

Hmm maybe it is not the person I thought it was then. Sounds a lot more malicious!

[Nero]

Instead of raging, why not jsut say, firmly, 'I'm sorry, I don't want to help you. Goodbye' and close the door. Simple. Nero

[Barry Rhode]

"I need some money for the meter"

"I'd love to help you but I need ?5 to top up my pay-as-you-go mobile so I can call the police..."

[nancysmum]

she did us at 8am a couple of saturday mornings ago (worlingham road).

[Jah Lush]

Anyone knocking on my door at such a ridiculously early hour would get short shrift from me. In fact, I'd probably sleep through it anyway. I don't answer the door to anyone unless I'm expecting someone to call.

[dulwichbloke]

Thanks for the advice Nero, but that is pretty much what I did (I was ridiculously polite to her) and I regretted it... it wasn't "simple" as you suggest - I had been woken at 5am after 3 hours sleep and had to work later in the morning, so I was completely f*cked off. The reference to raging was to me raging as I lay in bed unable to get back to sleep - thanks to the inconsiderate lowlife having woken me up with her fraudulent scam.

[dulwichbloke]

She clearly (and cynically) chooses to wake people up at 5 or 6am precisely because she hopes they will be too tired to think straight. A bucket of water is due to her.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Maybe she's just dying for a bit of whatever it is she takes and there aren't any shops to nick stuff from at that hour, or people on the street to beg off, so she knocks you lot up in the hope she'll get enough money to score.

I'm glad I sleep like the dead, cos I'd be less than happy at someone waking me up that early!

[Oily Telly Tyke]

I'm impressed you asked your girlfiend'S!

nice work

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

??

[snorky]

Mentally ill or not - this is threatening & unnaceptable - if it was a man banging on the door, you would call the filth like a shot.

She knows there is a niche in the market for a female hard luck vendor and is exploiting it.

dont give them anything, it only serves to exaggerate the problem im sorry to say

[boosboss]

ChavWivaLawDegree Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ??

It's in the OP "and my girlfriend's called the police"

>:D<

[Mark]

yeah ok, they couldn't decide who should call the police so they all called the police. Must have been about six or seven of them.

And back on topic, the skanking lady who preys on people's better nature also has been doing the same in Camberwell a friend tells me. She asked for ?4 but was given ?10 because my friend's nice like that, well she was but isn't any more because of the aforementioned skanking lady.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

haha ok, bit slow sorry!

[Louisa]

If this woman ever knocked on my front door at such an ungodly hour, I would be extremely polite, tell her to wait there whilst I go and get my purse, then calmly walk into the kitchen, grab my extended car washing hose, walk upstairs, attach it to the cold tap on my bath and turn the tap as far to the right as is humanly possible, walk into the upstairs front bedroom open the window and switch the side clip on the front of the hose, and drench her whilst calling her numberous rude words, and watch her run off soaked to the bone. I would then smile and get back into bed. The end.

Louisa.