Q: I also fell for the scam at Interstate 880 and Montague three weeks ago. A well-dressed man, offering a Rolex watch for money to catch a plane, wanted a couple of hundred and was not happy with the $20 I gave him. The problem is that sometime when someone really needs help, we won’t stop.
Dennis Kennedy, Santa Cruz
A: I thought the first reader who wrote a few weeks ago about a possible roadside scam would be the only one. Boy, was I wrong.
Q: I was walking my dog in the Rose Garden area when a man in an expensive SUV pulled up, said he was running out of gas, had lost his wallet and was trying to catch a flight at the San Jose airport. He offered a gold ring in exchange for gas money.
When I told him I only had $2, he suggested we could go to an ATM to get more. That is when I suspected a scam and said no.
Dennis Meidinger, San Jose
A: And…
Q: I was in San Francisco when a fellow with a child asked if I could help him with gas money because his car around the corner was empty. I said, “Sure, pull your car into the filling station over there and I’ll fill up your tank.” He then confessed, a bit sheepishly, that it was a scam. Even some grifters have basic morals.
Charles Neuhauser, Sunnyvale
A: And…
Q: I ran into the scam at the Thornton Avenue onramp on southbound 880 in Fremont. It looked like they had car trouble, so I stopped to help.
A man ran up and I rolled my window down partway. He gave me a sob story and wanted money to go to Canada. I had no cash but said I would call AAA to help. As I pulled out my AAA card, he said that wasn’t needed, ran back to his vehicle and drove off very fast. I could not safely catch up to him to get his license plate info, so let it go.
Norman Howell
A: Be on the alert for these scammers. If someone by the side of the road appears to need help, try 911.
Q: I live near Santa Teresa Boulevard. There is a large pine tree on the north side of the road, between Snell and Blossom Avenue. The tree has several dead limbs that overhang several lanes. If any of them were to drop, it could be very dangerous.
Is there anything that can be done about this before an accident happens?
Milovan Milutin,San Jose
A: I sent your request to the city. They will send someone to look at it.
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Source: www.mercurynews.com