Something Smells Funny, And It's Not My Feet.

I normally fill up on petrol at the Engen in Tokai, near the Blue Route Mall, as the staff there basically have sex with my car, such is their love and gentle touch, which makes the automobile giddy and giggly like a little school girl.

The other day, whilst having my tyres checked, a shabbily dressed man leaned into my window and tried to speak with me. Instinctively, my finger reached for the window button, swiftly jamming his head up against the roof of the car - a suitable punishment for his act of insolence. He proved to be quite a tenacious bugger though - the sharp pains in his neck didn't seem to affect him - and he carried on speaking to me, his head firmly wedged in by my electric window.

Basically he needed some change for petrol, he was on his way to Fish Hoek, and had managed to run out of gas.

What difference my R5 would make in the greater scheme of things was beyond me, but I was feeling in a charitable mood, and so flung him some change as I pulled away, freeing him from the vice like grip I had him in.


Shaun - In A Charitable Mood

I didn't think much of it at the time, as I had just consumed 17 beers at the Brass Bell, and was thus more concerned with other pressing issues, such as where I lived, what my name was, and why there was a Hispanic gentleman tied up in my boot.

I was reminded of this incident yesterday however, when ANOTHER shabbily dressed man approached me at the SAME station, ALSO asking for petrol money. I'm not sure if it was the same guy (these white people all look the same) but I'm pretty sure that it was. I refused on this occasion - as I was feeling bitter and mean-spirited - and then watched as he shuffled back to his little Corsa, and just chilled there, waiting around for the next car to pull up.

Have our beggars evolved? Do they have cars now? I'm pretty sure he was going to mill around there long after I had left. I would imagine he could easily make a couple of hundred rant if he spent the day there, collecting R2 and R5 coins from customers feeling sorry for his sad little predicament.

I don't know if I am just being cynical, but I'm pretty sure this is some kind of con.

After all, can people be so stupid that they run out of petrol?

But they managed to make it to a petrol station?

How far can Fish Hoek BE anyway?



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