Can I borrow your phone?!

[thebishopp]

Could also snap a quick photo with your phone for future identification (can give to pd if you get them involved.

 

[lrahm]

Any way to get your information. They call someone and now on their ID shows your name and number. Google that and that will get and address and a date of birth.

 

[zibby43]

Could also snap a quick photo with your phone for future identification (can give to pd if you get them involved.

Good piece of advice for the future!

Any way to get your information. They call someone and now on their ID shows your name and number. Google that and that will get and address and a date of birth.

That's disconcerting.

 

[Scutter01]

Any way to get your information. They call someone and now on their ID shows your name and number. Google that and that will get and address and a date of birth.

Couldn't they just pick a random name out of the phone book? They can even get the address there without having to Google it. Seems like a lot of trouble just to get a name and number.

 

[kwatters]

Sounds pretty crazy. I don't think cell phones are worth stealing though. She might of really been scared and needed help...or crazy

My old iphone is 4 years old and still going for over $100 on Ebay...
Replacement cost for my new phone if I don't have a contract is $600.00

 

[dailylc]

What crime was committed? Someone asked to borrow his phone. Cops have better things to do than to deal with calls like that and by the time they get out there, she'll be long gone.

SO what you are saying is, if you see or encounter something suspicious, you would not call the police?
I do all the time! And I came to find out, that once, I called the police about a suspicios woman knocking on random neighbors door in the neighborhood. She passed by my house, maybe because I was not the target she wanted to approach. (I was sitting on the porch) The police cought up to her on the next block and she told them she was just walking through the neighborhood to go to the store. Went to one of the older neighbors and asked what the girl wanted. She said the girl needed to use the phone to call her mom because she locked herself out of her house on the next block over. Turned out, she lived on the other side of town and was know to hang out with someone who was suspected of burglury.Sure glad I called!

James

 

[lrahm]

Couldn't they just pick a random name out of the phone book? They can even get the address there without having to Google it. Seems like a lot of trouble just to get a name and number.

How many times do you have to talk with a company that asks you to confirm your phone number and home address? It's not all of the information they need but it is a start.

 

[Scutter01]

How many times do you have to talk with a company that asks you to confirm your phone number and home address? It's not all of the information they need but it is a start.

I'm just saying, if they're trying to trick you into letting them Caller-ID your name and number to their cellphone, they could just as easily point to any random spot in any phone book and achieve the same goal without the risk. The phone book lists thousands of names, addresses, and phone numbers all laid out in alphabetical order. It's very convenient.

 

[TTravis]

Call the Police! Ever try to call 911 in Indianapolis? It's a joke. You get put on hold. You have to rely on yourself first. You handled the situation well and showed her you were not a typical victim.

 

[zibby43]

Call the Police! Ever try to call 911 in Indianapolis? It's a joke. You get put on hold. You have to rely on yourself first. You handled the situation well and showed her you were not a typical victim.

Thank you sir!

Funny you should mention being put on hold when calling 911 in Indianapolis. One night I was driving North on Meridian (just past the St. Clair Street intersection) and there was an older African American gentleman (he appeared to be homeless ) walking SOUTH right in the middle of the NORTHBOUND lane into oncoming traffic.

His movements were wild and erratic (obviously REALLY high on something) and he was deliberately trying to walk into approaching vehicles.

I called 911 immediately after he lunged at my car (I slowed down and swerved toward the curb) and I was put on HOLD. It wasn't for long though.

 

[INyooper]

Couldn't they just pick a random name out of the phone book? They can even get the address there without having to Google it. Seems like a lot of trouble just to get a name and number.

Reminds me of the scene from The Jerk where the guy looks in the phone book and finds "Navin R Johnson."

Navin R Johnson
"He hates these cans! Stay away from the cans!"

 

[JohnP82]

Seems like you handled it well to me.

Anytime we have a situation like this we will always second guess our actions and think what we should have done differently. The important thing is to get through the situation (which you did!) and learn from the experience and I think you did just fine.

 

[GunSlinger]

You did well. It was no doubt a setup. There's no telling what would have happened next, or who may have been lurking in the shadows.

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

I'd say you handled that very well. Some people would just hand the phone over without thinking at all. There are always a lot of "what ifs" after the fact but, you handled it without freaking out like some people would easily do.

 

[vitamink]

I just had a conversation with a cop friend today about a similar set up scenario.

The officer is downtown driving down alabama when he sees an older intoxicated homeless male whom he has had run-ins with before talking to a young professional female. He pulls the car over knowing that this is odd and goes up to talk to both of them. The female tells the officer before he is even out of the car, "sir it's OK he's not trying to panhandle me" The homeless man then stated "I was just asking directions to the nearest auto zone". The female then said that she is from California and gets pan handled all day long and it's no big deal. The officer runs the homeless man and tells the lady she can leave, but she stays around. The man comes back with several convictions, the most notably are 2 counts of rape, criminal confinement, sexual battery and an assortment of other unrelated charges. The officer then asks where his car is. The man replies he doesn't have a car downtown, but points to his bicycle and says he just needs some oil for his chain. The officer asked if he still lives at 21st and post to which he replied yes. He then asks why he would ride from 21st and post to downtown passing several places within walking distance from his house. The man replied that he got lost and just kept pedaling. The woman then reiterates that everything is fine and the guy just wanted some help finding auto zone.

 

[lon]

I thought maybe the scam was her dialing one of those racket numbers down in the Caribbean or somewhere, where the charge for each minute is $100 or some such, and faking a conversation to her "Aunt" for as long as possible. And the OP wouldn't know it till he got the bill.

A few years ago I helped out a young family stranded by the highway with a flat tire and no jack. The wife wanted to use my phone to call her Mom or whoever. I asked for the number (it didn't have a goofy area code), and punched it in myself, and handed the phone to her.

 

[mrortega]

Any way to get your information. They call someone and now on their ID shows your name and number. Google that and that will get and address and a date of birth.

What Lonnie said. I was going to respond that way on the first page but figured someone would nail it later. I was told the exact same thing after I rebuked a young dude who crossed a busy street and came up almost on to the porch of a friend as we were talking. He said he had just gotten a telegram and had to call his grandma immediately. I bruskly said, "NO" and he just as quickly left, walked back across the street, between two buildings and got into a car in an alley that someone else was driving. The worst/funniest/scariest thing about the whole incident was after he left I pulled my coat open to show my friend how well I was protecting us by revealing my pistol...that was still in the center console of my truck because I had been to the post office an hour earlier and had forgot to rearm. She laughed her a** off and I felt really stupid (and vulnerable.)

 

[GuyRelford]

I had a similar experience about a year ago. I was driving a young lady home early on a Sunday morning (about 4:00 am). I was in Carmel where Illinois Street curves around and becomes Carmel Drive. There was nothing but businesses in the area. There was a guy standing in the middle of the street, waving me down frantically. He was in his 20s, very dissheveled and very drunk. I stopped and rolled my window down about 4 inches and put my right hand on the Glock 30 that resides in the console. He told me he had "fallen out of a limo" (I kid you not) and he asked to use my phone because he was trying to reach his girlfriend so she could come get him. I then noticed that he was wearing the remains of a tuxedo - although the jacket and tie were missing and the knees were ripped.

I told him I'd be glad to help and asked him his girlfriend's number so I could call her for him. (Even though I thought his story was probably legit, I also had a problem with just handing a stranger my phone.) It took him three tries to get the number right, but I eventually got ahold of her and gave her directions to come get him. She was actually right around the corner looking for him and it only took her about 5 minutes to get there.

While driving the rest of the way to my date's place, she asked me why I even stopped. I said it's really not in me to just ignore someone in distress - even at 4:00 am. I'd rather take a manageable risk and try to do the right thing. I might need similar help someday (although I haven't fallen out of a limo lately).

I'm a big believer in Karma.

Guy

 

[BigBlock502]

You did the right thing. In situations like this you have to trust your instincts and that is what you did. Something did not seem right to you and so you made a quick decision... more then likely the correct one. If this was in your church parking lot and it was some old grandma lady then you probably would have gave her your phone. Point being: you analyzed this situation and decided it was not in your best interest to give her your phone. Well done I say.
I work downtown so I'm down and around these parts at least 5 days a week. I've had tons of people ask to use my phone, or ask for money or other things. I usually just say "NO" and keep walking. It's kinda sad but its how the world is these days. I remember one time when I was younger a guy came up to me at a gas station in kinda shady neighborhood. He asked for money and had the typical "I need money for the bus" story. I just wanted him out of my face so I threw him a buck. He went along his way but then literally 3 more guys walked up to me and started asking for money saying crap like "you gave him money, you'd better give me some money too." I got in my car and got the hell outta there. Point of the story is. You try to do something nice and people will just walk all over you. *most of the time

 

[mrortega]

I had a similar experience about a year ago. I was driving a young lady home early on a Sunday morning (about 4:00 am). I was in Carmel where Illinois Street curves around and becomes Carmel Drive. There was nothing but businesses in the area. There was a guy standing in the middle of the street, waving me down frantically. He as in his 20s, very dissheveled and very drunk. I stopped and rolled my window down about 4 inches and put my right hand on the Glock 30 that resides in the console. He told me he had "fallen out of a limo" (I kid you not) and he asked to use my phone because he was trying to reach his girlfriend so she could come get him. I then noticed that he was wearing the remains of a tuxedo - although the jacket and tie were missing and the knees were ripped.

I told him I'd be glad to help and asked him his girlfriend's number so I could call her for him. (Even though I thought his story was probably legit, I also had a problem with just handing a stranger my phone.) It took him three tries to get the number right, but I eventually got ahold of her and gave her directions to come get him. She was actually right around the corner looking for him and it only took her about 5 minutes to get there.

While driving the rest of the way to my date's place, she asked me why I even stopped. I said it's really not in me to just ignore someone in distress - even at 4:00 am. I'd rather take a manageable risk and try to do the right thing. I might need similar help someday (although I haven't fallen out of a limo lately).

I'm a big believer in Karma.

Guy

LMAO!! Stop it! I'm trying not to choke on my lunch. A guy "falls" out of a limo? I have a cousin who could do that about 3 times a week. The whole visualizing is a riot.