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At around 11.30pm on valentines night I answered a knock at my front door to find a young lad soaking wet from the rain asking if I could please lend a hand as he had broken down outside my house. He went on to explain he was a squaddie on his way down to Catterick for rehabilitation due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan, he was running late and was likely to get a bollocking.
None too pleased to be bothered at that time of night I still decided to help out especially as he played his trump card and showed me his artificial leg and scars from his service.
His car which was a 12 plate Audi A3 was simply out of fuel and I offered to run him to the local petrol station a mile or so away in my car. He chatted away about his injuries and the compensation he had been awarded and claimed he lived in Blyth. He paid a fiver for a can of fuel and as we drove back to his car he said he had lost his wallet earlier that evening and that fiver was all he had on him.
We got the fuel in the car and after a few minutes it eventually started and I thought I could get back in out of the rain.
This is the point where he acted a bit embarrassed and asked if he could borrow enough cash to put a bit more petrol in to make sure he made it down to Catterick. Alarm bells started ringing as I thought I am getting conned here. I said I don’t mind helping you out but what guarantee can you give I will ever see my cash again ? Can you leave something as a deposit ?
He offered me his mobile phone and using my phone I took photos of his car / registration and a pic of his disability badge with his photo on it. After a minute or so more stood in the rain I gave him £20 and also gave him his phone back as I wondered how he would manage if he got into any trouble without it.
He was immediately my best m8 and promised to drop the money in sometime over the next week.
I still haven’t heard from him. I have a son around the same age and I would like to think that someone out there might trust him enough to help, if he was genuinely stuck. £20 is not a lot of money, being made a mug hurts much more.
He may well still surprise me and restore my faith in humanity, but as each day passes the hope fades.
I have his car registration / colour/make and model. I have his name and a photograph of his mobility badge including his photo.
I am not sure what to do next ? just forget about it and chalk it up to experience ? after all £20 is not a huge sum.
Publish his details up on a forum and see if anyone knows him ?
Call up Catterick and inform them ?
Might this be a regular thing he does ?
Assuming you are in my position “ what would you do “
None too pleased to be bothered at that time of night I still decided to help out especially as he played his trump card and showed me his artificial leg and scars from his service.
His car which was a 12 plate Audi A3 was simply out of fuel and I offered to run him to the local petrol station a mile or so away in my car. He chatted away about his injuries and the compensation he had been awarded and claimed he lived in Blyth. He paid a fiver for a can of fuel and as we drove back to his car he said he had lost his wallet earlier that evening and that fiver was all he had on him.
We got the fuel in the car and after a few minutes it eventually started and I thought I could get back in out of the rain.
This is the point where he acted a bit embarrassed and asked if he could borrow enough cash to put a bit more petrol in to make sure he made it down to Catterick. Alarm bells started ringing as I thought I am getting conned here. I said I don’t mind helping you out but what guarantee can you give I will ever see my cash again ? Can you leave something as a deposit ?
He offered me his mobile phone and using my phone I took photos of his car / registration and a pic of his disability badge with his photo on it. After a minute or so more stood in the rain I gave him £20 and also gave him his phone back as I wondered how he would manage if he got into any trouble without it.
He was immediately my best m8 and promised to drop the money in sometime over the next week.
I still haven’t heard from him. I have a son around the same age and I would like to think that someone out there might trust him enough to help, if he was genuinely stuck. £20 is not a lot of money, being made a mug hurts much more.
He may well still surprise me and restore my faith in humanity, but as each day passes the hope fades.
I have his car registration / colour/make and model. I have his name and a photograph of his mobility badge including his photo.
I am not sure what to do next ? just forget about it and chalk it up to experience ? after all £20 is not a huge sum.
Publish his details up on a forum and see if anyone knows him ?
Call up Catterick and inform them ?
Might this be a regular thing he does ?
Assuming you are in my position “ what would you do “
NESA Lure Fishing Challenge 2011 Winner 
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