Tow-tally Scamming You

(I work in a restaurant. A man asks an employee to borrow our store phone and said employee lets him. The employee leaves the area, and after about a minute the man turns around and sees me standing behind the counter.)

Man: “Hey, are you the manager?”

Me: “Yes, how can I help you?”

Man: “My car just got towed. I called my wife, and she is coming to get me, but she’s in Baton Rouge. It’ll take her a few hours to get here. Thanks for letting me use the phone.”

Me: “That’s too bad.”

Man: “Yeah, do you think I can wait in here instead of standing around outside?”

Me: “Sure. You can sit at a table until we start to get busy; then you would need to move if we need the table.”

Man: “Look. My wallet and phone were in the car. They wouldn’t let me get anything out of it.”

Me: *seeing where this is going* “Why did your car get towed, anyway?”

Man: “The cop said I rolled through a stop sign, and I didn’t have my license, so they towed my car. They didn’t let me get anything out of it. So, could I eat now and have my wife pay for it when she gets here?”

Me: “No, sir. I can’t give food out without payment first; I’m sorry. But you can wait here, still.”

Man: *looking defeated* “Oh. Okay, then.”

(He didn’t stay. I checked the phone after he left, and the only three numbers on the redial list were ones I had called over an hour prior to that. He didn’t call anyone!)