A Scottish Mugging

During this time, I was stopped by a boy about my age with two elderly ladies in his company. In the thickest Scottish accent I’ve ever heard, he stammered something to me about a pound (UK currency), all the while holding out a handful of pence in front of him. From what I could make out, I thought he was asking if I could give him a pound for 100 pence change. I’ve lived in or by D.C. a long time, so I don’t know what got into me, but I uncertainly handed him a pound.

I stood there waiting for my change from him. Instead, he stammered even harder than before and in a thicker accent, pointing with one hand to the change in the other. Over the course of a good deal of hasty, shaky, incomprehensible pleading I made out the words “may I just have one more, please” (or something like that). He again made confusing gestures regarding the change he was holding. Stupified by both his words and manners (he looked ready to have an emotional breakdown) I still somehow thought he wanted to exchange a pound for pence, though this time I thought he was trying to offer me around 60 pence as compensation for a pound. This was clearly a bad deal for me. The man was not big, nor was he intimidating. However, he did have me on the spot, and had already seen another pound in my hand from when I took the first one from a handful of change (the pound is only in coin, not paper). More than that, the man seriously looked like he might have a seizure. So I handed him another pound. He abruptly calmed down a great deal, stammered a thank you, and began walking away toward a bus waiting there. The old ladies with him, both clearly embarrassed by his behavior, both thanked me as they followed behind him. I never saw any change, but then I didn’t wait around.

I’ve considered that this could have been a small-time scam, but I really don’t think so. If it was, the guy was really good at his act, and not too ambitious with what he wanted. If someone scans you in D.C., you can expect your back account to be drained by the end. 2 pounds is pretty paltry by comparison.