What's this hustle?

[YoPopa]

I'm a tourist in New Orleans this week and I'm wondering how this hustle works.

A slick walks up to me and says "Nice sneakers man, I like those. Hey, I'll bet I can tell you the name of the state and even the city where you bought those."

I have very little patience for these sleazes and I end the conversation quickly but I can't help but wonder what the angle is. I know it's an angle because two dudes approached me with the exact same line inside of 20 minutes. The second even confirmed it by saying "Damn! Someone else is stealing my material?"

So can someone here tell me how this goes down in detail or do I have to spend a few dollars to have my curiosity satisfied?

[Jimmy Roberts]

Wow, what a lame con. I've never encountered it before.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Louisiana/New_Orleans-793014/Tourist_Traps-New_Orleans-Betcha_I_can_tell_ya_where_ya_got_dem_shoes-BR-1.html

[Audible Click]

It happens frequently in the French Quarter.

[YoPopa]

Wow, what a lame con. I've never encountered it before.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Louisiana/New_Orleans-793014/Tourist_Traps-New_Orleans-Betcha_I_can_tell_ya_where_ya_got_dem_shoes-BR-1.html

Way lame. Now that I know the punch line. Thanks for the research. I guess I could have done the same but I assumed that something a little more sophisticated was going on. My bad. Very glad I did not have to pay to get the answer!

[LTC8K6]

Hey, I'll bet I can tell you the name of the state and even the city where you bought those."

How would the street you happen to be standing on be a correct answer? The question in the link is considerably more vague.

[WildCat]

How would the street you happen to be standing on be a correct answer? The question in the link is considerably more vague.
Because you got them on the street right now...

[LTC8K6]

Because you got them on the street right now...

That doesn't answer what the OP wrote:

"Nice sneakers man, I like those. Hey, I'll bet I can tell you the name of the state and even the city where you bought those."

[Stray Cat]

I think the OP has quoted what he thought was meant and not what was actually said. It is this distinction that allows the 'scam' to work.
What was most likely said was:
"Nice sneakers man, I like those. Hey, I'll bet I can tell you the name of the state and the city, even the street you got them on."

[The Man]

That doesn't answer what the OP wrote:

Probably not exactly what was asked, otherwise a very poor trick indeed. Not that the actual trick is any better.




Con; “Bet I can tell you where you got your shoes.”

Mark; “OK.”

Con; “On this street.”

Mark; “Nope, I’ve got mine on my feet. Where have you got your shoes?”




Other Con; “Bet I can tell you what state you got your shoes.”

Mark; “OK.”

Other Con; “In this state.”

Mark; “Nope, the state I got mine in was new. What state did you get your shoes in, used?”




Yet Another Con; “Bet I can tell you what state, city and street you got your shoes in.”

Mark; “Learn some freak’n English! It would be 'in what state, city and street you have your shoes'."


ETA: As already noted by Stray Cat.

[tsig]

I think the OP has quoted what he thought was meant and not what was actually said. It is this distinction that allows the 'scam' to work.
What was most likely said was:
"Nice sneakers man, I like those. Hey, I'll bet I can tell you the name of the state and the city, even the street you got them on."

When I was young and in the USAF one of my fellow airmen walked up to the pool table and offered to bet me he could spot me 49 balls in a game of 14-1.

When I took the bet he calmly spotted me the points and took my money.

[gtc]

So the trick is that you have the shoes on the street where you are standing.

What is the point of the scam?

[Redtail]

So the trick is that you have the shoes on the street where you are standing.

What is the point of the scam?

Mostly to get you to laugh at the silliness of it and bum a dollar.

[YoPopa]

I think the OP has quoted what he thought was meant and not what was actually said. It is this distinction that allows the 'scam' to work.

That is correct Stray Cat. I "heard" what made sense to me, or what I thought was being intended. I don't pay very close attention to street bums. In both cases I was sitting on a bench on the river walk so it was not possible to keep on walking and totally ignore these guys but I was doing my best on a latter.

[Myriad]

To a friend at a bar who's just been served a drink (and has already drunk several):

"I'll bet you a dollar I can drink that drink without using a straw or touching the glass in any way."

Pick up the glass, drink the drink, lose the bet, pay a dollar.

Respectfully,
Myriad

[Blackwell]

That is correct Stray Cat. I "heard" what made sense to me, or what I thought was being intended. I don't pay very close attention to street bums. In both cases I was sitting on a bench on the river walk so it was not possible to keep on walking and totally ignore these guys but I was doing my best on a latter.

Too bad you didn't know the "answer" ahead of time -- you could have subtly lifted your feet off the ground a couple inches, and then simply pointed down at them to show him how wrong he was...

[Careyp74]

"A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam. It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand..........."

[dasmiller]

Too bad you didn't know the "answer" ahead of time -- you could have subtly lifted your feet off the ground a couple inches, and then simply pointed down at them to show him how wrong he was...

I was thinking of "oh, these aren't my shoes. I'm just borrowing them. I've got my shoes in a closet."

[SumDood]

I always heard it "i can tell you how many kids your grandfather had and where you got your shoes." Of course, your grandfather didn't "have" and kids, your grandmother did and you got your shoes on your feet.

You could spend a month in the Quarter and not get bored, but may i suggest a ride up Magazine? Uptown is my favorite part of the city. I lived in the Irish Channel a few years back. Now, I live about 2 hours away and get over there as much as possible.

Oh yeah, GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!!

[SumDood]

"A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam. It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand..........."

Recognized the lyric, but couldn't place the band until i consulted google. On of my favs.

[plumjam]

Why so suspicious?
It's simply that you really do have extraordinarily nice sneakers.

[Soapy Sam]

Stupidly pedantic, I know, but in Britglish "you got them shoes on the ground" just doesn't mean what it seems to mean in Ameriglish. I had to read it aloud with a murican accent before the explanation made any sense.

[Modified]

Stupidly pedantic, I know, but in Britglish "you got them shoes on the ground" just doesn't mean what it seems to mean in Ameriglish. I had to read it aloud with a murican accent before the explanation made any sense.

It doesn't make sense here either. "You got them shoes at the store", sure; "You got them shoes on your feet", maybe; "You got them shoes on the ground", no.

[Ysidro]

Damn it, I never had anyone pull stupid **** like that on me in the Quarter.

Also damn it: I can't make it to the yearly gathering of friends (which we affectionately call "QuarterCon") this year either. :(

[Delvo]

This isn't a con. A con is when someone tricks you into giving him/her your money, and there's no trick in this. This is just a silly indirect way of asking for a donation.

[fuelair]

How would the street you happen to be standing on be a correct answer? The question in the link is considerably more vague.

The question has to be phrased "I bet I can tell you where you got them shoes" to make use of the "trick" in the word "got" (it is used legitimately both for "where obtained" and "where located")!:)

[fuelair]

I was thinking of "oh, these aren't my shoes. I'm just borrowing them. I've got my shoes in a closet."Works even better if you lift both off the ground completely at the same time!!:D

[Whiplash]

Wow, this reminds me of something my Grandfather used to say. It would come up in situations where alot of us were around the table about to sit down to eat, and there would be confusion as to where one of us should sit.

If you ever made the mistake of asking him "where do I sit?" or "where should I sit?" he'd say "The same place your mother sat when she got married". Which made almost no sense to me for the most part. But the obvious implication is "on your arse" I guess. But he thought it was very clever.

[fuelair]

How would the street you happen to be standing on be a correct answer? The question in the link is considerably more vague.

Could not be if stated as it was in the OP. Has to have been got instead of bought (With "got, it is obviously New Orleans, Louisiana , with "bought", they have to state where you purchased the shoes - so I am betting the OP or the street hustler quoted it incorrectly.:)

[Modified]

If you ever made the mistake of asking him "where do I sit?" or "where should I sit?" he'd say "The same place your mother sat when she got married". Which made almost no sense to me for the most part. But the obvious implication is "on your arse" I guess. But he thought it was very clever.

Your mother got married sitting down?

[Myriad]

Michael Rennie was ill
The Day the Earth Stood Still
But he told us where we stand
(On our feet!)

Respectfully,
Myriad

[rjh01]

Your mother got married sitting down?

When she signed the contract to give her husband the free use of her body:D she was probably sitting down.

[IceSage]

I'm a tourist in New Orleans this week and I'm wondering how this hustle works.

A slick walks up to me and says "Nice sneakers man, I like those. Hey, I'll bet I can tell you the name of the state and even the city where you bought those."

I have very little patience for these sleazes and I end the conversation quickly but I can't help but wonder what the angle is. I know it's an angle because two dudes approached me with the exact same line inside of 20 minutes. The second even confirmed it by saying "Damn! Someone else is stealing my material?"

So can someone here tell me how this goes down in detail or do I have to spend a few dollars to have my curiosity satisfied?

As said before, the scam is "Nice sneakers man, I like those. Hey, I bet I can tell you the name of the state and city you got them on."

Basically, you listen to it as "bought them on" but the question is phrased to mean where the shoes are currently placed. "Got them on" translates to most people automatically as where and from.

The answer will always be, "This state, this city, the pavement, etc." or something similar. It's actually a very common scam.

[The Man]

This isn't a con. A con is when someone tricks you into giving him/her your money, and there's no trick in this. This is just a silly indirect way of asking for a donation.

By using a trick of language and misinterpretation.

[grayman]

A little off topic, I know, but this thread reminds me of Billy T. James' take on a New Zealand ad that used to ask, "Where did you get your bag?".

WFXAaVhcNLI

[Delvo]

By using a trick of language and misinterpretation....which the "target" must knowingly choose to play along with in order for it to work. That's a donation, a gift, not a con.

[Careyp74]

Reminds me of a joke:

A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced toward him out of a cloud of dust.

The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?"

Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg,Germany.

Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer, turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud.

He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on with amusement as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then the Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"

"You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government", says Bud.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You used millions of dollars worth of equipment trying to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing about how working people make a living - or about cows, for that matter. This is a herd of sheep. ....

Now give me back my dog!

[Marduk]

To a friend at a bar who's just been served a drink (and has already drunk several):

"I'll bet you a dollar I can drink that drink without using a straw or touching the glass in any way."

Pick up the glass, drink the drink, lose the bet, pay a dollar.

Respectfully,
Myriad

saw a similar one done on a dumb girl in a bar

"I bet you a pound that I can make your breasts jiggle without touching you"
the guy jiggled her breasts with his hands and gave her that pound.
:D

[The Man]

...which the "target" must knowingly choose to play along with in order for it to work. That's a donation, a gift, not a con.

Did you miss the whole part about misinterpretation? Certainly no one is under any obligation to adhere to the "bet" once they learn that they misinterpreted the question, but they were still conned into making that bet in the first place. The con is to put them in a position where they might feel more inclined to make your so called "donation" or "gift". A donation is asked for directly and a gift given freely, nether one of those involves a trick “bet” only a con or scam does that.

[Whiplash]

Your mother got married sitting down?



Well, like I said, I never fully understood it. However, I think it was actually "the same place your mother sat on her wedding day", if that makes any difference. I'd have to ask my Grandfather, but he's been gone from this world for about 10 years.

[Delvo]

Certainly no one is under any obligation to adhere to the "bet"...Nor are they tricked into it, or paying for one thing while thinking they're paying for another.

[Dragoonster]

I don't see how this is much of a con. If someone is clever enough they can spot the trick beforehand, so it's a clever-measuring question that some (most) people fail. Cons to me involve lies, sleight-of-hand, things the mark can't possibly counter. This one also teaches the mark something. I'd be amused and felt I learned something if I fell for this or the $1 shot-drinking bet.

[The Man]

Nor are they tricked into it, or paying for one thing while thinking they're paying for another.

By their own misinterpretation, they are "tricked into it". You have to remember that the term “con” derives from confidence, it is a confidence game or con game. Instilling the false confidence in the target that they will win the “bet”. Again donations and gifts do not involve a trick “bet”.

Sorry but I guess we are just not going to see eye to eye on this.

[The Man]

I don't see how this is much of a con. If someone is clever enough they can spot the trick beforehand, so it's a clever-measuring question that some (most) people fail. Cons to me involve lies, sleight-of-hand, things the mark can't possibly counter. This one also teaches the mark something. I'd be amused and felt I learned something if I fell for this or the $1 shot-drinking bet.

Every con has something the mark can counter, themselves, that is why it is a confidence game. Instilling in the mark the confidence that they know what is happening and what the inevitable out come will be. Certainly as you say and as I said before it is not much of a con or trick. However that is the key, you trick someone out of a hundred dollars and they are not likely to be happy particularly if they learn it was a trick. Trick one hundred people out of one dollar each and none of them are likely to care much even when they become aware of the trick. It is not a monetary or sum issue it is about instilling a certain level of confidence in the target that they will win the “bet” or know what is going to happen. If you ask someone “I bet I can tell you what street you are standing on” it is unlikely anyone will accept that bet even for a dollar at 100 to one odds.

[Delvo]

Every con has something the mark can counter, themselvesThis doesn't need the mark to counter it; the person trying to do it already counters it himself!

you trick someone out of a hundred dollars and they are not likely to be happy particularly if they learn it was a trick.That's if they FIRST throw the money away and THEN learn that it was a trick. This thing with the shoes gives away the "trick" while the "mark" still has his/her money. If (s)he then still chooses to give the money away, (s)he does so AFTER having become fully informed.

Giving money away while fully informed is not getting tricked out of it.

[Whiplash]

This reminds me also a bit of a time I was in Washington DC for a week for the job I was working at the time, for one of those electronic shows. I had totally forgotten about this until this thread jarred some of it loose.

One night myself and several other guys went to a local strip club. Not normally my kind of thing.. I was younger, and hanging with the group for something to do. But I digress...

As we left the strip club, a man came up to us with a cup. We were all pretty hammered. He stopped in front of the three of us and said "Look, I'm gonna be complete honest with you.. I need money so I can get a drink".

Normally I would have scoffed at such a thing. Again, I was young, drunk, and so were my friends, and we all laughed and commended him for being honest, and each gave him some money (like $1-3 from each of us).

[The Man]

This doesn't need the mark to counter it; the person trying to do it already counters it himself!

That's if they FIRST throw the money away and THEN learn that it was a trick. This thing with the shoes gives away the "trick" while the "mark" still has his/her money. If (s)he then still chooses to give the money away, (s)he does so AFTER having become fully informed.

Giving money away while fully informed is not getting tricked out of it.


As I said before


Certainly no one is under any obligation to adhere to the "bet" once they learn that they misinterpreted the question, but they were still conned into making that bet in the first place. The con is to put them in a position where they might feel more inclined to make your so called "donation" or "gift". A donation is asked for directly and a gift given freely, nether one of those involves a trick “bet” only a con or scam does that.


And as I said before.


Sorry but I guess we are just not going to see eye to eye on this.

[gtc]

Just like a Penn & Teller show, its not a real con.

In this case its just a silly joke in the form of a trick question.

You groan, you give him a buck.

You don't like it, you don't give him a buck.

[YoPopa]

Just like a Penn & Teller show, its not a real con.

In this case its just a silly joke in the form of a trick question.

You groan, you give him a buck.

You don't like it, you don't give him a buck.

Almost but not quite. With a Penn & Teller show you make the decision to go and see the show. These guys get in your face without invitation. I don't believe for one moment that my entertainment was their objective in the least. I stand by what I called in the OP. It is a hustle.