AT con man

“I hear a little about a thief on the AT who called himself "Saved." I learned much more from this newspaper article (found from a link on VFTT):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/15/AR2005111501167.html”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/37017,-1.php
greenhorn

Trail officials insist the AT is as safe as any small town. But it still draws odd characters who don't fit in elsewhere. This past summer, there was "Greenhorn," a drug user who aggressively panhandled from other hikers for 10 months until he was tracked down by a ranger,
last edited: 11/21/05 12:05:29 PM”

“I am proud of this post which I got chided for...

------


kudos to those wanting to help those in need

but ...

Every time I've read this post since yesterday I keep thinking of one thing that I haven't heard mentioned.

How is giving him some extra tools to HIKE the AT helping this guy? What he needs to do is STOP hiking and go get a job. If, WHILE he's searching for that job he needs some charity, fine! But come on guys ... he's taking a vacation here.

I'd like to go to Disney World if I lose my job. Mind if I call you guys for some extra cash if that happens?”
sarge
11:49:12 AM
3/13/05”

“As mentioned in the article, this was all over Whiteblaze.

There have been postings over there from the church people in Georgia who were helping him out, all attesting to the "change" that he has gone through. Unfortunately some people are either too trusting or unwilling to admit that they have been taken.

I would be interested in knowing what happened to Greenhorn, since it's obvious from the article that his main interest in hiking the AT was to panhandle.”

“I have recvd an email update about our friend Greenhorn. He did not finish the AT, but has gotten as far south as southern VA. He is still there and is working and is doing well!”
EarthNsky
6:30:39 PM
10/27/05
ignore this user

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“good to here rob”
saccoseveredheads
6:42:31 PM
10/27/05
ignore this user

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“wow, i'd forgotten about this thread.”
Roam Around
8:11:53 PM
10/27/05
ignore this user



notice the dates. pretty recent.

sorry to find this out.”

“I warned you ... but noooooooooooooo!”

“Momma once told me that it isn't nice to gloat.”

“I meant, what "really happened" to Greenhorn. The article has this to say about him:

This past summer, there was "Greenhorn," a drug user who aggressively panhandled from other hikers for 10 months until he was tracked down by a ranger...

So was he forced off the trail or what?”

“sarge, guessing the worst in someone should not be something to be proud of. whether you're proven right or wrong.

if anybody should be proud of themselves in this ugly affair it's ENS.

if ENS can extend his compassion again - that would really be something to be proud of.”

“LOL
I think there may be a bit of jealousy.
After all, sarge is a bit of a con man himself. ;-)”

“I remember hearing about Saved on whiteblaze, but I never heard the complete story. Interesting read.”

“'sarge' = 'saved'

now it all comes together!!!”

“ENS encouraged his drug habit. You are assuming that I was "guessing". If you want to give him credit for encouraging a drug habit, great! You go girl. I don't think any of this is a surprise. I've helped thru-hikers before, but this had too many red flags.”

“sarge, [predicting] the worst in someone should not be something to be proud of. whether you're proven right or wrong.
last edited: 11/21/05 12:26:40 PM”

“sacco, I was not proud of [predicting] the wrong in somebody. I was proud of my correct prediction. They are distinct.
last edited: 11/21/05 12:29:01 PM”

“The point was (and is) that welfare is not always the best answer. For many, you need to teach the hungry to fish. As I said in March, it's called "tough love". Some people need the fish given to them, but it's up to us to discern which is which. Welfare is not for everybody.”

“I didn't post on that other thread, but I think Sarge had a legitimate point. If I was criticized for making that point, I'd want to point out that the evidence backed me up.

I definitely respect ENS for his compassion and his empathy. If Greenhorn takes that from him, he is a terrible thief. The effect of human compassion and charity on a manipulative person is complex - sometimes it helps them see the light, sometimes it helps them discover a new angle to manipulate.”

“Agreed pedxing. And to clarify, I gave ENS kudos at the time for wanting to do the right thing.”

“LOL
I try to live that old saying: "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all."

Y'all notice I didn't post to that thread? I don't live up to that a lot, but at least I try. LOL

bit, HOI, sarge, and several others called it correctly from the start, but there is nothing wrong with thinking the best of someone.”

“"Trail officials insist the AT is as safe as any small town. But it still draws odd characters who don't fit in elsewhere. This past summer, there was "Greenhorn," a drug user who aggressively panhandled from other hikers for 10 months until he was tracked down by a ranger, and another man whose habit of lugging heavy suitcases over the steep mountains of Virginia earned him the nickname "Samsonite Man."


What list of trail oddballs is complete without a mention of Ward "Chip" Leonard? http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/7092,-1.php”

“No kidding V.”

“We are the trail oddballs.”

“You made good sense to me there Sarge. I'd gladly claim that sentiment. I think a thru-hike is great and hope to save enough to do one myself one day, but it will be on my own dime - or rather my own 30,000 dimes (and when my other responsibilities are taken care of).”

“Gotta agree with SS and Violin, too.”

“"They also, after hiking day upon showerless day, develop a smell that would turn heads in a sewage plant. When a thru-hiker comes by on the trail, the heads of passing day hikers jerk like Frenchmen in a Pep Le Pew cartoon."

LOL”

“I never met "Saved", but there were a few other phoney's out there who pan handled for money...called "yogiing" by some, I suppose. I always told them that if they couldn't afford to be on the trail they needed to find a job. To me, anything else is enabling.

I did meet "Samsonite" while hiking through the roller-coaster in northern Va., although he was known as "suitcase" at the time. He was indeed wearing a suit and street shoes, carrying one heavy suitcase with 2 more a distance behind him on the trail. I made eye contact, said "hi" and kept going.

Of all the characters I did meet on the trail, none scared me worse than a person that called himself "Nowslimmer." A dangerous man, I believe...”

“I think I have seen that character posting here Nimble...

I think I will stay my distance.”

“Yogiing is not begging. Yogiing is getting people to voluntarily give you stuff or share stuff with you without having to ask. I haven't met a monetary panhandler in the Smokies yet, that I can remember, other than me giving some guy change to make a call before he had a public meltdown in front of his kids.”

“That was you, treebait?













j/k...”

“i was so hoping to meet chip last year. didnt work out for me”

“Either way, Treebait, it's a fine line and I gave to neither, figuring they could carry it on the trail just as easy as I.”

“I think we TTers all need to correct AT thruhikers on their AT Trail Slang. ;-)”

“nimble, you were supposed to be the recipient of yogiing, not the giver!”

“i remember last year there was quite a character on the trail by the name of digit, a sort of thru-hiker poseur, but who yellow-blazed like crazy, and was impersonating a park ranger. i believe in shenandoah park officials caught up to him and asked him to leave the trail. i ran into him twice, both times in town and not on the trail”

“sarge I thought you were dead.
last edited: 11/21/05 5:13:28 PM”

“um, I guess that's funny (again)”

“you like that one Sarge?

I'll tell it again....

Sarge, I thought you were dead”

“I can see why you'd want to detract from this thread. I don't mind.”

“Sarge, I feel not a bit ashamed of what I did. Not in the least. I only wish I offered Greenhorn your household as a place to stay... I guess your failing heart would not have able to take that though..”

“ENS - You're pretty defensive. I don't think anybody said you should be ashamed of what you did.”

“Sarge, I'm not picking a fight with you, so you can kiss my ass! I think you're a total ass-hole anyway!
last edited: 11/21/05 5:37:40 PM”

“sarge you fat barrel of monkey spunk S.T.F.U !”

“ENS - I have been nothing but cordial with you, and did nothing to "pick a fight with you". If you think I'm the ass-hole, you go right ahead. I think you should read your own posts and think twice, but if you choose not to, you're supposedly an adult now. Your choice.”

“Looks like we found out who has been spreading profanity all over TT this weekend. Shame on you ENS.”

“sarge how about you go wipe ya' a$$ with a wad of barbed wire?”

“Sarge, frankly, I think you're the worst thing that has ever happened to this board. TT is first and foremost a hiking board and you do little to contribute anything by way of conversation about camping, backpacking, hiking or outdoors for that matter. The single reason you even come to this board is to stir up users and get rides. Since you have been on this board, more real backpackers and hikers have left than have stayed. Your most recent stunt was a new low! I have no respect for you at all. I couldn't care less what you think of me.

I really wish Matt would ban you, you have no place on this board, but this is his board and your flames generate alot of revenue for him. But the more you stay, the more TTers leave that are the foundation of this board and the more this board will sink.

If you had any decency at all you would leave on your own.

For now, you are on my ignore list.”

“I thought I was on your ignore list before?

So, who left because of me? That's what I thought.

ENS, you are the one who is being a dick. If you can't see that, again, your problem, not mine. I hope you get over whatever emotional issues you have.”

“deads-rge has been out of line before, but this is not one of them. ENS, i think youre letting the past dictate your response too much. both of you just drop. yes, deads-rge, i know he started it. no, i dont care.”

“yes mommy”

“sassafras is mommy. get right”