Received Friday, January 11, 2008
I saw a hispanic woman dressed in normal, neat clothing holding a well scrubbed, white child and begging for money in the parking lot in the 31400 block of Santa Margarita Parkway at around 6PM on Thursday, (1/10). I called the police. My husband thought the nanny was using her charge to extract money from passers-by. There are several stores around that area. The woman and child did not appear to be related or at all similiar. The hispanic woman had brown paints on and a brown floral looking blouse. The baby was blondish with Swedish coloring, wearing a striped shirt and jumper. The child was about two and I can't say for sure if the child was male or female.
Not saying if this were true, it wouldn't be wrong ... but maybe her cell phone was dead and she needed change to make a call?
ReplyDeleteDid the lady ask you for money? Did you ask her what was the money for? Did you wait for the police to show up?
ReplyDeletetres tres bizarre....
ReplyDeleteI believe the customer service department of most any store would allow a stranded woman with an infant to make a phone call if she asked. And anyway, where might one find a public phone booth these days...especially in Santa Margarita? She was obviously begging.
ReplyDeleteVERY odd. Any more details on the appearance of the nanny? Age, build? This is just weird.
ReplyDeleteIf a lady and a baby don't look bedraggled, what else could they be doing?
ReplyDeleteI don't think they'd be making much money, especially if they don't look needy.
However, this brings to mind an incredible social experiment our News Station did a few years back:
In a relatively nice part of town, this needy-looking man stood on a busy street corner with a sign that said: "Will work for food". Now, obviously, he didn't get many offers but people did throw him a few coins here and there.
He usually stayed out for around 4-5 hrs., mostly during the heaviest traffic.
Anyway, our News station was reporting on him one day and was wondering how much this guy was actually pulling in per day.
The news team offered the guy like $50 to beat it for a few hours and took over the corner. The cameras hid while one man (looking needy), stood on the same corner, carrying the same sign.
Take a guess how much he earned?
$126.00 in 3 and a 1/2 hours! They donated it to the local childrens hospital ... but can you imagine?
Not a bad days pay, huh?
I have heard similar reports. Some of these people make more than they could at a job...not to mention that they probably also government aid. So, what's the incentive to have a real, on the books, job? If you're not an honest, self-respecting type of person...there is none.
ReplyDeleteThe odds are better than not that this nanny is paid off the books, makes extra money on the side this way, and also gets government support (since she has no "income.")
Maybe mom will clue in that her daughter isn't spending her days at the park and library when she starts talking and unexpectedly starts panhandling at the mall! Or maybe mom and dad will be hosting a swanky dinner party and little babe will come down with her hand out and start asking guests if they can "spare some change to feed the hungry little girl."
or the mom will be driving down this road, and see her nanny. Imagine, driving on the road and seeing your nanny begging for money with your child in hand.
ReplyDeleteOf course it is real. It really annoys me when commenters come on here and doubt the OP. Why do you think the OP is posting it? Because she is sure it is real! Cut her some slack and take the OP's word that she really saw a nanny panhandling with her charge. The nanny thinks there is nothing wrong with panhandling. She would do it with her own child, so why not with yours. The child serves to elicit more sympathy, and all the better reason to bring the child panhandling.
ReplyDeleteWake up people. Don't hire a nanny that you would not want to be with all day yourself.
Remember that many so called "nannies" (wholly uneducated people who cannot even get a job at MacDonald's because they have illegal status)
are escaping lives in 3rd world countries. The standard of care for children in 3rd world countries is what the nanny knows, and what she thinks is perfectly fine for your child too. This is what you hired her for. So, that is the kind of care your child is going to get.
10:58
ReplyDelete"Don't hire a nanny that you would not want to be with all day yourself".
That should be Rule #1 when looking for a Nanny.
How can you expect your child to enjoy their company if you can't?