Next time you try to hussle me, maybe I shouldn't be able to see the 10 of spades sticking out from beneath the brim of your hat.

I may not be too street-smart, but I've learned a lot in my short time here, and I could just sense this one coming.



I was working at the coffee shop the other day when a guy strolled up to my register almost too casually, like he was consciously trying to seem casual. There was just something about him that unnerved me a bit, which immediately sent red flags up.


Nonetheless, I put that on the back burner and asked him what he would like to drink. He asked the price of a drink, I told him, and he responded that it was too expensive. So I suggested something similar, but less expensive, and he said he'd take that, and handed me a $20 bill. And, like I always do, I counted the change to myself as I pulled it out of the register, then counted it out loud to the customer as I was handing it back to him (there were three $5 bills, two $1 bills, and some change.)



Then I made the mistake of looking away for a second. ONE SECOND. These guys are good. The next time I looked at the guy to wish him a good day, he had just the two $1 bills in his hand as if he was confused as to why I would hand him two singles as his change for a drink when he paid with a $20.



That's when I knew there was going to be a problem.



On my end, there was no confusion. I know I handed him the right change - there is no doubt about that. On his end, he waited until I looked away to use slight of hand (I watch magic shows. I know how it's done, and it continues to amaze me) to make it seem as if I "forgot" to give him the other $15 in change.



So of course, he asked me for the rest of his change.



My response could go two ways: stand firm or cave. The timid country girl who avoids confrontation like rats on the subway wanted to cave. But the slowly-but-surely-gaining confidence city girl in me wasn't going to let this guy hustle me out of $15. Especially when he was probably unaware he was advertising the fact that he was a liar and a cheat because I could see the 10 of spades peeking out of the brim of his hat. So I explained again that I gave him the correct change and wasn't going to give him more.

Unfortunately, he also stood his ground.

Luckily, the assistant manager was there, so together we went to do an audit on my register so I could prove to him that it wasn't over by $15. Which it wasn't. But by that time, the hustler had been there for longer-than-anticipated and started getting desperate and, therefore, confrontational.

"You owe me $15! Give me my $15!" he repeatedly yelled to me and the assistant manager.

But we stood our ground - him more than me because at the point when a customer is yelling at me, I let my superiors handle the situation. I'm not paid enough for that. Plus, when someone is yelling at me for something I'm not going to give him, I stand my ground, but am usually shaking uncontrollably, like I was by this point.

But I tried as hard as I could to move on and help other customers until the guy realized he wasn't going to win. So he took our store manager's business card (Hmmm. Wonder if he's going to call that number.) and turned to me to hiss, "Bitch. I hope you enjoy that $15."

Dude. I don't know if you realize this, but I was raised a country girl and live in New York City. Do you even think for a second that I'd gladly take an emotional beat-down from a street hustler just so I could swindle you out of enough money to take a taxi about 10 blocks?

You sir, apparently, have no idea who I am.