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The Shoeshine Scam

I had a recent experience while in Istanbul that I can’t get off my mind. 

I went to a local ATM to get some money, Turkish lira, for my travels. As I approached the bank, a man carrying a shoeshine kit, suddenly stood up and started to walk the other direction from me. As he did so, a brush fell off the back of his kit. Thinking I would play the good Samaritan I said: “Just a minute, just a minute,” and I stopped him and told him he dropped his brush.  

He turned around and was so “grateful.” 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said. Then he pointed to my boots and said, “I shine them. You do me a favor. I do you a favor.”

My boots didn’t need a shine, but he was so insistent on returning the favor I finally said okay, and he began to shine my boots. He actually did a really good job and took less than three minutes. 

When he got all done, I thought I would be generous and give him a tip. So, I reached into my pocket and took out 200 lira. I handed it to him. And to my surprise he started jabbering as though something was wrong.  I couldn’t understand him, but finally, it clicked.  He wanted more money. In fact, he was asking for double the money that I had offered as a tip for his kindly “return of the favor.” 

I gave him the 400 lira and walked away, feeling duped. 

Three days later, my group pulled up in front of our hotel. They got off the bus and started walking towards the hotel. 

As we approached, I saw another shoeshine man right on the street where we were going. Suddenly, without warning, he picked up his shoeshine kit and started walking away. As he did, he dropped his brush off the back exactly as the other fellow had done. 

I suddenly realized it was a scam that the vendors use to sucker the unsuspecting tourists. 

Once they shine your shoes, you feel obligated to pay for it and rather than cause a scene you pay it and walk away. 

It was only a few bucks, so I didn’t mind that much. What I did mind is being taken advantage of—being offered a favor and then paying a price for it. 

I have thought a lot about that experience and concluded that the Adversary works in the same manner. Smooth and suave, he offers graciously to do us a great favor and if we accept it, it always comes at a great cost.