‘I died at my table’: TV reporter’s strange encounter with eftpos-carrying beggar

Have Melbourne’s beggars gone electric?

Seven News court reporter Sharnelle Vella was enjoying breakfast at Hellas Cakes on Lennox Street at the weekend when she was approached by a homeless man.

He asked “do you have a dollar?”, to which Vella said she didn’t have any cash on her.

“He pulled out an eftpos machine and said ‘I can take it on card too’,” she told Ross and John.

“At that point I died at my table.

“I said ‘Oh, nah, I’m OK’ and he went on to the next table.”

Vella said even the beggar had a smirk on his face as he produced the eftpos machine.

“The screen was lit up so it was definitely on,” she said.

Seen in Melbourne. A man just approached me while having breakfast at a cafe and asked for $1. When I said I had no cash — HE RIPPED OUT AN EFTPOS MACHINE AND SAID HE TAKES CARD. #ihavedied 😱💳

— Sharnelle Vella (@SharnelleVella) May 26, 2018