He comes out of nowhere. He smells that pizza and asks, "Hey, can I get a slice?"
He watches someone put their coat on and grab their pack of cigarettes. He asks, "Hey are you going outside to smoke? You think I can bum a cigarette?"
Everyone has a friend, or two or eight like this guy. They ask to borrow things without the intention of ever returning the generosity.
"I have a lot of friends who are moochers," said Kinsey Davidson, a sophomore political science major. "But I can't complain because I am one too."
One of the key components of mooching is having a friend to mooch from. Without the generosity of a friend, the art of mooching would not exist.
"I definitely have a few pretty close friends who are moochers," said Josh Sicard, a graduate student, studying media arts and production. "Most of my past roommates have been."
The things that people will mooch for vary; however, money and food seem to be two of the most popular things to ask for.
"My friends grub for money, headphones and food," said Mitchell Watt, a freshman psychology major. "And asking to use my dining dollars-people are always asking for that."
Sometimes, when someone acts a certain way too often, it can have an effect on his or her perceived motives. Other times, the behavior becomes so familiar it just becomes expected.
"At this point, I don't really get mad at the people who mooch off of me," said Steve Liss, a senior marketing major. "I'm used to it, so it's not really surprising when they ask for something."
Mr. Mooch may seem like he's just idly waiting for that next handout, but sometimes there is a good reason behind the moocher's way.
"Sometimes a person just has needs," Davidson said. "If they don't have a way to take care of those needs, they're going to ask someone else to help them do it."
Moochers can be divided into two categories. There are those who mooch out of need, and then there are those who mooch out of want, according to Victoria Parry, a senior communication major.
"When someone needs something really badly and is forced to ask for it, they're really grateful when they get it," Parry said. "But the people who mooch constantly, and just want things they don't have aren't as thankful when they get whatever it is."
Whether it's out of necessity or just laziness, moochers can sometimes take advantage of their target. No one wants to hurt the moocher's feelings, but the providers should also not put themselves in an uncomfortable situation.
According to Liss, to eliminate this problem, sometimes you just have to put your foot down and say no if the person is asking for too much.
Aside from saying no, there are other ways to deal with the ever-persistent moocher.
"If you don't let them get what they want all the time, they won't get used to it," Sicard said.
A person must tread lightly to avoid becoming a mooch as opposed to just a person who borrows a lot.
According to Parry, a borrower will return the favor with another, but a moocher will just take and give nothing back in return.
To constantly be borrowing things from your friends takes a lot of nerve, and is not a job suitable for everyone.
"They have to be unafraid to ask for what they need," Davidson said. "But they also have to be prepared to give things to people in return when they are asked."
While any group of friends can most likely pinpoint their Mr. Mooch, he may not always be a repeat offender.
Anyone can become a mooch if they're put in the right situation, Watt said. Moochers are not so rare and chances are, anyone, at any point in their life will meet one.
He is an artist. He is creative. He knows how to get what he wants whenever he needs it. He's a moocher and he might be you.
