The problem of some ERC20 tokens is that it requires gas to send the token to the exchange, which I presume is the situation of our OP. He cannot sell the tokens to ETH beause he needs ETH to sell the tokens
You are right but Op here didn't know this from the start? When he deposit to buy those ICO tokens, he paid gas for sure so...
This is all an excuse to justify the "loan" that he wants.
I guess so; and rest assured I wouldn't lend a single ETH chip to him/her. But the situation this person has is somehow "normal", and not some pitty-fairy tale or such BS that people try to get a loan.
I know this for a fact, because the first time I received and airdrop ERC20 shitcoin, it got stuck in my wallet because I needed ETH to send it to the exchange; and then I needed more ETH to place the sell order.