Do I look like a tourist?
Do I look like a tourist? Or an easy mark?
On Tuesday night I realized that I'd forgotten to put more money on a metrocard for Joy. Since she usually takes busses, it's tricky for her to do this herself. So, I decided that I would go out around 8:45pm and do this while she was working. I also needed to do a bit of shopping, so instead of going to the subway station next to Columbia University, I'd go to the ABCD station on 125th street. Now, I've been going to that station pretty much every morning for work since 2006 (with the exception, of course, of the nearly year gap between jobs). So I know it well. However, I usually do not go to that station in the evening.
Alas, my experience there the other night, while not horrible, was sufficient for me to continue my habit. Basically, as walked up the stairs from the subway, a guy holding a plastic bottle bumped into me and dropped the bottle. Yes, the classic "broken bottle" scam. I said, as I normally do in situations where someone bumps me, "Sorry 'bout that" (can't hurt to be polite), and kept on going up the stairs. The bottle clunked in that way plastic does, and didn't actually sound like it broke. The guy started yelling at me, and I kept walking. Now, however, I had a problem. It was around 9pm, and the most direct route home was pretty dark and deserted. If the guy was going to follow me and try to intimidate me, I wanted it to be someplace well lit, where I wasn't alone. So I walked in the "wrong" direction, and pretended to be thinking about going into a well lit store while figuring out what the guy was doing. Sure enough, he followed me, and said "My vodka broke!" My response "Sorry!" (what eloquence!)
Scammer: "You should buy me another bottle!"
Goljerp: "Look, I'm not falling for that scam. You want me to call --"
Scammer: "It's cool, it's OK --"
Goljerp: "-- a cop, I can call a cop "
Scammer: "It's OK, good night..."
This kind of scammer doesn't want to *really* get physical or anything, just a quick and easy payoff from someone who is intimidated or feels guilty about being careless. But I can tell you that it took me a while to calm down afterwards, and it was not a pleasant experience. Next time, I'll walk to the stop near Columbia. :-/
On Tuesday night I realized that I'd forgotten to put more money on a metrocard for Joy. Since she usually takes busses, it's tricky for her to do this herself. So, I decided that I would go out around 8:45pm and do this while she was working. I also needed to do a bit of shopping, so instead of going to the subway station next to Columbia University, I'd go to the ABCD station on 125th street. Now, I've been going to that station pretty much every morning for work since 2006 (with the exception, of course, of the nearly year gap between jobs). So I know it well. However, I usually do not go to that station in the evening.
Alas, my experience there the other night, while not horrible, was sufficient for me to continue my habit. Basically, as walked up the stairs from the subway, a guy holding a plastic bottle bumped into me and dropped the bottle. Yes, the classic "broken bottle" scam. I said, as I normally do in situations where someone bumps me, "Sorry 'bout that" (can't hurt to be polite), and kept on going up the stairs. The bottle clunked in that way plastic does, and didn't actually sound like it broke. The guy started yelling at me, and I kept walking. Now, however, I had a problem. It was around 9pm, and the most direct route home was pretty dark and deserted. If the guy was going to follow me and try to intimidate me, I wanted it to be someplace well lit, where I wasn't alone. So I walked in the "wrong" direction, and pretended to be thinking about going into a well lit store while figuring out what the guy was doing. Sure enough, he followed me, and said "My vodka broke!" My response "Sorry!" (what eloquence!)
Scammer: "You should buy me another bottle!"
Goljerp: "Look, I'm not falling for that scam. You want me to call --"
Scammer: "It's cool, it's OK --"
Goljerp: "-- a cop, I can call a cop "
Scammer: "It's OK, good night..."
This kind of scammer doesn't want to *really* get physical or anything, just a quick and easy payoff from someone who is intimidated or feels guilty about being careless. But I can tell you that it took me a while to calm down afterwards, and it was not a pleasant experience. Next time, I'll walk to the stop near Columbia. :-/