more fun with scammers

Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 02:37:12 +0100
Subject: washburn lyon electric guitar w/ practice amp - $75 (alexandria, va)
From: glevipaniz@gmail.com
To: sale-hjxug-2535751575@craigslist.org

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

You still have it up for sale? 

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This message was remailed to you via: sale-hjxug-2535751575@craigslist.org
If this email is a scam or spam please flag it now:
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 Dan Robinson

To glevipaniz@gmail.com

Yes.

 kevin grierson

 Add to contacts

To Dan Robinson

Hi,
Thanks for your response. I'm going on a vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) 
I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment.
Awaiting your info.
Thanks

 Dan Robinson

• 

  

To facebookpromotions001@gmail.com

You know what would really be more convenient for me is if you gave me your name, address, phone number and your bank routing number and checking account number and I will just direct-debit your account.  I'd be happy to ship the items to you.  That way we could complete this transaction much quicker.

i'm outraged.

three warnings and one ticket in four days. outrageous. i'm outraged. the worst part? my car wasn't even moving. the first one was for no front tags on the supra, parked on a county street. i was not parked at a yellow curb, or in a handicapped space or in front a fire hydrant. no. my car sat there, next to the curb, not moving, properly registered, but lacking the front license plate. the three warnings i received when i stopped at the gate to show my badge and one of the gate guards was bored and decided to write me up for the clear plastic front license plate cover on the corolla. i was given a warning for that, a warning for failure to provide proof of insurance (i couldn't find my insurance card) and a warning for operating an uninsured vehicle, even though my vehicle is in fact insured, indeed probably over-insured.

did i break the law? yes, i did. and according to the law, i deserved those tickets/warnings. but who did i hurt? did i endanger someone? did i endanger myself? were the other people on the block where my car was parked somehow put as risk because my car did not have a front license plate or other people on the road at risk because my other car had a clear piece of plastic over it's front license plate? were my actions to the detriment of society at large? of course not.

the real risk here is the local governments running out of money and so they write stupid little laws like this with stupid little fines to pad their budgets. but here's the best part... have you ever wondered why you are required to have front tags? (hint: cops don't chase you from the front) it's for things like photo radars* and red light cameras** and laser speed traps***, other laws that generate revenue. so now we have laws specifically designed to ensure that other laws revenue generating laws continue to put money in the county coffers.

you're probably thinking, dan is an idiot and he gets what he deserves. he should just do like he's supposed to and no one will bother him. if you're thinking that, you've missed the entire point and i have failed as a writer. the point is 1) i shouldn't be forbidden from doing anything that doesn't hurt anyone and 2) the government should not be writing laws for the purposes of collecting money unless they are tax laws and even that is questionable if you ask me.

* i think we can pretty much all agree that photo radars do not improve traffic safety. after about a month, everyone knows exactly where they are and will slow down for just long enough to not get a ticket. furthermore, anyone who *does* get a ticket gets it 2-4 weeks after the fact which means 1) they did not slow the time they got the ticket and 2) now they know exactly where it is so they can slow down just long enough next time to not get a ticket

** red light cameras are still debatable. while they have been shown to decrease the number of cars running the light as it turns from green to red, they have also been show to increase the number of rear-end collisions at the same intersections. so you decide if you'd rather get hit by the car behind you or have to wait while some jerk squeeze through the light at the last second.

*** i've got no good argument against speed traps. and in fact, they probably would improve traffic safety in the long run if the fines were so substantial that it actually changed peoples driving habits.

an open letter

dear really, really old guy at 7-11,

let me start by commending you on your independence. most citizens your age would probably not be out and about like you are, and even though it took your 20 minutes to get money out of your wallet, you have my respect sir. i noticed that you were buying some lottery tickets. i occasionally purchase lottery tickets myself, and like you i am hoping to beat the unbelievably bad odds and win an unspeakable amount of money. but if i may make a suggestion, perhaps you might consider a different game instead of the "cash for life" tickets you were purchasing?

sincerely,
dan

honeymoon - day 1

on monday, we woke up at 4am to catch a flight out of bwi. my dad kindly also woke up to drive us there. we flew into pvd, and unlike the first time we flew here, i remembered which company i had made rental car reservations with so we only had to go to one desk instead of six.



the first place we went was to see plymouth rock, which, as it turns out is a total scam. the pilgrims in fact landed near provincetown on cape cod first. they later sailed to plymouth, but the "rock" was not identified until nearly 120 years after the fact. furthermore, it has been moved from it's original spot and was broken in half in the process.



after plymouth rock, we headed off to the newport cliff walk, which is pretty much what it sounds like. the other side of the path is lined with really really rich people. as we walked around, we saw some people leaning over the railing looking at some rocks. we asked what they were looking at and they told us they saw a mink (as in coat) running around on their rocks. these people are so rich, that they have fur coats running around instead of rats.



we had a few beers and a bite to eat at a local tourist trap and headed to our temporary home in chatham, ma. it's a little one bedroom cottage, which is fine, except for the fact that it has no microwave. the lack of which has basically rendered the entire kitchen useless. we're told that it rents out for $200/nt during this time of year. you'd think the owners could cough up the $60 for a microwave.