rigorousintuition.ca

I am a scammer. I almost took people for 20 bucks a head last night to park near a park where the good ol' fireworks go off in an office building's parking lot that is next to my building. For about 2 hours, before and after the fireworks, this area gets crazy -- everybody looking for a spot. So, last summer I had this idea to just hold out a sign that says "Parking $20", but I thought better of it. This year, I decided to take the plunge. I made two huge signs. I stood out in the street with my beer (Coors Light naturally) and began waving cars going down the street in.

So the first dude and his lady pull up and said "Twenty bucks to park here?" I said "Yep". He hands me twenty and I put it in my pocket.

I immediately felt awful. Beyond awful. I literally felt like I was going to puke.

I walk away as the dude is parking. And suddenly! I said "Fuck this. I can't do it."

So as they're getting out their car I reapproach them and say "Here, have your 20 back. My boss wanted me to make a little money for the building. But it's the fourth of July and I don't want to take your money."

The guy was confused, naturally. He was like, "Well can I tip you?" I said no. I wanted to confess that I was scamming him. But I didn't confess. But see, it's a tow away zone on private property that isn't mine in the least. So I'm all like, now I gotta watch this guy's car to see to it that it doesn't get towed! Ugh. It was so awful.

So, I rip the signs down, muttering that "how could I have ever felt good about doing this EASY scam that would have put $200 in my pocket". And go back to sitting with my GF on the stoop and drinking beer.

Well, no sooner had I ripped those signs down, this car rolls up and parks nonchalantly in one of the spots that I was scamarifically selling -- or was going to sell to "dumb-asses" not from around here and wouldn't know any better. Guy gets out with his kid to go see the fireworks down the street. See, I'm still worried about this guy who I'd scammed, but had already given his money back to and about his car getting towed now. So I ask the guy if he worked in the office. He said yes. He's some kind of a honcho for I presume a chiropractors office that is in this building.

So I said, hey my cousin just drove up and I told it was probably cool to park in that spot. He said, eh. That's fine, no problem, nobody's gonna bitch about it.

Case closed. Lesson learned and goddamn did I feel like puking for about 45 minutes after that. Scamming others is not the way to go. At least I know my karma and my conscience is in good order. I would have been busted forthwith had my conscience and better sense not intervened.

The Universe works in mysterious ways!

Confession is one of the not-crazy things about the Catholic church. It's good for you.

No crime, no harm, no foul. I absolve thee, go and sin no more.

So... what are you wearing?

Nothing actually, under these dumbass khaki pants I have to wear for my wage slave job.

But isn't that a fucked up story? I'm still amazed by it and I am amazed by me. I actually glad I went through it. I felt for one moment what it is like to have the upper hand and I didn't want it once I did. I like that more than the $200 I would have made in about 20 minutes.

I even called my cool-ass dad to confess about a half hour later as well.

Scamming people is extremely easy and this is what bothered me so bad. How easy it was! So opportunistic! It was not natural, I felt evil come over me - which I obviously shook off by saying no way. Karma had the other dude show up just in time for me to LIE in order to save somebody else's ass that I put in jeopardy. Everybody, try pulling off a scam and see how your conscience feels when you do. When you feel it, it's like nothing other in existence. I cannot lie, I've always known that, but I never thought that I would attempt a simple little scam, at least at this age. Jesus.

Not saying it's going to happen, but nobody COMMEND me please for seeing through my own act of selfishness.

Don't say 82_28 you're noble and blah blah blah -- not saying anyone will. I just wanted to share an emotion due to an act of stupidity. And it has been on my mind. There are no three cheers for me. If anything, someone go into how the fabric of the universe can warn you of shit sometimes when it knows your overall karma. I'm a good person, I think. I think my soul is as pure as it can get -- impure, but still striving or something. But I did something awful and something within me reacted with horror once the act was consummated and I could not carry on and had to use all of my intellect to back the fuck out of it and make sure no one got hurt by my stupid idea.

82_28 wrote:Not saying it's going to happen, but nobody COMMEND me please for seeing through my own act of selfishness.

OK.

82, this is why you will never get ahead.

Funny, I've had the idea to do exactly that here in LA in certain places ... but I would never actually do it!

How much beer had you consumed when you decided to pull this off?

Nordic, one thing about me is, I am always consuming beer. However, I was not drunk.

But I got the idea last year, as I said. And just decided to try it this year. My GF was all like "I knew that's exactly how you would feel once you did it". She warned me too. But I am glad I went through with it. It's like I say about LSD. Had I never tried it, I would be sitting here wondering what it was all about - thus I am glad I tried it. Even though it fucked my brain up and hallucinating within a brain that never stops and wonders if it's schizo all the time is a really bad combination.

I also say it about not moving to the east coast to go to school. Had I not had my nervous breakdown, I wouldn't have wound up on the west coast. And the west is where I ultimately like it.

82_28 wrote:Not saying it's going to happen, but nobody COMMEND me please for seeing through my own act of selfishness.

Don't say 82_28 you're noble and blah blah blah -- not saying anyone will. I just wanted to share an emotion due to an act of stupidity. And it has been on my mind. There are no three cheers for me. If anything, someone go into how the fabric of the universe can warn you of shit sometimes when it knows your overall karma. I'm a good person, I think. I think my soul is as pure as it can get -- impure, but still striving or something. But I did something awful and something within me reacted with horror once the act was consummated and I could not carry on and had to use all of my intellect to back the fuck out of it and make sure no one got hurt by my stupid idea.

Only a total fucking asshole would try and "scam" (steal from, actually) families going to see fireworks. You are an asshole. Regardless of your change of heart. Your soul ain't pure.

82_28 wrote:$200 I would have made in about 20 minutes.

Instead of $200, let's say it was $2,000,000...

same time spent, same chance of getting caught, but instead of ten people losing $20--and possibly getting their cars towed--it would be 100,000 people...

would $2M change your decision to stop?

Fresno_Layshaft wrote:

82_28 wrote:Not saying it's going to happen, but nobody COMMEND me please for seeing through my own act of selfishness.

Don't say 82_28 you're noble and blah blah blah -- not saying anyone will. I just wanted to share an emotion due to an act of stupidity. And it has been on my mind. There are no three cheers for me. If anything, someone go into how the fabric of the universe can warn you of shit sometimes when it knows your overall karma. I'm a good person, I think. I think my soul is as pure as it can get -- impure, but still striving or something. But I did something awful and something within me reacted with horror once the act was consummated and I could not carry on and had to use all of my intellect to back the fuck out of it and make sure no one got hurt by my stupid idea.

Only a total fucking asshole would try and "scam" (steal from, actually) families going to see fireworks. You are an asshole. Regardless of your change of heart. Your soul ain't pure.

Hahaha! They aren't families for one. I also can't drive my car up to say, the store on days like the day I recounted. Why? Well, cos I won't have no parking spot when I get back. And so, lest I be banned, you're a fucking dick and I'm not. Fuck you Fresno. It was a fucking IDEA! I knew it was horrible. All the other lots around here are doing it and I said WHY THE FUCK NOT!?!?!? That's it and that's all and this household is in the hole. I fixed it. I recanted. I am not in the fucking business of fucking anybody over and obviously I never ever would. I just saw an opportunity. I work for a motherfucking company that looks for reasons to make a buck and I thought I would try it what they do and I hate those fuckers. It was shady. And you know, as I said, I am fucking glad I experienced it. Fuck you, asshole. You're a bigger asshole than me -- I would literally give you the motherfucking shirt off my back. Don't ever call me a name -- especially when I am trying to make a point about how I WAS THE IDIOT IN THE CASE I DIVULGED TO COMPLETE STARNGERS. Fuck you two ways to Sunday. Nobody has ever pissed me off on this board before, but you did it Mr. Layshaft.

Can someone just lock this thread? Delete it? This was not the fucking response I wanted or expected. I know it's the wild and wooly Internet, but I just can't handle this kind of depressing discord.

You have seriously bummed me out Fresno. I love this place and I fucking love motherfucking god's green earth and all of her inhabitants like you wouldn't believe. Don't ever call me an asshole, seriously, when I or one that exists on this planet admits that they were wrong. Don't EVER call me an asshole! Got it? This is my penance and I wanted to share with the other assholes on this board.

So fuck you and this asshole that wants to rip off innocent families wants to say he still loves you. But fuck you still. Lay off, Layshaft.

Someone did that scam here, on a football Saturday. They waved people in to park in an actual park--city owned, with picnic shelter, ball diamonds, etc. (so there are big grassy areas).

About 20 people went for it . . . and got towed.

Not sure if they ever caught the guy--it was a few years ago.

So--someone else had the idea.

I think a lot of this sort of stuff starts off with a sense of having come up with a clever idea. Good for you that you saw how it was going to be harmful to others, and for that aspect as well as for sense of being dishonest, rejected and looked past the aspect that focuses on this idea: 'I'm so clever! I figured out a short cut around rules/barriers and now I'm gonna get some sort of pay-off'.

A lot of smart kids cheat not because they 'need' to cheat but because they think they're getting away with a clever stunt--getting the pay off without the work. They also deny that they're causing harm to anyone and don't get tripped up on the dishonesty-taints-me aspect.

I'm not commending you, but in a limited, qualified way, I think more of someone who had a chance to cheat and turned away, than someone who is so 'pure' that they never even considered/were tempted by some sort form cheating. If you understand it and turn away, that's a kind of moral strength that someone who never even considers it hasn't demonstrated.

I'm not saying that people who don't cheat have no understanding of the possible gains of doing so. Some people see that part of 'things' without having to walk a few steps down that road. But someone who doesn't even know the road exists is, in a way, still a 'child'.

Hope saying it that way doesn't set anyone off but I paused over that choice and felt it really was the right word for what I'm saying.

Interesting thread.

Elvis wrote:

82_28 wrote:$200 I would have made in about 20 minutes.

Instead of $200, let's say it was $2,000,000...

same time spent, same chance of getting caught, but instead of ten people losing $20--and possibly getting their cars towed--it would be 100,000 people...

would $2M change your decision to stop?

I live day to day. And apologize for even bringing this up and my reaction to Fresno as well. But, I wasn't doing it to be a fucking dick. I didn't post this to cause extreme controversy. I didn't post this to even make a personal point. I really only wanted, upon retrospect, to prove that no matter our best intentions we can all be "human" and THANK GOD some of us see that it is OK to not be a scam artist. It was my "punk" nature, for those who care. It was something that I got a rise out of -- a shot of adrenalin. My conscience said NOPE. That is what I wanted to share and this is why I made the new topic.

This thread belongs in the lounge.

Moved to the lounge, open for business.

(That will be $20.)