stuart piazza .blog

Occasionally I like to go to the local Barnes & Noble bookstore to read, write, and just relax in the coffee shop within the store. It is usually the same deal – browse the magazines, browse the books, select some temporary reading, buy a coffee, open the laptop, and then sit and enjoy myself. However, last weekend, as I exited the store, I was greeted by a tall young man dressed in a suit.

His name was John and he was holding a manila folder. He had a worried look on his eye, so when he signaled my attention I decided to listen to what he had to say.

“Hello, my name is John and I need to ask you for a favor.”

As I witnessed this first line I thought he was going to either ask me for a ride home, or try to sell me something.

He proceeded.

“They are building a new Whole Foods up the street, and I just got a job there. I need this job so I can pay rent, but they wouldn’t let me have it until I showed them a valid driver’s license. My driver’s license just expired, and I need to get to the DMV today and get a new license or they won’t give me the job.”

I was interested. Usually when I am in this kind of situation I have an open hand in my face asking for alcohol money.

Despite the fact that this was a possible scam or I was on some new Candid-Cam: The Homeless Edition, I wanted to actually know more about the Whole Foods. I love Whole Foods.

“Where are they opening the Whole Foods?” I asked.

He opened his folder and showed me a professional looking memo with the Whole Foods logo was on. It had a letter of approval of his employment for the company, and he handed it to me with the location that they would be opening and by glancing, the letter seemed very well drafted.

I asked him how he got here and how he got out to the Whole Foods in the first place which was off of a major highway exiting Georgia. He said he took the city bus, but doesn’t have any money for fare. (To my knowledge the bus doesn’t go out all the way to where he stated, but I let him continue.)

“I just need $10 to get to the DMV so I can renew my license.”

He showed me his expired license, which was indeed expired, along with his Birth Certificate and a form showing his hourly wage and position if he were to be working for Whole Foods. After continuing on and on trying to convince me about his situation, I started to take out my wallet.

He paused, his eyes grew larger, and a smile was placed upon his face. I took out a ten, and I looked him straight in the eyes.

“I wouldn’t normally do this, and I know that your story is bogus, but because you went through this extreme length with your story, documents, and your attire, you definitely have earned this.”

I handed him the ten and he thanked me over and over. This con scheme he tried to pull was quite convincing, and he was probably a tad upset that I didn’t buy it. Either way, he got what he wanted, and I felt good to donate to the odd form of entertainment that I just had the pleasure of witnessing.

Technorati Tags: Whole Foods, Con, Barnes & Noble, Reading, Coffee