Gypsies, Scams, and Thieves (Long)

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Good to know. I nearly unfriended my cousin because I didn't want to hear anymore updates from the bathroom. Eeewww.

I came close to defriending one of mine for posting one of those stupid meme games . .

Well, if you're going to post something stupid in the TMI area on FB, expect some smartassed answer . . .I don't play these stupid, childish games on FB - I check in to see what my family and friends are up to, not to try and guess which posts are real and which ones are some sort of game.

[wolfie]

I don't know how to take a screen shot but on my facebook feed someone just posted

"Just used my boobs to get out of a speeding ticket."

That was it.

Eventually she'll run into either a gay male officer or a "make the stereotype of boy scouts look crooked" straight male officer (unlikely she'd try that one on a female officer) and wind up with not only a speeding ticket but an arrest for indecent exposure.

[ADeMartino]

On a PC: CTRL+PrtScr (Print Screen) copies the current screen view to the Clipboard. Do that, then open Paint or an equivalent program, then hit Paste and crop the image as needed.

Actually, you can do the same thing by just hitting the (PrtScr) key by itself, to capture the entire screeen in Windows.

If you'd like to screencap just the active window, (Alt) + (PrtScr).

[eltf177]

Go ahead...

Sorry about taking so long to post this..

This story comes from my late uncle, a lawyer. IIRC this happened back in the mid-80's.

An elderly couple comes into his office grinning like they won the lottery. They want him to take their case; they both fell down in a big-box store (hereafter BBS) and were suing for a great deal of money as BBS refused to settle. Well, my uncle knew that winning such a case is _not_ easy (BBS' have teams of lawyers who are trained to fight things like this). But he agrees that for X dollars (I forget the exact amount) he'll review their case and let them know what he thinks.

The first thing he notices is that their file is pretty sparce, and there's _nothing_ in it from the BBS. That was a huge red flag, so he decided to call the BBS main office. He spoke with one of their lawyers, who asks "are you really taking this case?" Another red flag. He told the BBS lawyer he was just reviewing the case. BBS lawyer suggests he go to the BBS in question and see the security tape.

As it wasn't far he does, and meets one of the BBS' attorney's taking depostions from the store's associates. He gets ushered in and is shown the security tape. It's black and white, grainey and there's no sound but it's quite graphic.

A pair of teenagers goofing around knocked down several shelves of food including mayonase, mustard, ketchup pickles, etc. Most of this was in glass and shattered, making a _huge_ mess on the floor. Associates block off the aisle on both ends with cones, "Wet Floor" signs and even cross a broom and a mop over the aisle to keep people out while they mobilize to clean this up.

Along comes the couple, who start moving cones and the mop/broom. You see an associate stop them, shoo them away and replace everything. About 45 seconds later here's the old couple _AGAIN_, starting to move the cones and mop/broom. A second associate stops them, shoos them away and replaces everything. About 30 seconds later here's the couple yet _AGAIN_. This time they succeed, throwing the broom and mop on the top shelves, moving the cones around to the aisles on either side and throwing the "Wet Floor" sign on a bottom shelf. They then wander down the aisle. My uncle told me her fall _might_ have been legit but his was obviously a pratfall. You can see them yelling as associates converge the area, according to the affidavits the couple were screaming about their pain and how "they would own this store when the dust settled."

My uncle's jaw was on the floor. The BBS attorney mentioned that they had showed the couple this tape, were told they would not receive a dime and strongly suggested they drop this now. He then told my uncle if these people pressed this the BBS would counter-file with extortion charges. My uncle agreed that was a wise move, still not believing that even after being show this tape these people were dumb enough to honestly believe they had a case.

The couple showed up a couple of days later. My uncle tossed them their file back and told them they had no case. And if they pressed this they'd more than likely end up in jail. This was _NOT_ what they wanted to hear, and my uncle reminded them that a very strong case for extortion could be made - at best the couple would be forced to pay the BBS' legal fees and more than likely any judge would jail them for this. And no sane lawyer would take this case. The couple asked for their money back.

"Why?" my uncle asked.
"Because you won't take our case!"
"Um, the fee was for _reviewing_ your case. Which I did, and you have none. I earned the fee and refuse to return it."

The couple got bitchy and threatened to take him to the BAR. He said "go ahead, I'll just get a copy of the tape and show it to them as my defense." This shut them up and they left.

My uncle really thought these fools would keep trying to find a lawyer but he never heard any more so hopefully they got smart and dropped their insane plan.

Seriously, in the 80's stores either had or were getting video equipment. If they'd tried this in a smaller store they _might_ have gotten away with it, but wouldn't have gotten nearly as much as a BBS which had deeper pockets.

My uncle said this was the dumbest thing to ever cross his desk in all his years in the legal field...

[wolfie]

My uncle told me her fall _might_ have been legit but his was obviously a pratfall.

Of course it was a pratfall. The guy was a prat, and he fell - isn't that the definition of a pratfall?

[Evannah]

Hahahaha she broke her leg. I'm considering that good karma because I'm sure she was going to hobble around a bit and pretend to be in pain so that she could sue. Instead she ended up breaking her leg! Pwned.

We had trouble with gypsies at the discount store. There was this one family though that we really liked. They were regulars and they used to chat with us and make us laugh. So they aren't all like you described which is good!

As for mum of the year... well do I really need to say more? o_0

[Evannah]

Sorry about taking so long to post this..

This story comes from my late uncle, a lawyer. IIRC this happened back in the mid-80's.

I LOVE YOUR UNCLE. That is all.

[eltf177]

I LOVE YOUR UNCLE. That is all.

I did too. He's the one who convinced me I _shouldn't_ become a lawyer, for which I will always be grateful...

[XCashier]

Actually there are really awful additional options for that stupid meme.

What an idiotic meme. What exactly is the point of posting an obnoxious and untrue message on FB? I must be getting old, I don't understand this type of "humor".

eltf177, I'm sorry about your loss, your uncle sounds like a really smart, savvy guy.

[Silent-Hunter]

Actually, you can do the same thing by just hitting the (PrtScr) key by itself, to capture the entire screeen in Windows.

If you'd like to screencap just the active window, (Alt) + (PrtScr).

If the PC is running Linux though, Alt + PrtScr can be very dangerous, as Alt +PrtScr + b reboots instantly, and + o will shutdown instantly. Like Ctrl + Alt + Delete in DOS. And O is close enough to PrtScr to be pressed by accident. On some systems, like my laptop, PrtScr will also say SysRq on it.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_SysRq_key

[Silent-Hunter]

I did too. He's the one who convinced me I _shouldn't_ become a lawyer, for which I will always be grateful...

I would enjoy being a laywer, I think. But it would be hard to get enough money for me to learn to do it.

[eltf177]

I would enjoy being a laywer, I think. But it would be hard to get enough money for me to learn to do it.

I thought so too, at first. Actually, my uncle's exact words to me were "you are a person with a good moral center and a strong sense of ethics, which means you will suck as a laywer. A good lawyer has to look a judge, procecuter and jury in the eyes and tell them your client (who has not only done what he's been accused of but _much_ worse) is one step away from sainthood and good to their mother. And do it without laughing or puking on the floor."

Yeah, tapdancing around the truth was not his strong suit...

Actually I always appreciated his honesty, brutal as it was sometimes...

[Silent-Hunter]

I thought so too, at first. Actually, my uncle's exact words to me were "you are a person with a good moral center and a strong sense of ethics, which means you will suck as a laywer. A good lawyer has to look a judge, procecuter and jury in the eyes and tell them your client (who has not only done what he's been accused of but _much_ worse) is one step away from sainthood and good to their mother. And do it without laughing or puking on the floor."

Yeah, tapdancing around the truth was not his strong suit...

Actually I always appreciated his honesty, brutal as it was sometimes...

Well, I suppose it wouldn't be possible to refuse cases like that, would it? I mean, surely a lawyer is free to fire their client if they find out they're guilty, no?

Plus, I'm more interested in copyright law.

[EricKei]

An attorney who works for the state would likely have no choice but to take the case. An independent one? Sure.

[otakuneko]

Be a prosecutor.