CRIME CUSTOMER?


I was leaving Target today just about to get into my vehicle when a dark colored SUV cruised up alongside me. The guy behind the wheel said, "Hey man, you want to buy a home theater system? It's an 800 watt, $1900 system from Magnolia. I had two of them. I hooked up one for myself and I'm selling the other. Make me an offer!"

Now what about me identifies me as a potential customer for this guy? I mean, do I look like a thug? I was wearing my "BIG BOSS MAN" shirt and an Oakland Raider hat. Were those the signs that I'd be game for a parking lot electronics sale?

This could have easily been that familiar scam where someone is selling a box full of bricks, looking to rip off unwitting marks. But come on, who'd pick ME as a mark? If you haven't met me, then maybe you don't know where I'm coming from. This guy certainly wouldn't have risked a beat down to sell me a box of rocks. So I have to believe he had a legit (well...legitimately stolen) home theater system in his back seat that he was looking to unload.

But why me? When I want electronics (and I do love electronics), I go to Best Buy or Circuit City or shop online. I don't head for the nearest parking lot and wait for some fool to roll up selling goods out of their cars. When I need warranty service, what do I do? Head to the Target parking lot and hope you show up again?

And here's the kicker...this isn't the first time. A guy stopped me at the bank six months ago trying to give me some speakers. And twice before I've been solicited to buy a CD in a parking lot. What is this? I'm not buying things from strangers in a parking lot. Who is doing this? And what am I doing to attract this kind of attention?

I told the guy I wasn't interested and he said genuinely offended. Why can't these guys ever hit up off duty cops for these clandestine sales? Now that would be funny.

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