Posted on 07/29/2012 5:51:06 PM PDT by Lazamataz
DO NOT EVER DO THIS.
I met a fellow about 7 years ago in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous. He was getting cleaned up; so was I. We became fast friends. Soon, I was helping him out, and he was helping me.
Sometimes I loaned him money -- a lot -- and sometimes he loaned it to me. Once, I loaned him my car for some jobn interviews. Everything went well.
He contacted me recently and asked if I could rent him a car. "Why can't you rent it?" I asked. Well, he had a valid license but not a physical copy of it. Sure, I replied. I can do it.
I rented the car for him from Enterprise. He paid for the whole deal, including the extended insurance (which I demanded he do). Four days pass, the car needs to be returned or re-rented. No problem, he comes with more money and we re-rent it. Four more days pass, and I contact him. No answers. I call him all day. No answers. Now I am getting worried.
I go to where his last address was, and his girlfriend answers (also in the program of recovery) and she says he moved out some time back. She hints he's returned to using. Now I am getting REALLY worried.
I call and call and call. The next day, I go to Enterprise, and they inform me that because he is an unauthorised driver, no coverage will be afforded me under the insurance. I may be 100% civilly liable. They instruct me to report the car stolen. I call Chamblee police, and an officer comes. Police are always suspicious, and this one is too, telling me "my story does not add up" (but it did! It is what happened!) and informing me that I could and would be charged with a FELONY (Theft by Conversion) if the car is not returned by nightfall.
The guy is still not answering. I might be in SERIOUS trouble for being an idiot -- not for truly being a criminal.
The next day he answers, finally. Tells me not to panic, that the car is fine. I tell him HE and I will BOTH be charged with a felony and that we may be already. He shrugs it off ... "No big deal. I've had felonies before."
Yeah, a comment like that, he's definitely using again.
He promises to get the car to me. I wait at home, calling every fifteen minutes. Excuse after excuse on why he's not there yet. Finally, he stops answering again. Oh crap.
A day passes, I'm reaching out to my 12 step friends to locate him. One person saw him in an apartment complex. I stake it out for a while. No luck.
Another day passes. Enterprise calls me, they tell me they haven't issued a warrant yet, but this will be the final day.
So I start thinking like an addict. I was one, I know how they think. The only interest they (used to be me, too) have is their next hit. BINGO. I text him that I will offer him 100's in cash to bring the car back.
Suddenly he calls. He's willing. I tell him to meet me at my place of employment, where there are armed security guards. He pulls in, he's got 2 friends with him. Hmmm. I lure him out of the car by putting the cash on the ground. He gets out, I get in and order the friends out. The dude says, "Aren't you at least going to drive us somewhere?" Hell no. I'm in sight of armed guards right now, this is where they get out. I let them know they need to leave. I wave to the security guards, they wave back. They had no idea what was going on, but the wave convinced the hoodlums to leave.
This was the most terrifying week I have had in a long time. I was certain I was going to be jailed, with little prospect of an immediate bond, and a loss of job, and a felony accusation that my attorney told me was likely to stick.
All because I was too nice, too naive, and just plain stupid.
Don't let anything like this happen to you. I aged about 5 years.
"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence."
Just Damn, I think this man needs to be cloned!
Dayum, Laz!
That was a close call. Glad it worked out, but rest assured that I’ll never do that! And you better not do it again either!
Trust no one, believe nothing until proved to your own satisfaction.
End of story!
Laz my old friend, there is a lesson in here.
Embrace your inner stupid, love the pain it brought you as the Teacher it is, and learn like you’ve never learned before
And don’t you ever do anything this bone dense dumb again.
Ever.
Your friend,
Lurker
You just gave your self the best advice any one possibly could, now stick to it even when it hurts.
5th MEB
>>Read some Oscar Wilde to recover is my advice.
Laz, as it happens, we went to the matinee of The Importance of Being Earnest this afternoon at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival at Oglethorpe. I recommend it highly, it was funny as all get out, really well done. It plays several more times over the next week, then they close for the Summer. Get over there, it’s right around the corner from you.
http://www.gashakespeare.org/the_importance_of_being_earnest
wow - glad you made it out of that one ok Laz.
Amen.
There are some lessons only time will reveal.
Dear Laz,
This is your future writing to you. You know, time. Even though we both realize by the me you read this, it will be in the past...it’s ok, we both have to deal.
Life, they say, is a journey - from the brain to the heart, and what a wild ride it is huh?
Thing I wanted to tell you, I think it’s about “lessons” or somesuch, since the word frequently occupies replies is
trust your gut. What afterall is the takeaway here? Was it the keystroke, the withdrawal of funds, what?
At what point did your gut rumble and say; “ummm buddy mine, this ain’t a good thing” - at what point did you not listen? That is the thing here (I hesitate to use the word lesson)
You got your loving “good guy” that didn’t listen to his gut. Your “lesson” is why you did not.
It’s a deep thing. I have faith in your ability to go there.
See you later! (haha! That always makes me laugh!)
Crazy story! But in the end, the good guy prevailed. I will heed your advice. Addiction is a tough row to hoe. I wish you the best.
Glad all is ok! Next time post a vanity to “idiot-proof” your ideas;)
I hear ya. while I managed to stay away from drugs.. I was no angel...
The local LEO knew me by name. At the detention center well... “you again?” was normally what I heard.. I think I spent more time in the detention center one year, that outside of it. Come to think of it, I suspect that happened a few years..
I got so bad my own mother turned me in (as she should!) talk about a wake up call. sleeping on the couch and being woke up by the LEO your mother called.
I hear ya on the future gutter trash comment. It takes two to correct our ways. We both stopped being gutter trash when WE decided not to be. At that point we became the 2 worth helping.
The other one? Well for me.. It was God. If he can’t do it. No one can ;)
“2X2L calling CQ. Isn’t there anyone on the air? Isn’t there anyone on the air? Isn’t there... anyone?”
Twice I refused to co-sign for 2 of my kids...it puts everything you own at risk...
People in these programs work the system, I wouldn't trust a god-damned one of them, you might help one or two who were worth helping the rest are future gutter trash, working the system.
I was in the VA system for three years, and saw what Bill talks about.
Scum of the earth. Useless Eaters. Chemical-dependent violent offenders. And they game the system to dry out at the VA with 3-hots-and-a-cot, hit the streets, and cycle through it all over again. And they laugh at you and me, because it's our dime.
I know it’s scary, but sometimes people talk out their ass.
You would certainly be liable in a civil court for damages, but you would never get charged with a felony. The cops would talk to you for about five minutes and toss that warrant.
You learned a lesson. I’ve had several friends in the program. I usually only have to have the “no loans” and no bail conversation once. And it’s usually before they’ve fallen off the wagon. Honesty is the best policy.
Good luck on your recovery.
As John Wayne said “Life is hard-Harder if you are stupid”
Packrat35 says “Stupidity should be painful cause then you WILL learn from it.”
Not ragging on you cause Lord knows I have done more than my share of stupid things and got out alive. But take the first two quote to heart and you can’t go wrong.
Despite this painful lesson, keep your good heart.
You might be the only good heart someone meets — and you are a good heart.
My son in law made that mistake in a business partnership — rented the company cars for 3 partners and got left holding the bag when the business went belly up and 2 partners declared bankruptcy. My s-i-l bore all of the losses. He worked his way out, but it was painful — very painful. It’s lucky that he married my daughter who is a work-a-holic and who took many jobs to help put them on their feet again.
BUT, You made it out safely, Praise God! [and no thanks to Paris Hilton. just thought I'd throw that out there]
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