Was he a magazine salesman or an ex-con?
There was an incident yesterday with a "door to door" magazine salesman. The guy was very suspicious and soliciting after dark (around 6:30 pm) around the Irvington Avenue area.
He appeared to have a fake ID badge or "permit" as he called it. He said he was from a group called "Omega."
One of the neighbors who felt uneasy and called the police, who arrived within seconds. The police then escorted the man away in the back of their police car. The police said that the man was from Alabama and many ex-cons are being dumped in neighborhoods from other states. This doesn't mean he was an ex-con, but he surely didn't belong in the area, soliciting magazines after dark all the way from Alabama (and not even with a banjo on his knee to prove it).
This is a good reason to bring up Crime Watch. They meet the second Wednesday of each month at St. Stephens in the Great Room -- the next meeting is Wednesday January 14 at 7 pm. Neighborhood watch representatives are needed, too. Until then, lock your doors.
He appeared to have a fake ID badge or "permit" as he called it. He said he was from a group called "Omega."
One of the neighbors who felt uneasy and called the police, who arrived within seconds. The police then escorted the man away in the back of their police car. The police said that the man was from Alabama and many ex-cons are being dumped in neighborhoods from other states. This doesn't mean he was an ex-con, but he surely didn't belong in the area, soliciting magazines after dark all the way from Alabama (and not even with a banjo on his knee to prove it).
This is a good reason to bring up Crime Watch. They meet the second Wednesday of each month at St. Stephens in the Great Room -- the next meeting is Wednesday January 14 at 7 pm. Neighborhood watch representatives are needed, too. Until then, lock your doors.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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7 Comments:
The guy was an ex-con. I was visited by one as well. It was part of one of those magazine selling programs. I had a decent chat with the guy, gave him a cup of water, and sent him on his way as I was not interested in magazines. He was dressed in slacks and a business shirt and was trying to improve his skills in order to one day get a job. He mentioned that many of the people in the program are ex-cons who have been reformed but are having trouble securing any sort of job because of their troubled past.
I had a similar visit from a girl in South Miami about 6 years ago when I lived there and I bought a magazine subscription from her. It worked out and wasnt a scam. While it was a little shady that this guy was at my door around 630pm, I just thought he was trying to hustle in order to make a buck or two for himself in a seemingly honest way.
Yesterday evening at around 8:30, I too got a knock at my door. Standing there was a nicely dressed young man wearing black slacks, white shirt and black tie. I immediately thought Jehovah's Witness, but they travel in two's. He was pleasant looking and I didn't get any sketchy vibe, other than my initial irritation of being "interrupted" - which was probably pretty sketchy to him. I soon realized he was selling magazines, as every year they come a knockin'. (I've actually purchased once in the past and received what I ordered.)
I was friendly, and told him right off I wasn't interested in magazines for environmental reasons. I guess I elaborated so much he didn't even bother trying to convince me otherwise.
My dogs, who had been barking aggressively, calmed down. (I always pay attention to their behaviour as their spidey senses are far more acute than mine.) I had something on the stove, and asked him to wait a minute, have a seat on the porch while I turned it off. I came back, I sat and we talked easily and casually. I asked him questions about the company he was pawning the magazines for, how it helped him personally, why he was doing it, etc. He was open. He told me he was a convicted felon from Dallas, and that this program was a stepping stone which is helping him learn sales' skills, self esteem, how to present himself in a positive manner, plus earn a wage. I asked him what he did to get sentenced to two years. He said he assaulted his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend who was harassing them. He also said he has since learned that violence is not a solution. He said he used to be in a gang and incarceration helped to rehabilitate him. He said he is the father to two sons, and he wants to make something of himself. He said he was 22 years old.
We drank water while we talked and I shared some steamed cauliflower with him. He said he loves vegetables because he learned not to trust the meats they served while he was incarcerated.
I remember the first thing he said to me when I first opened the door: "Good evening Ma'am, I know it's late, it's dark out, and I'm dark but..."
So yes, this boy is an "ex-con". But he's also a lot of other things. He is budding with potential and is using the "programs" that are extended to felons to try to improve his status. It's not easy getting a job out there, much less with a record. I offered to write a check to his cause, but deferred on the magazines. He said no, he had to meet a quota. So, no money was exchanged between us, just a meeting of minds and connected humanity for a brief 20 minutes.
It would have been such a blow to his ambitions, if I were a nervous person, who chose to involve the police.
Please know that I'm not diminishing the experience our neighbor had on Irvington, but rather telling of my very different experience on the same evening.
Yes it is best to err on the side of caution. But let's keep in mind that caution to you is probably very different than it is to me, the young man I spoke with, the seemingly drug addled man on Irvington that the police took away, and the guy that threw the shoes at Bush.
RAS T - sounds like the same guy that visited me. You know, I didnt always make the best decisions as a kid and ended up in my fair share of trouble too. I also dont like when people get permanently labeled as being a certain way just because they might have been that way at one point. In the case on Irvington, I have to ask one question...
If the guy was white, would you have called the cops?
Selling magazine subscriptions is a way to "case" a place. This happened to my building about 3 years ago and less than a week later, four of the apartments in my complex were broken into and robbed. That's why the cops are so keen to stop this. They only grab laptops and digital cameras. Easy to resell and if you have them in clear sight when you open the door, get better locks.
Same guy described above was on Gifford Lane this evening, came to the door with the same sales pitch. The whole thing seemed suspect to me because I have heard of the magazines sales scam. Didn't give him any money as I would never do business on my doorstep to begin with.
I think the magazine thing is legitimate. If not, quite a few of my neighbors should cancel the checks that he showed me he got from them for magazines. Two were for about a hundred bucks each.
I would really like to know if this thing is truly a scam...
Did anyone get the name of the company they represented?
Thanks.
I live in S. Miami and got a visit from a young lady about 6-8 months ago with the same ex-con story.
We talked for a long time about her life and goals (she wanted to eventually be a vet) and I gave a check for the magazines. It took about 2 weeks before the check went through and about 6 weeks before I got the first issue. No problems with the subscriptions. (or my checking account)
It's a shame that our society has become do distrusting that people who are trying to change their ways run into such opposition.
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