Semper lie? BWI fraudster is rotten to the Corps
Charles Beckman of Towson offers the following heart-warming travel tale for your Thanksgiving inspiration:
My 17 year old son and I got in from Colorado (at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport) about midnight on November 15, and I left him to get the bags and wait for me curbside while I got on the bus to go get our car.
When I drove around a few minutes later, he was standing with a guy with very short hair, a red windbreaker, and obvious dog tags, and both approached my car. The guy was in great shape with not an ounce of fat on him, with a brutally chiseled face that looked a little like the transformed Jim Carrey in Mask. He said he was a sergeant in the Marines, had just gotten back from Iraq, and had five other guys with him who needed to get back to Quantico, but he’d locked his keys in the van, and a cab trip to Quantico was going to run $250.
I asked him what he needed and he said he needed $21 for an airport locksmith to jimmy the window so he could get to his keys. While I was getting the money, he said, “You have a fine young man here, and I told him I’d buy him a steak dinner on the government if he could help us out.”
I gave him my money and my business card with the address on it and asked him to send reimbursement. That was eight days ago . . . I’m assuming I won’t see this money again. My son and I agreed that if he wasn’t a Marine, he ought to be in Hollywood, his acting skills were so convincing.
I offer this story just in case others traveling through BWI meet this same ‘Marine’ this holiday season.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and make sure the turkey isn't you.
Comments
Funny thing...something very similar to this happened to me recently in downtown Baltimore. Almost same story...locked out marine ...needed cash for locksmith or cab ride. This guy had a marines baseball cap and jacket.
I gave him a $20.
Posted by: Chris Steiner | November 23, 2009 4:38 PM
The naming of a precise amount is important in these matters. It's one thing to say, "I need some money," and another entirely to say, "I need $21 dollars to pay a locksmith". It sells the message much more effectively.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 24, 2009 9:01 AM
We had a similar scam - in a hospital parking lot... guy had pregnant wife in the car and he was dressed very professionally and was well mannered and articulate. Said he had brought the wife to the hospital and didn't have his wallet with him in the hurry- needed gas money to get home quite a distance and would reimburse us; got our address etc. and we gave him the cash. Never to be seen again.
Posted by: lsr | November 24, 2009 10:53 AM
Ran across this same guy at an Orioles game the other night. Had a funny feeling about it but ultimately figured that it was worth the risk on the off chance he was telling the truth. Oh well.
Posted by: J | September 2, 2010 11:11 PM