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Sure, I had moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, as a white, middle-class woman from the Midwestern suburbs, and sure, I knew I was naïve, but I did not confront the reality of my own neighborhood, or myself, until I was asked, a week ago, to post bail for my neighbor.
A few months back, trying to get a feel for our new neighborhood, my roommate and I were walking to a bar when we passed his row house, just down the street. There was loud music coming from his open door, and he hailed us over, asking, were either of us musically inclined? Well, yes, I said, I play the violin. He went to get his friend, racing up his steps — she plays the violin! And this is how I met David (whose name I’ve changed here, for the sake of his privacy).
He was an aspiring rapper, and some days later he brought his boombox and producer to my sister’s birthday party, the crowd singing along, willingly, until more and more of his friends began to come in our door. After this my sister did not care for him, and my roommate did not care for him. He’s handsome, she said, and I think he means well, but why was his little brother here at midnight? Why was his mother here? Why does his cousin look so scary?
But I liked the way he was always asking me about myself, my family, my writing. Maybe the details of what he was doing were on the vague side, and maybe he called me at the oddest hours of morning or night, but he carried my groceries when I came by his place, and once walked me the 15 minutes to the Nostrand Avenue subway stop, on a rainy day when he knew I had no umbrella.
Click the link above to read the rest -- it ends with him calling her to bail him out of jail --$2500 -- although she's eventually asked for only $500 by another friend.
Definitely naive. There are A LOT of con artists in this city. You definitely have to be on the look out for them, and they can see you coming a mile away...WAY before you see them.
I am wondering if she still lives at the same address. If so, she is really REALLY naive. I assume she is writing under her real name. Even though she calls the guy "David," if anyone on her street sees the article -- which of course they will-- they will know which guy the story is about. Don't you think there might be some anger erupting on that block?
Sure, I had moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, as a white, middle-class woman from the Midwestern suburbs, and sure, I knew I was naïve, but I did not confront the reality of my own neighborhood, or myself, until I was asked, a week ago, to post bail for my neighbor.
A few months back, trying to get a feel for our new neighborhood, my roommate and I were walking to a bar when we passed his row house, just down the street. There was loud music coming from his open door, and he hailed us over, asking, were either of us musically inclined? Well, yes, I said, I play the violin. He went to get his friend, racing up his steps — she plays the violin! And this is how I met David (whose name I’ve changed here, for the sake of his privacy).
He was an aspiring rapper, and some days later he brought his boombox and producer to my sister’s birthday party, the crowd singing along, willingly, until more and more of his friends began to come in our door. After this my sister did not care for him, and my roommate did not care for him. He’s handsome, she said, and I think he means well, but why was his little brother here at midnight? Why was his mother here? Why does his cousin look so scary?
But I liked the way he was always asking me about myself, my family, my writing. Maybe the details of what he was doing were on the vague side, and maybe he called me at the oddest hours of morning or night, but he carried my groceries when I came by his place, and once walked me the 15 minutes to the Nostrand Avenue subway stop, on a rainy day when he knew I had no umbrella.
Click the link above to read the rest -- it ends with him calling her to bail him out of jail --$2500 -- although she's eventually asked for only $500 by another friend.
WTF I thought Transplants dont mess around with average New Yorkers?
That guy in the article try to con her by using her for.money while he was doing stint in jail over the weekend, he wanted to use her for his own personal gain. She is going to go back to talk to men who wear flannel shirts all year round and sport George the fifth styled beardos. This is another life lesson when you pick an apple it can look nice on the outside but on the inside its not.
I cant wait till folks over at diehipster read this.
I don't think the writer is naive at all. She is probably playing the role of the naive woman from Midwest
just to see what David and his friends are up to. I believe she knows what she was doing all along. The
con artist is the one being played here for a nice thought provoking story for the NY Times. I can
imagine David's every move was being studied and observed by Hanna like a lab mouse and doesn't even
know it.
But assuming the whole story is true, then David is a sweet and manipulative con artist, and Hanna is an
extremely naive woman to even let the situation get to that point. And she doesn't owe David anything,
but if she want to help a friend or neighbor out of compassion knowing she might be being used, then
that's her choice.
I've given money to people who asking for help that I'm not 100% sure about in the past. Some turn out
to be a lie, but I already expect the worse before hand, and usually it's not large amount. so.. no regret
there. It just turns into one of the stories you share with family and make fun of each how dumb we
were, and will probably do it again in the future, because sometimes you just want to believe the good
side of humanity that the person asking for help is really in need of it, but I've never give away money
to strangers on the internet.
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