MSGID: 1:153/757.21@fidonet eccda1d3   
   REPLY: 1:153/757.26 a7f9dd61   
   PID: OpenXP/5.0.48 (Win32)   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   TZUTC: -0500   
   Hello Charles!   
      
   ** On Sunday 24.01.21 - 08:44, Charles Pierson wrote to August Abolins:   
      
    AA>> Heck, if that deaf/dumb fellow offered to wash the windows   
    AA>> or vacuum for a few minutes, I wouldn't hesitate to "gift"   
    AA>> $25 bucks. But there was no eye-contact, and no attempt to   
    AA>> even try to speak.   
      
    CP> Well that would require he do actual work, which is what   
    CP> the scam is an attempt to avoid.   
      
   Heheh. True!  I wasn't in a give-a-life-lesson mood, so I just     
   scowled.  Thankfully he turned around and walked out a few     
   seconds later - but he gave no indication of anything that     
   resembled "thank you for your time".  But like I said earlier,     
   just before he left, he took a quick look around the place - as     
   if to see what might be worth stealing. Since I can't just grab     
   a pile of my book stock and trade that for food, drugs or booze,     
   he probably realized the same thing.   
      
      
    AA>> What is there? I can call the police, but the people would   
    AA>> be gone by then. All I can do is offer my natural scowl   
    AA>> and indicate that I am not the right person to mess with.   
      
    CP> That's very likely the case, but seeing that you are   
    CP> willing to involve the police is a deterrent of sorts in   
    CP> and of itself.   
      
   I am not necessarily willing per se.  I would not be comfortable     
   to involve the police.  I have the local police emergency number     
   plastered on my cash register so it's nice and handy. But it has     
   not been necessary for all the years that I've operated.   
      
   I *have* called the police on behalf of other people though.      
   There was one fellow (who I knew) came in and claimed that his     
   truck was stolen. He was in a totl panic! End of that story is -     
   he forgot where he parked it.   
      
      
    AA>> Pathetic.  There ought to be a way to block those things   
    AA>> permanently. Or.. if I had the resources, I'd love to   
    AA>> switch those calls to another line (to free up the one   
    AA>> that they've hijacked) and blast some static/hum/buzz or   
    AA>> something.   
      
    CP> The US has a "Do not call" registry, but with the ability   
    CP> to spoof numbers, etc, it's pretty useless.   
      
   The phone companies claim that spoofing is necessary to support     
   the callfowarding and re-direction features they sell.   
      
   I'm still toying with the idea of trying https://    
   jollyrogertelephone.com/  There's an additional cost for     
   landlines, but it might be worth it.   
      
      
    AA>> ..But I like the idea of some kind of mechanical way to   
    AA>> entrap troublemakers and keep them escaping before   
    AA>> authorities arrive.   
      
    CP> Invest in remote activated locks?  Better one than what   
    CP> they used in that video clip you shared a while back, of   
    CP> course.   
      
   Along those same lines, I've looked into a basic automatic door     
   opener (to help open the door from remote when people with     
   walkers or wheelchairs can get in and out easier) But the     
   starting cost was close to $3K.  For now, I just whip around the     
   counter and hold the door open.   
      
   Some kind of automated way to lock the door upon pressing a     
   panic button would be cool.   
      
      
    AA>> Or.. I need to bulk up with weight-lifting and wear a   
    AA>> ninja bandana to clearly show that I am not to be messed   
    AA>> with.   
      
    CP> That wouldn't work in my case.  I'll always be tall and   
    CP> lanky, though I am developing a bit of gut.   
      
   I think people respect (or fear) people who are fit, poised, and     
   limber more than those that are not.   
      
   --- OpenXP 5.0.48   
    * Origin: Mobile? Join CHAT here: https://tinyurl.com/y5k7tsla (1:153/757.21)   
   SEEN-BY: 105/81 129/305 153/757 229/426 664 700 282/1038 301/1 322/757   
   PATH: 153/757 229/664 426