This story reads like something you’d see in a movie scene. It actually would make a good movie scene if you could build a movie around it.
This funny tale came our way from Christopher Elliot’s blog. Elliot, problem solver extraordinaire sometimes helps unhappy travelers find resolutions to their hotel and airline woes in order to get them a favorable outcome.
In the case of Ted LeClair, a man who bought travel vouchers for Southwest Airlines tickets at Craigslist from someone who checked out as reputable–but wasn’t, found his own happy ending from swinging a nine iron at the crook.
Elliot recounts the story in humorous detail, but here are the highlights:
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LeClair buys Southwest ticket vouchers through Craigslist after meeting the guy selling the vouchers. They meet in person and the guy checks out.
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LeClair’s daughter is at the airport with LeClair’s mother to use the Southwest ticket, only to find out the ticket needs to be paid for with cash since the credit card purchase was canceled.
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LeClair’s daughter can’t take the Southwest flight and is in tears.
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LeClair is hopping mad.
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LeClair arranges to buy ticket vouchers on Craigslist from the same person, but as a fictious female using a female friend of his to make the phone call connection.
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LeClair calls the police to tell them he knows how to catch a criminal. The police say, “Yeah, yeah, but give us five days.”
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LeClair shows up at a health food store with a golf club where the crook is to hand over the vouchers to the fake female and book the ticket.
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LeClair demands his money back and when the crook doesn’t comply, LeClair whomps on the crook with the nine-iron.
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The police are called by folks at the health food store.
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The police eventually arrest the crook and let LeClair go.