Man attacks a con artist with a golf club after being sold fake plane ticket vouchers on Craigslist

by Jamie Rhein on

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:

  • LeClair buys Southwest ticket vouchers through Craigslist after meeting the guy selling the vouchers. They meet in person and the guy checks out.
  • 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.
  • LeClair’s daughter can’t take the Southwest flight and is in tears.
  • LeClair is hopping mad.
  • 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.
  • LeClair calls the police to tell them he knows how to catch a criminal. The police say, “Yeah, yeah, but give us five days.”
  • 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.
  • LeClair demands his money back and when the crook doesn’t comply, LeClair whomps on the crook with the nine-iron.
  • The police are called by folks at the health food store.
  • The police eventually arrest the crook and let LeClair go.

American Stabbed and Killed in Beijing

by Josh Lew on

With the memory of a spectacular opening ceremony still in everyone’s mind, some news from the opposite end of the emotional spectrum came out of Beijing today. Two American tourists, a man and woman, and a local guide were attacked by a man carrying a knife.

The attack took place at the famous Drum Tower that sits above the hutong near Houhai Lake. The tour guide and the woman were injured, but their male companion was killed. The two Americans were relatives of a US volleyball coach.

The attacker, identified by Xinhua News Agency as Tang Yongming from the city of Hangzhou, jumped to his death off the second floor of the tower after the attack.

Such an event is almost unheard of in China. It is even more surprising because of heavy security throughout Beijing. Chinese authorities have expressed concern about terrorism and unauthorized protests in the lead-up to the Games, but crimes against tourists are usually limited to pickpocketing and price gouging.

This appears to have been a random attack. According to reports, the victims were not wearing anything that identified them as Americans.

The attack took place at noon Beijing time. The tower remains sealed off from the public as police investigate.

New York Times coverage of the attack

One legged man stealing rental cars in Philly

by Grant Martin on

Ever wondered how they can manage to handle so many cars at the rental lot without any mistakes happening? Sure, they’ve got those reverse spikes on the entryways, but surely someone could figure out how to get around those, right?

Well, Ben Copeland, a Philadelphia resident figured it out, and had been stealing rental cars at the airport over the last two weeks before police finally wised up and tracked him down. Apparently he was jumping on abandoned rental car shuttles, pressing the button to open up the gate then driving rentals straight off the lot.

What’s strange to me is that he kept coming back and stealing more cars, as this NBC10 website reports, because he kept running out of gas. Why not sell the car to a chop shop and keep the money? Didn’t you think that they would wise up?

Additionally, Copeland was able to pull of the entire operations with only one leg and a set of crutches. So he certainly wasn’t moving very quickly.

But the real icing on the cake is the quote from police inspector William Colarulo on the reasons that Copeland is now locked up: “Some of them are for robberies, aggravated assault, drugs. So, as far as I’m concerned, he shouldn’t be walking the streets of Philadelphia.”

Way to stick your foot in your mouth, inspector.

What strange things have been found on planes?


Click the image to read the bizarre story…

How racist are you? Is it a gun or a cell phone?

by Jamie Rhein on

In Diversity Inc, there is an article about a pop psychology test from the University of Chicago. The test, self-administered on-line, runs through various photos of black and white men who are either holding a gun or something else. The test taker presses the “/ ” key to shoot the guy with the gun, or presses the “z” key to put the gun away.

The idea is for the test taker to see how racist he or she is in terms of who he or she thinks is more likely to be carrying a gun. I took the test and found out that I would have been shot dead several times over since my reaction time was so darned slow. I scored into the negative numbers. It didn’t matter if the shooter was black or white.

The test is pretty slick, even if, one is not prone to give much stock to this sort of study. The pondering about who is packing a gun reminds me of those discussions I had in college with friends of mine. We wondered what each of us would do if walking alone at night. If a man was coming, who crossed to the other side, and under what circumstances? Each of us admitted that our radar went up regardless of who the man was and how fast he was coming up behind us or towards us.

I don’t tend to think of people walking around with guns. I do notice the no guns stickers on signs since carrying a gun is legal in Ohio. As far as I can tell from my terrible score, when I look at a gun, I see a wallet or a cell phone. It doesn’t matter who is holding it.

Here is a link to the test to see how you do. Nicholas Kristof recently wrote an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times about this study where he expresses some dismay at his own results.

What I think is missing from the data is the background of the person taking the test. I wonder how much age, sex, and whether a person grew up in a city or in the country has any bearing on reactions? I also wonder if people who travel often are more likely to see a wallet? Or do our experiences have nothing to do with our trigger finger? I also wonder if, when we are traveling in a country where violent crime is rare, we react differently? I would guess yes.

Swedish thief faces $1 fine for stealing milk

by Anna Brones on

Normally a very calm place, Sweden seems to have had some strange crimes lately. First there were those mini thieves that hid themselves in the luggage compartment of buses, and now a 23 year old man is being convicted for not only stealing a carton of milk but flashing two people and biting the hand of a police man, as reported by The Local.

The 23 year old, who was under the influence of amphetamines at the time of his crime, has admitted to some of the charges and if found guilty, will face a 6 kronor ($1) fine to the supermarket where the milk came from. He’s also getting a string of other charges, but they are less amusing.