What? No Warranty?

I've been running errands most of the day. I had to stop at the Pet Hotel to make a reservation for the dogs, and then I was running into Wal-Mart (don't be jealous) to pick up a bathroom supplies. Figuring I would kill two birds with one parking job, I picked a plaza that had both my destinations. It's a beautiful day, so I parked somewhere in the middle figuring, a little sun and strolling would do me good. It was after I parked that I was hit with one of the most unusual sales pitches I've heard in awhile.

I pulled in next to a mini van and saw a woman talking to some old guy. The side was open and I could see a bunch of large boxes. As I got out, the old guy walked away, and I heard the female's accomplice (that's cop talk) say, "hey, what about that guy?" yeah, "that guy" was me. She wheeled on me and flashed me a big insincere grin. "I have a crazy question for you, would you like to buy some speakers?" I was momentarily stunned since she was not wearing a Best buy shirt and I was standing outdoors at a non flea market event. "No, thanks." That's when her stooge piped up. "come on man, for your home entertainment system." I don't know if this guy was crippled or just plain lazy, but he stayed slumped down in the front seat. Maybe he correctly figured that a clean, half way attractive woman may be able to make a more effective sales pitch than an unwashed, baseball cap wearing thug.

Who buys their high end electronics out of a van in a Wal-Mart parking lot? Do you trust these Sporanos/Goodfellas wannabes to know the specific specs of your new HD TV?I was tempted to ask these black marketeers if they had met with any success. I doubt there is a lot of demand in my area for merchandise that has "fallen off the truck." There might be a brief thrill when you think you've beaten the system and gotten the better of the man. Your adrenaline will be pumping as you load your ill gotten booty into the back of your Suburban. "Wait til I tell Earl about the deal I got on this Surround Sound system. He paid about three hundred bucks more than me." Sure, you feel great, until you open the box. That's when you discover old brake rotors and eight track players inside. Even if it is the right equipment, it's formatted to work only with equipment from Singapore. At that point, you can't waltz back to the van for a refund. You know why? Sure you do. Now you're out your cash and Earl's laughing at you.

That's my consumer tip for the day. Now, I gotta go figure out how to tell "Wife" that our new sound system doesn't work. Stupid van girl. Why did you smile at me? Later....Brian