Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Apartment Scams

I'm both very happy and quite angry. Happy because I finally have free wifi!! And I didn't have to spend 4 pounds to get it! Signs all over this youth hostel say they used to have wifi, but got rid of it because it had too many problems. But apparently, they're a bunch of liars, because they totally do have wifi. I was very smart to befriend a Hungarian guy named Caroly (not sure of spelling), because he told me the password for accessing it. Yay!

I am angry because I have answered two ads via email that are scams. I had heard that London suffered from a high number of apartment scams, so I'm not really surprised. It's just that they're not even creative! Both people have Western-sounding names, can't speak English very well (i.e. bad spelling and grammar), claim the family lived in the flat but had to leave due to work transfer, the husband is on a Christian crusade in Africa, he gives me his wife's email address, the wife is in the States (one in New Jersey, the other in New York), and they are not interested in the money, they just want someone who will keep their family home clean. For both, I will get the keys and documents sent to me from the States after I pay. One of them went so far as to say that his wife was in New York and had "a shock incident happen two months ago, she has an accident and she's using a wheel chair and it also affect her eat drum," the implication being that she can't fly to London anytime soon, of course. I saw the ad just 12 hours ago, and now it's been deleted off Craigslist. Interesting...

How dumb does a person have to be? I knew both of these were probably scams when I answered them, because the rent was really low, but they were in great neighborhoods and posted pictures of a luxury bedroom. I guess I'm pretty dumb for even bothering to answer those ads, but I'd have to be born yesterday to pursue them now! The thing is, I'm angry that they would do this. I feel like responding with a rebuke, but I know it won't do anything. They won't stop trying to scam poor, naive students.

But what do I care? I have access to free wifi for the next six days! Woohoo!!! I can answer real ads. I have all the time in the world! Except that I really need to shower right now. I didn't shower yesterday, and my hair is greasy and I'm starting to sweat.

John, to answer your earlier question, no, I haven't registered to vote absentee yet, though I might need to in order to be in on time. I've been waiting because I don't have an address yet. I could enter the address of this youth hostel, but then they would send the ballot here, and that does me no good. But I did just find this: "The following states: AZ, IA, MT, ND, NE, OR, SC, and WA will accept the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot as a simultaneous voter registration application and voted ballot; or have no voter registration requirement." So I think that means I'm alright if I miss the deadline. I'll look into it more.

5 comments:

  1. Oh please please PLEASE look into voting soon! The election is uncomfortably close. If McCain wins, and inevitably has a heart attack and dies, and Palin becomes president, and birthcontrol is outlawed so I get pregnant (with babies that can never pay off the debt from the Iraq war) and it ruins my life...I WILL BLAME YOU! Seriously though, you have internet now, so there isn't any excuse. You could have it sent to the youth hostel and tell them you'll come pick it up. Or, don't you have a friend there? Couldn't you get it sent to her place? I'm begging you!!!! Think of the unborn children (that could ruin my life)!!!!

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  2. Yes, please! Look into the ballot. If you need help getting something mailed to you or whatever, we can do that. As soon as you have an address, let us know...

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  3. YAY WIFI! Boo Apt scams!

    Or maybe if you don't vote and McCain wins it could be the catalyst for everyone you know to move to England with you. Except when McCain inevitably gets cancer again and we're stuck with President Palin she'll probably start a war with Russia (the only country she knows anything about on account of she can see it from her house) which will inevitably bleed over into Western Europe and then we'd all be screwed anyway. So, in the end Rania is right, don't ruin our live and please vote.

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  4. Can you request an absentee ballot a couple thousand times and get tons of copies sent to Britain and then hand them out to British voters and they can all vote "absentee" for Obama? The only thing is, they would have to change their names from Nigel, Neville, and Percival to names like Butch, Billy Bob, and Joe.

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  5. Hey, if you want it sent to an address where you know someone, and that someone will permanently be there (at least until after the election), I can ask my friend Laura for her address, and then you can pick it up from her, which will also force you to make a new friend, who you actually already know, even though you don't remember.

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