brooklyn gal for a while

Big Trouble In Little China

A few days ago, 3 dudes strolled into work, after looking around a bit, one of them stepped forward and asked for the store owner, flashing an ID card. One of my bosses told the gentleman that the owner was on vacation . . . indefinitly (this was not a true statement as one owner was in the office, and the other had stepped out to grab lunch). The dude that had asked explained that he was with Con-Ed and, pointing to a con-ed bill on a clipboard, if the owner changed plans, the store would get a discount, assuming that this month's bill was paid today. in cash. My boss, KH, asked to see his ID again, he hesitated, saying he had just showed it to her, but when he eventually let her see it, she remarked how there was no information on the back of the card, and under her breath, that the picture was cut at an odd angle. Now KH just told the 3 guys, no, no change of the bill and owner will call con-ed when he gets back. As the guys left the office, I was informed of the most recent scam to hit Chinatown . . . these guys tell their story, and if some of the shop owners dont speak english, they just point to this number on the bill on the clipboard saying that payment is needed now, and people give them cash (as almost everything is paid for in this neck of the woods). KH then went next door, to check on the elderly dried-mushroom-and-shrimp shop owner, and sure enough the lady had just opened her cash register, KH stopping her from retracting money, explaining the scam. Apparently the 3 guys left, heading south on Mott.
After much "call 911", "umm, how about YOU call 911", "should we call 311?", and "Con-ed should know about this" we got a cop to stop in the office . . . turns out another shop keeper called and the cop was just asking everyone who saw them, to describe the 3 guys.
The cop came back, saying he had 3 guys who fit the discription in custody around the corner and can someone come and ID them. again, a lot "want to go?", "no, you should go", and "well, if a patient comes in, I should really be here". I mean, its not that i didnt want to do a civic duty, its just that these guys were kinda big. kinda scary, not the kind of guys you want to meet in a dark alley, if you know what i mean. It wasnt like in the movies, where you are protected by the oneway glass, it was litterally on the corner. Eventually M went, riding in an unmarked car to the corner in question, and it turns out it wasnt them.
Today, there is word that the guys were back this morning, and the cops have taken pictures of the dudes they suspect, they should be coming by for us to ID photos later today . . . i'm glad its photos, but now, its been so much time, I only remember that they all had huge diamond earrings . . . definitly not something to make a definite finger point to . . . i'll keep you posted . . .

posted by gordian knot @ Tuesday, November 14, 2006