where did you find that howie? tw
On Apr 7, 2005 3:26 PM, Tony Weeg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > OHH MY EFFIN GOD!!! > > thats a friend of mine... i did his website like 7 years ago... > > he is a RIOT, one of the FUNNIEST HUMANS ive met. > > HAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!! > > ill have to call him today!!!! > > :) tw > > On Apr 7, 2005 2:58 PM, Howie Hamlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > PUT YOURSELF in Mike Bolesta's place. On the morning of Feb. 20, he buys a > > new radio-CD player for his 17-year-old son Christopher's car. He pays the > > $114 installation charge with 57 crisp new $2 bills, which, when last > > observed, were still considered legitimate currency in the United States > > proper. The $2 bills are Bolesta's idea of payment, and his little comic > > protest, too. > > > > For this, Bolesta, Baltimore County resident, innocent citizen, owner of > > Capital City Student Tours, finds himself under arrest. > > > > Finds himself, in front of a store full of customers at the Best Buy on > > York Road in Lutherville, locked into handcuffs and leg irons. > > > > Finds himself transported to the Baltimore County lockup in Cockeysville, > > where he's handcuffed to a pole for three hours while the U.S. Secret > > Service is called into the case. > > > > Have a nice day, Mike. > > > > "Humiliating," the 57-year old Bolesta was saying now. "I am 6 feet 5 > > inches tall, and I felt like 8 inches high. To be handcuffed, to have all > > those people looking on, to be cuffed to a pole -- and to know you haven't > > done anything wrong. And me, with a brother, Joe, who spent 33 years on the > > city police force. It was humiliating." > > > > What we have here, besides humiliation, is a sense of caution resulting in > > screw-ups all around. > > > > "When I bought the stereo player," Bolesta explains, "the technician said > > it'd fit perfectly into my son's dashboard. But it didn't. So they called > > back and said they had another model that would fit perfectly, and it was > > cheaper. We got a $67 refund, which was fine. As long as it fit, that's all. > > > > "So we go back and pay for it, and they tell us to go around front with our > > receipt and pick up the difference in the cost. I ask about installation > > charges. They said, 'No installation charge, because of the mix-up. Our > > mistake, no charge.' Swell. > > > > "But then, the next day, I get a call at home. They're telling me, 'If you > > don't come in and pay the installation fee, we're calling the police.' > > Jeez, where did we go from them admitting a mistake to suddenly calling the > > police? So I say, 'Fine, I'll be in tomorrow.' But, overnight, I'm starting > > to steam a little. It's not the money -- it's the threat. So I thought, > > I'll count out a few $2 bills." > > > > He has lots and lots of them. > > > > With his Capital City Student Tours, he arranges class trips for school > > kids around the country traveling to large East Coast cities, including > > Baltimore. He's been doing this for the last 18 years. He makes all the > > arrangements: hotels, meals, entertainment. And it's part of his schtick > > that, when Bolesta hands out meal money to students, he does it in $2 > > bills, which he picks up from his regular bank, Sun Trust. > > > > "The kids don't see that many $2 bills, so they think this is the greatest > > thing in the world," Bolesta says. "They don't want to spend 'em. They want > > to save 'em. I've been doing this since I started the company. So I'm > > thinking, 'I'll stage my little comic protest. I'll pay the $114 with $2 > > bills.'" > > > > At Best Buy, they may have perceived the protest -- but did not sense the > > comic aspect of 57 $2 bills. > > > > "I'm just here to pay the bill," Bolesta says he told a cashier. "She > > looked at the $2 bills and told me, 'I don't have to take these if I don't > > want to.' I said, 'If you don't, I'm leaving. I've tried to pay my bill > > twice. You don't want these bills, you can sue me.' So she took the money. > > Like she's doing me a favor." > > > > He remembers the cashier marking each bill with a pen. Then other store > > personnel began to gather, a few of them asking, "Are these real?" > > > > "Of course they are," Bolesta said. "They're legal tender." > > > > A Best Buy manager refused comment last week. But, according to a Baltimore > > County police arrest report, suspicions were roused when an employee > > noticed some smearing of ink. So the cops were called in. One officer > > noticed the bills ran in sequential order. > > > > "I told them, 'I'm a tour operator. I've got thousands of these bills. I > > get them from my bank. You got a problem, call the bank,'" Bolesta says. > > "I'm sitting there in a chair. The store's full of people watching this. > > All of a sudden, he's standing me up and handcuffing me behind my back, > > telling me, 'We have to do this until we get it straightened out.' > > > > "Meanwhile, everybody's looking at me. I've lived here 18 years. I'm hoping > > my kids don't walk in and see this. And I'm saying, 'I can't believe you're > > doing this. I'm paying with legal American money.'" > > > > Bolesta was then taken to the county police lockup in Cockeysville, where > > he sat handcuffed to a pole and in leg irons while the Secret Service was > > called in. > > > > "At this point," he says, "I'm a mass murderer." > > > > Finally, Secret Service agent Leigh Turner arrived, examined the bills and > > said they were legitimate, adding, according to the police report, > > "Sometimes ink on money can smear." > > > > This will be important news to all concerned. > > > > For Baltimore County police, said spokesman Bill Toohey, "It's a sign that > > we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world." > > > > The other day, one of Bolesta's sons needed a few bucks. Bolesta pulled out > > his wallet and "whipped out a couple of $2 bills. But my son turned away. > > He said he doesn't want 'em any more." > > > > He's seen where such money can lead. > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:153092 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
