OT - The CRAZIEST thing just happened to me...

I am still a bit shaky about it frankly so I'm putting it out there into the universe.

So my oldest daughter is turning 14 in two weeks. She wants an iPhone. I'm not buying her a brand new one (cuz she's 14 for crying out loud!) so I've been perusing Craigslist looking for one. I know the ins/outs of buying phones from other folks but I am also a "safety first" gal so any transaction I made would have been in the presence of my VERY LARGE/ very muscular stepdad.

Anyhoo...I text a person selling a phone asking for the ESN number to run a check on it and a pic of the phone (as there wasn't one on the listing). The person (later found out is a guy) texted back saying his daughter was using the phone and he'd be able to give me both later that evening. I texted thanking him for responding and saying I too have a daughter that I'm buying this phone for so I should be ready to move quickly on the transaction if everything checks out.

That's when stuff got strange.

He texts me back saying he doesn't give a (BLEEP) about my (BLEEP)-ing daughter I better have the money in hand or  no phone.

(Now here's where Nikki will TRY to be diplomatic at first)

So I text him back saying yeah, thanks but no thanks. I don't do business with people who treat me so rudely.

(WARNING: language gets explicit from here)

To which he texts me back calling me a thieving ****** (not sure how he thought he knew what ethnicity I am or am not), a ***** I should go lay up under my babydaddy because everyone knows ****** women are ****s, etc., etc., etc.

Now...if this had happened in person this is when the Baltimore would have come out of Nikki REAL quick. It's a wonder I'm still alive cuz I have a tendency to swing first and ask questions later. But this time I did the responsible thing (after all I have two divas who need me to NOT get murdered).

I called the cops, filed a report, sent them the texts then called my phone carrier and had his number blocked. I thought that was the end of it.

(But wait...there's more!)

Dude texts me from ANOTHER number apologizing and saying he'd just dealt with scammers and his "red flag" was up. (I'm thinking it's more like a white hood, but whatever...)

I replied please do not text me anymore. I've notified the police. Every additional text you send can be used against you (again...trying to be nice).

DUDE CALLS ME! Now his voice seemed apologetic (funny how that happens when the cops become involved) and again I'm looking at this as an opportunity to practice good Christian values and be a responsible mom and yadda, yadda but...

Really we'd come to the end of the place where I should be expected to act civilized about all this. 

So I cursed him out on a proportion that I have NEVER cursed anyone out before. I think even Jesus gave me a high five. Then I blocked THAT number too. Since I've filed a report I feel ok about everything (my cell phone bill actually goes to a P.O. box so it's not linked to my home address) but yikes. What a way to start the week.

But this story has a happy ending. Found out I'm eligible to upgrade my phone so I can give the daughter the phone I have now, I get a new phone and all the world's children say... AMEN!

AMEN!

Very disturbing! Lost his meds somewhere or lives under a rock.

Yeah and then he calls all nice like "I am so, sooo sorry. I thought you were a scammer."

Which of the 5 times I said leave me alone did you not get? ASS! Urgh. 

And on another level it just saddens me that in 2013 it's that easy for that kind of hatred to come out of a person. Over an iPhone? He set humanity back like 30 years.

Wow, even MY blood started boiling when I read what he said to you.  F'ing idiot he is.  Glad you reported it Nikki, he NEEDS to be reported and him calling you from another phone really is crazy and scary.

The police declined to follow up further with him about the phone call so I enlisted the girls dad to be the "po-po." Since then all is quiet.

:)

Had a similar thing happen to me about 2 years ago when I was selling moving boxes for $10    I don't give out my phone number until I've agreed a sale/buy so thankfully all the aggression was on e-mail ...

I will say though, I have bought and sold hundreds of things on Craigslist over the years and that is the only crazy I have ever come across so I hope it doesn't put you off!

Good for you for sticking up for yourself - I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall LOL!

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way but...

In my psych eval for WLS...the therapist gave me the green light and I liked her so I kept seeing her. She once told me (and if you can imagine this was not in an offensive way) that my lack of fear around things and my "do first, think second, then justify" mentality (guilty as charged) are traits that are found in sociopaths.

I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

But she also explained that most people have SOME traits that can be associated with a mental illness if other traits are also present. She said she knows I know the ultimate difference between right and wrong (and I do) and that I don't make rash/hasty decisions most of the time (and I don't) so she has no worries, but thought it was interesting that I am so "fearless" as she said.

So all THAT is to say no, I'm not gun shy about Craigslist. In respect to my family (and in honor of my late mother who spent many a night worrying about her single daughter) I enact safety measures (not meeting anyone to buy stuff alone, only communicating through avenues that can't be linked to my home address, etc.)

But I ain't skeered. I coulda took him. I once put my stepdad in a half-Nelson because I THOUGHT he was about to raise his hand to my mom. And he's 6'7 and 15% body fat. ;)

Wow, that guy was bat**** crazy for certain!

As far as you being fearless, my dad, who was 5'2" and 120 pounds, used to say that you don't have to be big to win a fight, just mean. I don't think you are mean, but that phone crackpot would be enough to *******  St. Francis of Assisi.

And hopefully someday, someone will hand that bigot his ass in a sack.

It's a good thing it happened just over texts and not once you all showed up to buy the phone! That's scary!

Truthfully I'd be more scared for him than myself. Butt-hole.