Lesson Learned

Today on the train...there was a man that I've seen before. He's an older man, well dressed, walks with a swagger. He jumps from caboose to caboose tempting people with his shell game. The lowest you can buy into the game for is $20. Now the first time I saw this man I said to myself, "if you have $20 in your pocket to throw away, you probably shouldn't be taking the train." But there are many people that keep this man employed.

I was sitting next to one such person today. He was a young boy, I'd say 23 or 24 years old, reading a book titled "Kindness", wearing plaid shorts, and brand new fancy European style sneakers.

The older man initiating the game was at the other end of the caboose, but every once in a while the boy would get out of his seat to watch the game. I could tell he was getting excited. He made a comment when he came back and sat next to me.

"That guy just made $100 from that game! It's an easy way to make quick money."
"Or a quick way to lose it." I replied. I wanted to add that it was a scam and that no one ever really won. The older man probably had several people on the train that were working with him to make it look like people win, but I didn't know who was a pawn and who was actually just riding the train so I kept my mouth shut.

Soon after the older man came and sat right across the aisle from the boy and me.

"Now he's really tempting you," I said.
"The money I have is my girlfriend's. I really can't play with that. But I could totally win! It's so easy." He said just as he got wrapped into the game.

The older man talks fast, draws a crowd, and is pretty aggressive. Before the boy knew it, he had put down $100...and lost it. Just as soon at the older man had the $100 in his hand the boy started to beg for it back. It was so sad to see.

"No no no no. That's my girlfriend's money. I really need it back. No no no no, please!" The boy cried.
"Nah, you lost! If you won, I'd pay you. I don't cry when I lose." The crowd that had built up around the game started talking crap and the boy sat silently.
"Ok, I'll let you try to win it back. You bet $20 and I'll give you the $100 if you win." The older man said and the boy jumped at the chance to get his girlfriend's money back. Which of course is not what happened. The boy was left with an empty wallet and the older man got off at the next stop to hustle some other desperate soul.

As the crowd disbursed the boy got his digital camera out and called out asking if someone would buy it from him.

"You really needed that money huh?" I asked.
"Yea..." The boy was sweating profusely. There might have been tears mixed in with the sweat, but I couldn't tell the difference.

Two men who had been in the crowd watching the game started asking him what happened and asked where he was from.

"Pasadena. I ride this train everyday."
"Oh! We thought you were a tourist! You should have known what was going on. You should have seen it coming."
"I did."
"You knew what was coming and you just gave him all your money?"
"I guess so."
"Hope you learned your lesson. You got schooled today." Just as the boy got up to get off the train they added "Put that on your resume!"

I felt really bad for the boy, but he had to learn somehow. Too bad his girlfriend had to be affected by it. I wonder how long she'll last.