Shrift- I am so sorry, but also glad for your grandmother to be out of pain.

I'm sorry, shrift. Good luck to you.

Speaking of conning- I had the weirdest con/pickup experience on the bus tonight-- I am actually a bit unsettled, but it is mostly because my politeness instinct gets in the way of my "get the hell away" instinct.

This young man (who was a little drunk) seemed like he was in a game to get me to give him my phone number, but he wasn't really trying to hit on me. He was pretty good at reading me, and tried several tactics- first he asked me if I was an artist, because I looked like one, and what if he could start a business selling my type of art, would I be the one to call. Then, when I wasn't biting he started telling me about how he was trying to find a job, and better himself, and help give money to his girlfriend and child, and I seemed like I would be a good person to give a reference and could he get my name and number to do that with. Then, that didn't work because I said I did not give references to people I didn't know, he instroduced himself, and wanted a chance to get to know me. THEN he started telling me about how he was writing a book, and he met a man who could help him by doing just what he was doing to me, and could I help him.

And stupid me, I was just paralyzed there, nodding and smiling, like a random polite person. Then when I moved to another seat, he just started talking with his friends and didn't care anymore.

I'm sorry, shrift.

I'm so sorry shrift. I hope drama, or even annoyance, can be kept at bay.

But if he'd been a really good guy, he might offer thousands of pounds, to get something he thinks is valuable, and to help out someone he thinks is in dire straits.

Really? Or wouldn't he more likely say to her "hey, did you know that's really valuable? If you're in dire straights it might be a way out. You should take it to a jeweler."

I mean, it could happen. But it seems like an exceptional enough circumstances that the rule is likely approximately as true as any of these rules.

I would call that a scam rather than a con as it stands, I think, whatever the person offered. The watch is presumably not worth much of anything, I take it?

I'll agree that "you can't con an honest man" is not intrinsically true, but depends on the design of the con. Certainly innocent people can be duped by just not knowing what a reasonable ROI is, rather than by being particularly greedy. And perhaps the degree to which it is ever true is fictional, I don't know.

Thanks, everyone. I'm predicting that the money-grubbing will be spectacular.

My sympathies, shrift. I am glad she is no longer in pain. I do hope that problematic people will take subtle hints and stronger hints if those don't work.

I desperately wanted to lean over and say, "a) I think you'll find that your math is deeply flawed, and b) gross."

His math is ewww and, yes, additional ewww.

I'm sorry, shrift. Relatives~ma to you and your mom.

I bet there are perfectly decent people who are that stupid or clueless that they'll fall for a Ponzi scheme, or whatever.

What's confusing me is what it's called when the elderly, for example, are involved. It's not a con to get them to give you their Social Security number for whatever bullshit reasons you come up with? That's not them wanting something illegal or shady, that's them falling for it.

I think the difference between "con" and "swindle" or similar term is probably semantics at this point.

I think the difference between "con" and "swindle" or similar term is probably semantics at this point.

Yeah, that's probably the big confusing factor.

(And I'm lauging because the ads for White Collar recently have all been Peter and Neal arguing the definition of con.)