Can you do me a favor? – Recap 22

 This month’s recap is a short travel story. The “Can you do me a favor?” incident took place in Prague a couple of months ago. At the bottom of this post, you will also find my usual monthly recap.

Can you do me a favor?

“Can you do me a favor?” the man on the other side of the street asked. He was rather well-dressed even though his suit seemed old-fashioned. I couldn’t tell how old he was -I assumed something between fifty and sixty. But he still had thick, black hair, and this confused me a bit. His blazer has lost its glow, and deep wrinkles dug his face. “Why is he talking to me in English?” I asked myself. Is he a local scammer or a person from abroad that shipwrecked here in Prague?

“Let’s see if I can help,” I replied.

“Oh, God sent you over, my friend.”

This was a bit too much. It became apparent that this would be one more scam case in Prague. A couple of days ago somebody tried to sell me Hungarian forints -and now that. But somehow, I thought of giving him a chance. I always try to hear what the scammers have to say. I never buy stuff from them, and I don’t think that scams betray something about a city’s soul. It’s all about variety and stories for me.

“Can you do me a favor?” he asked again.

“Just say what you want.” I realized that I sounded stricter than I intended.

“I got fired this morning,” he answered. Straight after saying that, he wore an expression of self-pity. “I spent my whole life working for this insurance company” -he pointed his finger to some building down the street- “and they kicked me out today. Twenty years of work, and it ends just like that. I couldn’t even collect my stuff. Even my wallet is still in the building.”

I must admit that if it was a scam, it was an advanced one. Scammers usually try to persuade you instantly. There’s usually pride and hunger in their repertoire and never a full story. But this guy knew how to narrate.

“You must’ve done something terrible.”

“No, brother, I did nothing. It was a frame-up. They set me up. They accused me of something I didn’t do. Look,” he then said, “can you do me a favor or not?”

He was an expert. He engaged me in a bizarre talk, and now he got the upper hand. From the very first moment, he used the word “can.” He didn’t say politely, “Could you do me a favor?” He just said, “can you?” as if he wouldn’t accept a negative answer.

“I just need money for a taxi,” he continued. “I live on the other side of the city, and I need to go back home.”

“You earned it,” I replied. I stopped a taxi, and I paid the driver in advance. The man embarked in the cab and left without even nodding.

*

I couldn’t believe that I was so easily scammed. But there was something that seemed decent about this guy. I then remembered Franz Kafka that he also spent his whole life working for an insurance company. Kafka hated his job, but he has never stopped working. Was it that indirect connection that made me buy the man’s fat lie? Because it was a fat lie, wasn’t it?

Even though I had other plans for the following morning, I decided to cancel them. I thought of returning at the same spot around noon. It was my last day in Prague; at night, I’d take the train back to Berlin. I wanted to know if he was a con artist or just a guy that indeed lost his job. Working for an insurance company sounded like a tough job to me -but then again, it could also be a misunderstanding due to my love for Kafka. But if the man were there again, saying the same story, I’d be sure that this was a lie and he was just another scammer in Prague.

But then I thought: even if he’s not there, how can I be sure that he is not a con artist? I simply couldn’t, but somehow I also couldn’t accept that I was so easily scammed. If I could order a taxi for a stranger, I could also buy Hungarian forints one day. My pride made me cancel my next day plans -and my hunger for stories sent me to the same spot.

*

When I arrived at the spot close to the statue of Saint Wenceslas, I saw the man again. He was standing there dressed in yesterday’s suit. I didn’t approach him this time. I kept a distance of about fifteen meters, and I waited there. If I were right, he should probably try to scam someone else today. It might not be easy to hear what he’d say, but I might have a chance to read his lips. If I could see him saying, “Can you do me a favor?” again, I could, after all, unveil him.

I saw a couple of policemen walking down the street. Should I turn him in? No, I replied to myself. I don’t do such things. Ethical or not, I’m not here for that. I’m here for the stories, I’m here to write. That’s none of my business. Then, I saw the man moving. He walked towards a woman, and he said his opening line: “Can you do me a favor?” The woman didn’t even pay attention to him.

I walked towards him, but I pretended that I didn’t even see him. I had my camera in hand, and I just walked around like a tourist. There was quite some traffic on the street.

“Can you do me a favor?” the man asked.

“Ah, it’s you again.”

“Oh, brother,” he said, “let me explain to you. So, I walked all the way from home to collect my stuff. But guess what? They didn’t let me in. For crying out loud, brother, I just want my wallet. How can they deny that?”

“Look, mate,” I said, “We both know that you don’t work for an insurance company.”

“You are so wrong,” he stated. Then he put his hand in his pocket and drew a business card. Supposedly, his name was Franz Kalousek. At the bottom of the card, I read: “Life Insurance Portfolio.” Honestly, I didn’t know what to think. Could this man read my mind? If that was his real name, then he shared the same initials with Franz Kafka. How possible really was to run into a man in Prague working for an insurance company with the initials F.K.? Was this a scam or a farce?

“How do I know it’s you?” I thought of asking.

“Well,” he said, “there are lots of policemen around. You can turn me in, and they’ll validate it.”

I surrendered. This was going too far. I asked him what he wanted, and he didn’t say, “Can you do me a favor” again. He asked for some money to survive the day. I gave him my remaining Czech crowns, and I just left.

*

On the way to Berlin, I remembered one of my most failed dates ever. She was a girl with long brown hair that had an odd business plan. She actually wanted to sell posthumous life insurances.

“Um, this doesn’t sound really legit, does it?”

“Of course it does,” she replied. “Some people are willing to buy every kind of life insurance. Why not give one more to them?” At least she never asked me to buy one.

The train kept crossing spa towns and forests for almost four hours. I imagined crowds of older people arriving to ease their pains in these spa hotels. Is the treatment they offer really effective, or is it also a scam? I can’t tell. Then, I remembered that I was probably scammed twice in Prague by a man with Kafka’s initials supposedly working for an insurance company. The way I approach life sometimes, I thought, I might be ready to buy posthumous life insurance in a couple of decades as well.

*** 

What’s new on the blog – Recap 22

July 2020 was a busy month. Apart from uploading new posts every Saturday, I also wrote an ebook. In fact, I started writing the ebook in June, but it took me a while to conclude it. Once again, I thought that I’d slow down this month, but I didn’t. Writing on this blog became a beloved routine, and I didn’t want to betray the readers’ love for the Letters To Barbara. So, in July, I posted four articles.

The first one, as it’s always the case, was my last month’s recap. In June’s recap, I wrote about my first flight after the lockdown. I took several photos, and I shared my impressions. I won’t lie: it was a bizarre experience because of the pandemic. If you think of taking a flight and you are unsure of how it’ll feel, you’ll find the article useful. Check it out here.

As I already said, I have also published a new ebook this month. It’s an ebook about photography where I share loads of tips and techniques. These are actually the things I learned after taking photos for almost a decade, and I believe that it’s useful for both beginners and advanced photographers. You can read my dedicated article about the ebook here. The ebook’s title is Life through the lens, and on the product’s page, you can also find more info about the ebook and read a small excerpt. And you can also buy it, of course. See the ebook’s page here.

Now, after a long time, I also wrote a post about blogging. I know that many people struggle with finding a proper name for their blog; therefore, I thought of offering some tips. Moreover, I broke down the process I used when I was searching for a blog name. If you’re thinking of starting a blog (any kind of blog), then make sure to read the article. You can find it here.

Last but not least, I also posted one more travelogue this month. It’s actually from the last journey I took before the Coronavirus pandemic hit Europe. I visited Bucharest, and I spent a couple of days exploring the city. So, my travelogue from Bucharest is actually one more entry to the Letters to Barbara section. You can read the travelogue here.

A note

After a long time, I plan to travel a bit in August. I actually want to go to a Greek island that I’ve never been to before. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to being on the road again, but I try not to get very excited right now. With the pandemic still active, things can change fast. That said, I hope to produce some new summer content. So, make sure not to miss the upcoming posts.

So, that was it with July’s recap and the “Can you do me a favor?” short story.

You can access my previous recaps by clicking here.

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Last Updated on November 24, 2020 by George Pavlopoulos