[RichInOC]

The next day he answers, finally. Tells me not to panic, that the car is fine. I tell him HE and I will BOTH be charged with a felony and that we may be already. He shrugs it off ... “No big deal. I've had felonies before.”

...at which point I would have hit him. And not in the goatse.

[donna]

No worries - let some time pass. Heck, 15 years ago I loaned my friend $400 because her son found her pin number and took the house payment out of her checking account. I NEVER think about the fact that she NEVER paid me back. Do you need $400? I'll give you my friend's name.

[Lazamataz]

Important point:

The Hand of God was definitely protecting me. AND HE MADE SURE I KNEW IT WAS HIM, GOD, DOING IT.

There are several important lessons God wanted me to take away from this. One was to trust in Him ONLY. There are other obvious ones. There are some lessons only time will reveal.

[UCANSEE2]

If I were me, and I am, I would Thank God.

It seems he gave you exactly what you needed. No more, no less. You are very fortunate, my friend.

May ALL of us learn from our own experiences, as well as you have from this.

[real saxophonist]

I’ve enjoyed our phone conversations.
Interesting how many familiar names I’ve seen on this thread.

[FreedomPoster]

DAYUM!

Glad you figured your way out of that one.

The next time you’re feeling kindhearted to a stray cat person (long story behind that appellation), call your friendly neighborhood cynical freedomposter, I’ll set you straight. And it won’t cost a bunch of rental days from Enterprise! Maybe just a lunch and a bubble tea on Buford Highway.

BTW, I just went tonight for the first time to a Szechuan place a few miles north of the Perimeter that was awesome! A good friend’s daughter’s boyfriend is Chinese, one of his family’s favorites. Place was really busy, and maybe 6-8 white people in the place.

[I see my hands]

"I'm reaching out to my 12 step friends"

Didn't you learn anything from the first half of the experience?

[thecodont]

First, thank God you made it out of that situation OK.

Second, thank you for sharing your experience.

I know someone who co-signed a loan for someone who couldn’t pay for some needed health care because the person: (a) had other financial priorities that were sort of frivolous, (b) didn’t hold down a steady job, and (c) had declared bankruptcy so was incapable of borrowing money.

The scenario you shared reminded me of the movie Parenthood (1988). It describes (among other things) a situation in which an adult ne’er-do-well son shows up on his elderly Dad’s doorstep with a bastard son from a one-night stand (I guess the mother abandoned the child, or something) and a load of gambling debt over which some shady people were demanding payment. The father said he’d lend his son the money, but on the condition the son had to commit himself to working for his father for a set number of years until it was paid off. The son agreed, the money changed hands, and then the son skipped town — for good.

Of course grandfather ended up raising the grandson.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Should we log this one under lesson learned ?

[nomad]

NEVER, EVER, sign for someone! Tell him you`ll run him to the license bureau, maybe even loan him the license fee, NEVER SIGN your “John Hancock”! I would for my direct family but only if they are on as authorized users but NEVER anyone else.

[MomwithHope]

Glad you are OK. Quite an experience!

[nomad]

You should have had the police there to stop him from taking your cash too.Maybe even search him and see if he`s holding, “You`re going to jail,you shmuck!”

[americas.best.days...]

gosh, i’m glad you didn’t end up in jail,Laz.

i think the quality of your posts might have been seriously
diminished.

hope your catching up on the the sleep you must have lost!

and well played by you there at the end of the ordeal.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Slim’s rule #1

You can’t save people from themselves.

Slim’s rule # 2

You can’t change rule # 1.

Slim’s rule # 3

Trust is the condition necessary for betrayal to occur.

Sometimes it sux to be Slim, but that’s the way it is.

[Shadowstrike]

Glad everything worked out, but like others said, keep an eye on your back. The “friends” you refused to take somewhere, they know what you look like.

Not trying to make you paranoid, but would rather that than to hear you got hurt.

Take care.

[Revolting cat!]

Read some Oscar Wilde to recover is my advice. Listen to Roger Miller: “I’ve been a fooooool...”

“A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.” — Oscar Wilde

[Gay State Conservative]

I once loaned a sum approaching five figures to a relative.No addictions...just a relative.He stiffed me.From that time on the only time I give anyone any sum of money is when I have no desire to get it back.

[Revolting cat!]

“It was nice to have you,” said the hostess.

“It was nice to have been had,” replied I.

[meyer]

Dayum, Laz!

That was a close call. Glad it worked out, but rest assured that I’ll never do that! And you better not do it again either!

[5th MEB]

Trust no one, believe nothing until proved to your own satisfaction.
End of story!