Posted on 11/25/2010 1:26:34 PM PST by BluesDuke
AMHERST, Mass., Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The manager of a Massachusetts pizzeria said the business is out $3,900 after a man who claimed to be from Bob Dylan's stage crew ordered 178 pizzas.
Sean McElligott, manager of Antonio's in Amherst, said the store was "too trusting" when a man in his 40s wearing Bob Dylan backstage concert credentials came in and asked if they could produce 178 extra-large pizzas to feed the singer's concert crew, The (Springfield, Mass.) Republican reported Thursday.
"We stayed there until 5 in the morning making the pizza," he said. "The request seemed legitimate."
McElligott said they realized the order was bogus when the man never returned for the pizza.
"We would have liked to show off the pizza and serve somebody famous," McElligott said.
All kidding aside, remember when we were kids and some of our peers thought it was mad fun to pick up the phone, call the local pizza joint, and order a pizza to be sent to some poor unsuspecting schnook picked at random from the phone book? Now you know why the local pizza joint asks for your phone number to confirm it's your order when your number doesn't ring in on the caller ID.
Thanks to this Dylan crew impostor (I'm half curious as to what Dylan himself thinks of being used as the unintentional setup man for this one), and who knows how many more have pulled similar gags (though perhaps not by flashing credentials for some name performer's stage crew), don't be surprised if you go to the local pizza joint live and in person and the joint starts asking you to whip out your driver's licence even before you give the order.
An order of that size for a perishable product screams for a prepayment.
“Gotta Serve Somebody”?
They probably went into the dumpster.
I can understand teenagers pulling this prank but a 40-something man? What a douche.
After all, it is a Moon Bat's paradise out there.
Pity the pizzeria, because they have honest jobs only to get shafted by a probable trustfundarian
Is it rolling, Bob?
Too trusting? More like stupid!I'm inclined to cut the poor schnooks a break on this one. How often does a heretofore nondescript pizzeria receive a customer flashing apparently real show credentials at all, never mind for Bob Dylan, with an order that big? I'd hazard a guess that you'd have to go very far to find a pizzeria or any small restaurant business that wouldn't be caught completely off guard.An order of that size for a perishable product screams for a prepayment.
Sure may we have your platinum card please.
See directly above. ;)
but I'd like to know just what became of those 178 pizzas. They probably went into the dumpster.In which case they provided one whale of a treat for a) a homeless person and his/her buddies; or, b) the neighbourhood rodent population. (I mean, all that cheese . . . )
I can understand teenagers pulling this prank but a 40-something man? What a douche.What the hey, fortysomething men and women voted for His Excellency Al-Hashish Field Marshmallow Dr. Barack Obama Dada, COD, RIP, LSMFT, Would-Be Life President of the Republic Formerly Known as the United States, and Chairman of the Organisation of Halfrican Unity, too, didn't they?
Since when are pranks limited---in scope, in target, in dumb---to one or another demographic? ;)
Is it rolling, Bob?I don't think Dylan himself had anything to do with this prank (he probably wasn't even aware of it until he learned about it, if indeed he did, the hard way), but I'm willing to bet the bogus crewman didn't include among his credentials a quick few bars of "Ballad of a Thin Man" . . .
Maybe the same guy believes that AGW is real! Think about it. If this business owner just takes some guy’s word who he claims to be and doesn’t take the time to “trust but verify” especially with an order of that size there isn’t any reason to feel sorry for him.
I'm interested in how this guy kept all these pizzas warm until the last one was baked?
Get the money first.
It’s a 50/50 toss up. You say “Well, Sir we appreciate Mr. Dylan’s business but we will need a substantial deposit for this amount. I hope you understand our policy”.
He says “do you know who I am?”, Then fine, but if he were the real deal, his business will end up worse with the bad publicity. The amount alone was a red flag to wake up your brain and use common sense, which is prepayment.
The risk of this type of scam could be mitigated by running a place where you have to make your own pizza.
You know, where they give you the dough, you smash it, you pound it, you fling it in the air. And then you get to put your sauce and you get to sprinkle your cheese, and then- you slide it into the oven.
I'm interested in how this guy kept all these pizzas warm until the last one was baked?Some pizzerias have special temperature controlled stackers. Bakers have them, too. I'll grant I prefer my pizza fresh and piping hot, but then I've never ordered 178 pizzas in one swell foop, as the lady used to say on the radio . . .
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.