social engineering

The slang term “shady” can refer to someone who is mysterious or difficult to understand. But it can also be used more offensively to describe someone who seems to be untrustworthy, sneaky, not respectable. When I first moved to Manhattan, I was not always such a very good judge of character. Eventually, I did develop a sixth sense about who was a suitable companion or not. But when I first arrived, I made some shockingly bad choices. Part of the challenge of being a veteran scenester was finding an endless supply of fresh meat. Like a demented Pied Piper, I lured a batch of neophyte club kids into the nefarious world of nightlife every season. But my entourage kept having to be replaced. The novelty of bouncing around town like a trust fund kid on crack can fade quickly. Despite the fact that I was living “la vida loca”, it was becoming difficult to persuade people to accompany me on my nocturnal adventures. So I guess I was susceptible to phony posers. One summer, I struck up a friendship with a nice young man named Jean Micheal. Or so I thought. Although he was a little pretentious, I did enjoy the pleasure of his company. And he was willing to escort me around town while I promoted my parties. But I started to notice that he never had any cash. But my posse was frequently broke back then. So I didn’t pay too much attention to the fact that I was paying for our “lavish lifestyle”. Then the warnings began. Apparently, this was his modus operandi. He was a infamous downtown finagler, I was told. But I refused to heed the advice of concerned friends. If it is true that you can figure out the measure of a man by their behavior toward you, he scored points for being my devoted sidekick. I had not developed the proper radar to identify a hustler in their habitat yet. So I ignored the bad omens and continued to strut around town with JM. But I started to notice caution signals that made me doubt my original assessment. He started to borrow my clothing on a frequent basis without any regard for its return. Annoying, but not unusual for a post-adolescent.  Trouble arrived when he was questioned about the status my garments, he would start to spin tall tales. Once he arrived at my doorstep wearing my blazer, but with a streak of red paint on the back side. I don’t recall his explanation, but it was implausible. Another mystery was his place of residence. He didn’t seem to have a home base. I would sign him into the dorm on a regular basis, but I don’t know where he slept on other nights. He certainly didn’t look homeless. To the contrary, he was always wearing designer duds. But I was becoming increasingly wary of his motives. I was such a fool, and I remember $300 in cash “went missing” from my desk drawer. but I refused to blame my new best friend. I was in serious denial about this grifter kid. Although this was nothing romantic, we had become co-dependent on each other. So I kept making excuses for his wicked ways. The final straw was that he kept pressuring me to give him money for a down payment on an apartment. I wasn’t paying rent, so I had plenty of discretionary income in my bank account. But I was starting to feel like I was being swindled. Another modern term is the word “chopped”: it’s not just for salad anymore! It generally refers to getting rid of someone you no longer care to associate with. It is terminating a friendship with no notice. So I cut the cord, despite my fond feelings for this freaky fellow. He did re-surface months later, and I begged him to tell me the truth, but I think he was too far gone. He was probably incapable of identifying the truth, he was living the lie.  In retrospect, I think he might have had a major drug habit. We’d have these intense discussions, which he would not remember the following day. And he would disappear for hours, only to reappear manic and wild-eyed. Then he would be in a foul mood by the end of the evening. Like I said, I was a naif trying to act more sophisticated than my experience. I have become a quick study in my old age.  I could spot a coke-up charlatan in my sleep in 2008. I don’t know why this anecdote reminds me of the song, but it does.  It was not popular during my time attached at the hip with the flim flam man.  Although the lyrics “I cried wolf so many times, It’s numbing now” certainly describe his audacious antics. I will never forget the ice running through my veins when I finally pulled the plug.  Regardless, it is a damn good tune and video!