Reflect on what I did right
[QUOTE=PilotPete;2990681]Thanks for posting this. This stuff is under reported and therefore succeeds more often than it should. I think you did the best you could under the circumstances and I applaude you for not letting a bad situation turn into something much worse.
I am sorry to say that I have learned the hard way how to be prepared for this. A cop turned lawyer clued me in and it worked for me several years ago in Columbus. The thing to avoid, and the only real world legal issue I faced was a charge for "solicitation" (assuming Things did not get physical). There was one in the room and her associate was down the hallway.
I calmly called the front desk as she was alternating between threatening and acting like LEO and told the clerk "I have an uninvited guest in my room that is belligerent and Refusing to leave. Can you help me?. I thanked the clerk, hung up and said " the police will be here in a minute, would you like leave now? She left with her friend.
The police called me, but did not come by. I told them it was an angry woman I had never met; that I foolishly let her in, but she was calling me by someone else's name (never use your real name). I told them she left when I called, I described her and her friend. He asked me, twice, if I had done anything to make her think she was invited and I said no. She was not who I was expecting, so I did not lie. I did get some paperwork in the mail as a follow-up.[/QUOTE]So I have been beating myself up all week over the mistakes I made. You guys and your support has caused me to reflect on what I did right. This is as important to share as my mistakes.
I was going to give the money up one way or another that night. I'd rather had been spent a different way but I didn't get hurt or have the police show up.
Burner phone. The burner phone is invaluable. She can't look me up and try to harass me for more because she doesn't really know who I am.
I've been doing this since the late 80's, yes I'm old. This is the worst situation I've ever encountered. It isn't the first time I've been robbed it is just the worst scene I've encountered. It was bound to happen and it reminds me how important it is too pay attention in this hobby. It is just as dangerous as trying to tame alligators, they can turn on you at any moment.
So thanks St. Louis guys for the support. I will write more reports and reviews as I don't write often. I need to support and give back more often.