CRYSTAL BALL
I saw a survey recently which determined that people, in general, do not place any trust at all in those people who claim they can foretell coming events.
In a nearby city, some years ago, I can remember a lady who was established as a local clairvoyant and who had set up residence in a low field. Hers was what we then called, quite properly a movable trailer
home, the early version of today’s much more mobile and modular homes. She had set up a rather large, gaudy sign which said “Know What Tomorrow Will Bring! Be Ready! Psychic Readings by Madam_____! Day or Evening Hours.”
She supplied ample, free parking, too.
I drove to work one rain-swept morning and the police and local firemen were busy rescuing her from her floating mobile home doorway in a boat. She had failed to foresee the rapid flooding from a nearby creek
which caused by excessive rains upstream and surrounded her home.
She was dried out and back in business a week so or
so later, once again foretelling the future for all comers. Business, I think, must have been less than good, however, because I drove past one day and noticed her trailer home had been moved out.
If the survey is correct and so few people say they do believe in and consult such wonder workers an a regular basis, it stands to reason their fees must be high enough to sustain a life with even just a few patrons.
Their customers do remain loyal and gullible to extremes, it seems. Advertising for such business firms has again become obvious in many newspapers, some magazines, and on Internet pages, than every before. I can’t imagine any
of them being approved by the Better Business Bureau, Consumer’s Union, or any other approvals organizations. Yet, they seem to prosper and proliferate everywhere... at least for a time. They come and go at regular intervals filling
empty store-front locations in decadent downtown areas in many cities, in small towns on spare building sites, in resort areas and in the edge of both shanty-towns and up-scale residential developments.
The clientele is varied it seems and their telephone and e-mail accounts probably take in more revenue than actual visits to their “studios.” A great many people seem to feel about the same as if they
were seen entering an Adult Toys and Books Store. The electronic branch of the business is growing and it is not uncommon for several such far-out know-it-alls to sell their product by wire and wireless means from the same, small,
rented office space shared with others.
Such scams are, it seems, “feline” by nature and have, at least, nine lives or, perhaps a few more. Senior citizens are, for too often, key targets for some such devilish doings and it is not the sort of thing victims like to
talk about either. As a result, much of the harm being done goes unreported and unpunished. “Unrecorded” as it is often said to be.
If you are, in any way, responsible for older friends or relatives, take some time to determine what their feelings are in regard to these and other scams. Take action to curb such impulsive interests.
A.L.M. September 3, 2002 [c-548wds]
