I smelled a rat right from the start. That's why you didn't see me telling him to get better.
The Devil will staighten his butt out one day.
Oh well, you know what they say ''No good deed ever goes unpunished''.
I watch Ebay pretty close and I've seen some things like that happen.
A while back there was nice Lionel BN Geep up for sale and I bid on it.....missed getting it by like $2, it sold for something like $20 or so.....then about 2 weeks later what shows up for sale again? same Geep.....this time the opening price is $30!!!!! I've seen several deals like that recently, if the seller can get the inflated price selling it a second time, then more power to them, not like it's the only one of it's kind in the world!!
Just a footnote here....theres a package of Labelle 108 oil up for sale.....$5 and $7 to ship it...just one package......I get it for $5 at the LHS and thats with tax!! WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING?????
http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-LABELLE-108-MULTI-PURPOSE-OIL-FOR-ELECTRIC-TR_W0QQitemZ130132046507QQihZ003QQcategoryZ19132QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
So, Doug...do we take your word for granted? Or do we get to see an eBay link to your old K-line 0-4-0 Porter? And what is this distinguishing mark? Sorry. I guess I'd like to see the proof with my own eyes.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage wrote: So, Doug...do we take your word for granted? Or do we get to see an eBay link to your old K-line 0-4-0 Porter? And what is this distinguishing mark? Sorry. I guess I'd like to see the proof with my own eyes. Tom
Log into ebay and enter item#27014487688 it will be the Porter, and item 270144878613 will be the caboose. The sellers ID is REALLYWICKEDSUE. If You REALLY want to verify my credibility, just give Whistle Stop Trains, on SE Division St, in Portland, OR a call at (503) 761-1822 and ask for Charlie (the owner) or Don (the 3 rail O guy there) about me ( Doug O'Grady) they will know me by name and can verify that I am a reliable person. You can also check their ad in the back of Model Railroader to verify that they are a legitimate shop not just my own phone# if you like. Give them a call and ask if they know Me, and if I am a reliable person or not.
Oh and BTW, if you look at the whistle on top of the cab it is bent, I accidentally dropped a boxcar on it reaching over it. the caboose doesn't have any identifying marks on it. The ad says never run, go ahead and bid on it, if you win check the wheels, and rollers, it has been run. Heck ask the seller to email you pics of the bottom, to see the wheels and rollers, bet she won't.
I was a SUCKER, and I admit it, I just would rather not see anyone else make the same stupid mistake that I made.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Doug,
I get the caboose but not the locomotive. Comparing the two numbers, it appears that the locomotive item # is missing a digit?
Hi Tom,
You are right I missed a digit, it should be item # 270144876788, I missed the 7 third digit from the end. but you will also find it by checking sellers other items list.
Another forum member posted maybe he is selling it to pay other expenses ( such as medical) and it was a gift, so even if not accepted in the spirit given, he is free to do as he pleases with them, but admittedly it was sent to cheer him up, and did feel like a slap in the face, like the scam warnings( which I read after having sent it) maybe had some validity.
challenger3980 wrote:Hi Tom, You are right I missed a digit, it should be item # 270144876788, I missed the 7 third digit from the end. but you will also find it by checking sellers other items list. Another forum member posted maybe he is selling it to pay other expenses ( such as medical) and it was a gift, so even if not accepted in the spirit given, he is free to do as he pleases with them, but admittedly it was sent to cheer him up, and did feel like a slap in the face, like the scam warnings( which I read after having sent it) maybe had some validity. Doug
I don't blame you at all for feeling like it was a betrayal of the spirit in which the stuff was given. I'd be upset in your position, too. But I'd encourage you to not get soured on acts of kindness because of one less-than-ideal experience.
Hi Hyun,
I have given trains to many Friends and Family, especially those with Kids (no Christmas tree should be without a train, it just isn't right) so I won't be soured on acts of kindness, but in the future will consider the situation a little more closely, I guess that I tend to trust other model railroaders too much. Usually those interested in trains tend to be a pretty good bunch, and well possibly this time my judgement was less than stellar, but I make no apologies for trying to cheer someone who is going through trying times. An ex-Girlfriend of mine ( one I never should have let get away) her Mother had some terrible Diabetic complications( that she eventually died of) that I could not believe some of the times the hospital sent her home, so I guess that I remembered those days a little to much, and felt some real empathy for Zeke.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
Doug, sorry to hear you sent him anything, but if nothing else it shows you're kind hearted, like many in the model RR hobby. My wife was suspiscious from the start, but she has seen everything imaginable working at several hospitals over her lifetime so didn't dismiss the story completely as I relayed it to her. Anyway, what is his mailing address again?
Rob
"Vengence is a dish best served cold"
steemtrayn wrote:Buy the caboose. When you see that it had been run, leave negative feedback...They hate that.
Cederstrand wrote: Doug, sorry to hear you sent him anything, but if nothing else it shows you're kind hearted, like many in the model RR hobby. My wife was suspiscious from the start, but she has seen everything imaginable working at several hospitals over her lifetime so didn't dismiss the story completely as I relayed it to her. Anyway, what is his mailing address again? Rob "Vengence is a dish best served cold"
I don't remember the house#, but it was on Bonnyview ( Lane I think) Redding, CA 9600(1 I think) unfortunately when I went to the UPS Store to ship it, Austin used the paper that I wrote it down on as a shipping label, so I don't have it now. I tried to go back and find the post with the address, but they have evidently deleted it, because I can't find it at all. if anyone has it, I would like it, but again it was MEANT as a GIFT, so there really is nothing that I can do about it, I just don't want anyone else to make the same mistake that I made.
Doug.
I have several relatives out his/her way and thought they might have some fun investigating this on their own, if so inclined. Feel free to e-mail me the address if anyone finds it.
You're a kind soul, Doug.
I just thought of another way to verify my claim, again go to ebay and search item#270095648440, or check my feedback page,(challenger3980) I bought 2 Lionel Union Pacific Berkshire locomotives from FORYOURCOLLECTION-1 one for myself, and one for a nephew, they both came with free cabooses which are shown in the listing pics, one of them is the one that I sent to Zeke, which You found that one in the ebay listing already. The feedback date was April 14th so it will not show a full listing and pics for much longer but it is there right now. And I understand about being skeptical of posts(IMAGINE THAT). But the Honest have nothing to Hide.
loathar wrote:I smelled a rat right from the start. That's why you didn't see me telling him to get better.The Devil will staighten his butt out one day.
..glad i wasnt the only one.
Well, you've got her address. Send her a pound of dung, or a dead mouse. Let's see how much she gets for that on eBay. (Yeah, there's a buyer for everything.)
Or maybe it's a boy named Sue?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I thought that I was just getting old and cranky, but this whole story didn't ring true to me for some reason. The shame of it is, things like this make us all wary and really hurts those who are truly in need. But you can't place any blame or ridicule on someone who might have showed compassion and sent items or money, for they all had good hearts.
Pittsburgh, PA
Many of you may have missed it, but I happened to be on-line yesterday when the Zeke thread got zapped. Someone had posted to the Trains forum a link to an RC forum in Canada where an individual had been scammed out of an RC truck. They were adamant that the whole medical thing and the existence of the girlfriend was a scam to gain sympathy. They had wanted to warn the trains.com community to stay away. I have no idea where the truth lies here, but it appears that at least 2 people feel scammed by someone called Zeke.
Folks, all I can say is that you are an amazing group of compassionate people. The heartfelt support offered to Zeke is a testament to the type of individuals found on this list. In some strange way I feel a little ashamed because I was unable to offer my prayers and support for him. I came to the original thread quite late and was very skeptical. I had a real hard time swallowing the medical history that included heart infection, stroke and brain tumor and emergency re-admissions to the ICU one day only to be home 24 hours later.
IMO this person truly needs our prayers now. This time it is not just their life that is at stake.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Sadly, there are people that prey on the kindness of others. There was a guy that worked at the nuclear power plant that I worked at; wife was ill, bearing their first child. They both died during delivery. He collected over $3000 in cash donations. Outcome: he went to jail for fraud - he was NEVER married, let alone lost his wife. Even with scammers out there, I will still donate things, even money to someone who claims to be in need.. You never know.. you could make a real difference in someone's life one day through an act of kindness...
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Hello Everyone -
This is Ethel, I am Wayzata Modeler's third-cousin-once-removed-on-his-mother's-side. As I write this, Wayzata Modeler is being wheeled away by medical personnel due to a tragic accident while he was wiring a new industrial turnout. A lightening strike traveled through the power lines, to the outlet serving the layout, traveling through the power unit, to the turnout points, through the small screwdriver he was holding and finally searing into Wayzata Modeler's chest wall. The powerful impact of the strike re-opened the nipple to nipple scar on his chest that originated with a war injury he realized in the 1967 seven day Israeli-Arab war.
The timing of this terrible accident is also tragic in that he was to attend a ceremony tomorrow to receive a special award for rescuing a family of 11 (and their 5 pets) from a burning building and toxic spill just last week.
As I write this, I can hear his screams from the ambulance to tell of you guys all of this and that he really could use something called an "all brass big boy" to cheer him up.
Thanks for caring and being there.
Wayzata Modeler wrote: As I write this, I can hear his screams from the ambulance to tell of you guys all of this and that he really could use something called an "all brass big boy" to cheer him up.
Looks to me like he's already got some big brass ones. Or did he lose those in the Boer War?
My Lord,
And to think I shot off a 250 shot firework piece when I heard about he was getting better. That $50 I spent on it could have bought be that Bachmann 0-6-0 I wanted to get from Trainworld.
What a creep.
Cheese
Nick! :)
Wayzata Modeler doesn't like to talk about his service in the Boer War - he says its just too painful still
Thats Hillarious,
A Brass Big Boy. LOL. Yes, I forgot to tell you all, I have Cancer and a Brain Tumor as well. Please send me a.....................
2 Spectrum 2-8-0's (Undec and Southern), a Spectrum Southern 4-4-0, a Spectrum 4-6-0 (56' Drivers Undec), a Spectrum 2-10-0 (Undecorated), a Mantua 2-6-6-2 (Undecorated), a Life Like 2-8-8-2 (Undec), Life Like C&O Berkshire, Broadway Limited Undecorated C&O 2-10-4, oh yes, and 2 BLI Light Mikados.
If you don't send me those locomotives, I will die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.
Ummm, how much is a hangnail worth?
Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!
Go Big Red!
PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"
fiatfan wrote: Ummm, how much is a hangnail worth?
If it's on your middle finger, show it to Zeke.
You know, Zeke claimed to be a wounded veteran having served in Baghdad. Well, I served in Baghdad (though thankfully wasn't wounded). I have to imagine Zeke was lying about that too, which makes me extremely angry.
There's something called the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 which makes it a federal offense to claim to have been awarded medals which were actually not awarded. By claiming to have been wounded in action...
"Myself i am a 30 yr old disabled vet ..served 11yrs in the army...been many places....went to iraq 3 times.... got shot 3 times and stabbed once...lost my brother over there...and countless friends.....i hope for a safe return for all....am very thanksful to those who will not come home....proud ...yes very...cuz not everyone can serve in the military ....I walk with a cane now..but im thankful to have both legs still.....i was shot in the heart and now have a diflibulator....but am thankfull its still beating....was shot in the shoulder but i still have an arm..." - from the Memorial Day Thread
..he implies he would have been awarded the Purple Heart.
By the way, having served there myself I can say that very few soldiers suffer chest wounds due to the extensive use of ballistic body armor.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Does anyone remember specifically when zeke came on board here at the forum? And how many total posts he had? I was just pondering about a possible link between zeke and another former forum member...
Thanks to you and yours, Dave. Words are not sufficient for the love I have for all who have served to protect us.
I too was suspicious of the miraculous survival, the near death condition of late and then the sudden discharge. Even Micheal Moore couldn't dream up a scenario like that. Would have made a powerful segment in SICKO by including Satan (aka insurance company) to Zeke's b.s.
When you look at the numbers, it doesn't add up. He was too young for the first Iraq war, so now he claims he served 3 tours since the start of the second war in 2003? Considering recuperation time, those must have been very short tours indeed.
He did carefully avoid saying he got any medals. Saying he was wounded might lead you to the conclusion that he got a Purple Heart, but that's your conclusion, not his claim. It may be that he's quite aware of the laws, and is intentionally putting together a misleading story which is not technically in violation of the Stolen Valor Act.
I would think the Original Poster, and anyone else who has seen their "acts of kindness" for sale by this bum on eBay, should contact eBay and explain that the items he is selling were obtained fraudulently. I don't know what eBay would do, but it's probably a better option than leaving negative feedback.
MisterBeasley wrote: When you look at the numbers, it doesn't add up. He was too young for the first Iraq war, so now he claims he served 3 tours since the start of the second war in 2003? Considering recuperation time, those must have been very short tours indeed.He did carefully avoid saying he got any medals. Saying he was wounded might lead you to the conclusion that he got a Purple Heart, but that's your conclusion, not his claim. It may be that he's quite aware of the laws, and is intentionally putting together a misleading story which is not technically in violation of the Stolen Valor Act.
Mr B,
I know he's not in violation of the letter of the Stolen Valor Act, but if his stories are lies, he's certainly in violation of the spirit of the law.
Now, he said he was in his 30s and had been in the Army 11 years. I'm just shy of 33 and I passed my 11-year service mark back in March (I was barely old enough for a commission!). So that part adds up. But then, I was in high school for the first Gulf War!
Honestly, there are days even when I feel like a fraud, since I only served there for four relatively quiet months (2003) and was never wounded. I came back to a staff job (Commander's aide) that ended up keeping me stateside. Then I was sent back to school for a PhD. So my contribution to the war effort was tiny compared to some.
So when Zeke told his story I felt awed and ashamed. If he's telling lies he'll have a lot of explaining to do to a lot of dead vets someday when his turn comes.
Cox 47 wrote:Well after reading all the posts....I think I'll keep on praying for "Zeke"...and for myself I pray that it won't harden my heart when some one comes along in real need...Cox 47
Well said.
tstage-I was wondering that too. I don't remember him before Memorial day.(knew THAT story was a load of bull!) He did have over 300 posts but I never went back in his history to check him out. If you change your screen name it doesn't automatically change it on your old posts. I bet we would find he had a different name not too long ago.
I'm going to pray for Zeke...Pray he gets his butt stomped by a group of Marines in a VA hospital burn ward! His kind are the lowest form of pond scum out there! The only reason to turn the other cheek is so they are both rosy red from being slapped.
Dave Vollmer wrote: Honestly, there are days even when I feel like a fraud, since I only served there for four relatively quiet months (2003) and was never wounded. I came back to a staff job (Commander's aide) that ended up keeping me stateside. Then I was sent back to school for a PhD. So my contribution to the war effort was tiny compared to some.
Dave, don't you dare for even a moment think less of yourself for what you consider a limited role. If you've worn a uniform in service to our country, then you deserve and demand the respect and thanks from the rest of us whom you've served, regardless of the manner of that service.
Jim
Now, back to the trains...
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
Very good advice indeed.
Peter
Dear Doug
Let's get back to the issue at hand. You feel betrayed and rightly so. There has been some talk of the Zeke in the CS and his issues and I for one really didn't know all the particulars though I could see that 1 + 1 was not = 2. I tend to be a cynic, which is to my detriment as caring as I am I am always on my guard. It has been my experience and I've been burned before and will be burned again no doubt, there is an element within our society that makes up a certain percentage of the population that cannot tell the truth to save themselves. Could be pathalogic, could be a number of issues. They are always there and will always be there. So remember this...
What goes around comes around He will have his day in court
So go easy on yourself
Fergie
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
http://www.rccanada.ca/bb/viewtopic.php?t=33248&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75&sid=244e5f1c33fd5e3a13b18e9509e7d27b
This is the link back to the RC site that first tried to warn us over here about him. The chap that placed the warning got banned as well from trains.com!
I've been saying this for years: When it comes to on-line forums you just can't be sure who is on the other keyboard (with very few exceptions).
Although I did find it odd that the member ID used had been around for a while with a fairly high post count. It just didn't fit the usual (recently joined) troll-like profile. Perhaps this was a legitimate ID that was hijacked?
I replied to this thread much earlier, but the post doesn't appear.
I was skeptical, yet it is in my nature to offer encouragement. Also, I recall no solicitation for goods, favours, support, information, or money, just "Jenny" passing along "Zeke's" misfortunes. If Jenny is indeed part of a scam, it is a brilliant stroke.
In any event, I gave nothing more valuable than my good wishes. The receiver(s) is free to do with them as he/she pleases, including paving their way to Hades.
It me, Ethel again. I am bedside of Wayata Modeler. Surrounding me are the machines and IVs that sustain his life. The doctors and nurses talk to me in hush tones - sharing that its all up to Wayzata Modeler now. His ability to find purpose and meaning to his life is what will bring him back to all of us.
Wait, he is trying to communicate to me! Since he is paralyzed below the neck, his only way to communicate is to point to letters of the alphabet holding a pencil between his pale, drawn lips. Let me see..... B..., I....,G (this is so hard as tremors constantly surge through his frail body)...B....,O.....,Y (what could be so important to him now that he is using all of limited strength to communicate?!).....H...., E.......R.....E (I dont understand, I dont understand, who could possibly understand what he is so frantically trying to communicate!?) .....Y....,E......,T
He has now collapsed, having fully sapped all his strength to point out these letters.
BIGBOYHEREYET
What could it mean?, maybe you, his closest and dearest friends understand what this dear man is trying to share? - what seems to be the only thought and purpose that sustains him above the black abyss of death.
***Dave, THANK YOU for your Service and I am glad you came through uninjured. I share your anger to learn of such a false claim by the Zeke entity. Thanks for the extra tidbit on potential penalties for doing so. However, like the USPS, laws are broken daily and authorities are too busy working more serious crimes to tackle the lesser stuff. Never hurts to mess with bad people though, IMHO.
[What goes around comes around " border="0" width="15" height="15" /> He will have his day in court]
Sadly, that isn't always enough. A bastar* named Chuck starved horses we and others had sold him over a two year period while buying more (he always paid cash) until his County found the starved animals and rescued them. One was euthenized (a once beautiful mare we sold him), the others have been placed in wonderful new homes and are recovering well. The worst part is he had plenty of money to hire a good enough lawyer to get entirely away with it. No jail time, not even fines, nothing. So, if I may offer my two bits, justice in court doesn't cut it anymore. But he is going to pay for what he did in time, one way or another. Yes, I don't get angry, I get angry and get even. Rob
Interesting thread ... and the original Zeke thread was a bit too good to be true for there to be a person like Jenny, and too bad to be true for one person to have all those ailments in one body. I'm not saying such people don't exist, just very unlikely, which means we should be wary until it's proven out.
One key learning from this is that people can pose as anybody from anywhere over the web and there's really little we can do to check out their story. Some learnings:
1. If the person has no established track record with the group, probe deeper to find out their motives for being here and posting such off-topic personal information. Even though we all care, posting details of your medical condition is off topic for this forum and should be moderated closely, IMO.
2. It's perfectly acceptable to ask for photos to back up their claims. True photos can be faked too, but words alone can be faked in moments with only some minimal writing skills. Photos can take hours or days to fake and require quite a bit more skill.
3. It's okay to be cautious. For example, any time a telephone sales person calls me any more, I tell them, "Hey listen. I did not originate this call, and you could be anybody. So unless I originate the call, I don't do business over the telephone. Goodbye." Same applies to posters on here. We can say: "Can you back up your claims somehow? It's really easy to come on here and post almost anything ... we want to believe you and help out, but some kind of proof is required before we do any more than offer you some encouraging words."
Unless the person has a solid track record with this group, DO NOT send them anything ... money, goods, anything. Sorry to take that position, but it's the wise position to take in this day and age of the world wide web, where any crackpot in the world could pose as anybody anywhere and sucker all us compassionate and well-meaning people into giving them the shirt off our backs.
Joe Fugate Modeling the 1980s SP Siskiyou Line in southern Oregon
jfugate wrote: For example, any time a telephone sales person calls me any more, I tell them, "Hey listen. I did not originate this call, and you could be anybody. So unless I originate the call, I don't do business over the telephone. Goodbye."
For example, any time a telephone sales person calls me any more, I tell them, "Hey listen. I did not originate this call, and you could be anybody. So unless I originate the call, I don't do business over the telephone. Goodbye."
I'm a bit more subtle. First of all, I've signed up for every "do not call" list I can, and I'm happy to report that it really does filter most of them out. However, I still get the occasionally nitwit. So, I just politely say, "Just a minute..." and put the phone on the table. I check back again about 10 or 15 minutes later to make sure he's gone before I hang up the phone.
Like Dave, I was taken in by Zeke's Memorial Day testimony, and even though I've never served I'm angry that someone would impersonate a wounded vet for some ill-gotten gain. Unlike some claiming to have clairvoyance () I didn't see it as a scam, since there was no monetary request, but the compounding list of ailments was beginning to stretch credibility. I even made a Daffy Duck reference, because it was beginning to sound like a cartoon.
Dave V, you shouldn't feel in any way diminished about the role you played in defending the country; if only every soldier's tour of duty could be so blessedly uneventful. You certainly didn't know what was in store when you stepped up to the plate, but you did it just the same. I remember how you told Zeke you felt awed and humbled by his heroism, so the consequences of this deception go far beyond financial fraud. It would be great if this individual could be prosecuted, but if not maybe some real veterans could visit that address and give "Zeke" a firsthand lesson in shock and awe.
Doug, don't get cynical and lose your generous spirit because of one jerk.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
MisterBeasley wrote: jfugate wrote: For example, any time a telephone sales person calls me any more, I tell them, "Hey listen. I did not originate this call, and you could be anybody. So unless I originate the call, I don't do business over the telephone. Goodbye." I'm a bit more subtle. First of all, I've signed up for every "do not call" list I can, and I'm happy to report that it really does filter most of them out. However, I still get the occasionally nitwit. So, I just politely say, "Just a minute..." and put the phone on the table. I check back again about 10 or 15 minutes later to make sure he's gone before I hang up the phone.
One of my favorite stories to tell was from a few years ago, when our local paper called to solicit subscriptions.
The caller told me about the wonderful deal they had for the first 13 weeks for such and such a price. I said, "No, I'm not interested". They then told me about all the various and wonderful articles and features contained in each of the sections. Again, I said, "No, I'm not interested".
Not to be deterred, the caller went on about something else. When I came back with the third "No, I'm not interested", I got a rather bemused response from the caller. They inquired, "Sir, why don't you want to get the Plain Dealer?"
Let me quickly interject here that I love a good, clean joke and/or laugh. However, I also make it my purpose to be truthful when asked a question by someone. When I was posed this question by the caller, my mind immediately came up with the "perfect" response. However, I wanted to be a man of truth so I didn't use it. Even so, it took every ounce of my will power NOT to answer the caller's question in the following manner:
[breaking down and weeping on the phone]"...because...[sniff] [sniff]...I CAN'T REEEEEAD!!!" [I would continuing on for several more rounds of crying and weeping uncontrollably, eventually hanging up.]
Even as I write the account of this, I still get a big chuckle out of it - even though it didn't use it. (In a way...I sorta wish I had.) But, at any rate, hopefully some of you will get a chuckle out of the story, nonetheless.
Train 284 wrote:And here I thought I had found a model railroader who was a good personand lived in the same town as me. You guys want me to go see this guy for myself? Bonneyview is a short 10 minute drive from where I live.
Yeah,
You give him a piece of your mind. However, just be sure you can prtect yourself should he be able to defend himself.
You might be in luck though. He might still be recovering from his "heart attack". It was a heart attack allright. His heart was attacked and turned something evil, which is why he scammed people. OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!
That's a good one, R.T.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
MAbruce wrote: I've been saying this for years: When it comes to on-line forums you just can't be sure who is on the other keyboard (with very few exceptions). Although I did find it odd that the member ID used had been around for a while with a fairly high post count. It just didn't fit the usual (recently joined) troll-like profile. Perhaps this was a legitimate ID that was hijacked?
I was thinking the same thing. I just looked. He joined 3-4 months ago and had 800 posts. I went to the Memorial Day thread to check his posting history but I can't access it. (my computers pretty messed up) Maybe someone else could go there and check and see if he had changed his name anything else suspicious. I didn't see what caused this last thread to get yanked. I don't think that post about the RC car forum would have been enough to do it. There must have been more to it than that. (maybe Bergie knew something we didn't)
I KNEW that thread was suspicious! I never posted because there was something about this guy that just struck me as odd. At first, I thought this was another (I don't want to start a flame war here but...) UPChuck reincarnation, but as time went by, I dismissed it and got around to some MRRing (had to rip up track to install electrical, what a pain...) and posted more around the forum. I left it alone for approximately 1 or 2 months until THAT Zeke thread appeared. I watched it for a few days and then dismissed that. Then this thread comes...
...the thing is a few months ago, UPChuck was banned and we never heard from him for a long time (which is a good thing). That time was around the time Zeke came online. I see a possible connection here but I can't find it.
BTW I heard something about an Al Mayo coming back online, but I'm not sure...
Looking at Zeke's post history, the first one was April 17th. He/she racked up a lot in a coffee shop thread, apparently.
Posts by zeke
Quick break to read some posts.
***Matt, would you like some backup on that visit with the Zeke entity?
Speaking of telemarketers, I usually ask them strait away for their home phone number. When they say thay can't give that out, I tell them if they are not willing to take calls at their home, then don't bother calling mine. Most of the time I let the answering machine weed them out. Rob
Aren't we having fun with this one. If Zeke is a scam, it surely worked.
I do commend the large number of good people who took him/her at his/her word and showed generous concern.
Cederstrand wrote:Quick break to read some posts. ***Matt, would you like some backup on that visit with the Zeke entity? Speaking of telemarketers, I usually ask them strait away for their home phone number. When they say thay can't give that out, I tell them if they are not willing to take calls at their home, then don't bother calling mine. Most of the time I let the answering machine weed them out. Rob
Ooooh I'll have to remember that one... Thanks!
After reading the memorial day posts and some of the original ''zeke'' posts...I also had a flashback to our buddy upchuck.....but given upchucks inability to spell even simple words, and his Mother Goose style fairy tales....this ''zeke'' seems to me to be a completely different troll, ''zekes'' story was more believable and well thought out than anything upchuck could conjure, so I think we have a different lying here.
And speaking of upchuck....a poster on the Bachmann forums calling itself ''summertrainz'' is suspiciously like upchuck, same sort of silly questions and stupid posts.
Hi Guys,(and Gals too)
I guess Zeke or whoever it really is must still be reading the forums, I just saw something interesting, the ebay auction for the Porter, had been ended early by the seller, due to a mistake in the listing. Must have realized that the wheel wear would be a give away that the engine was not unrun.
Also, Zeke's new forum ID is Tubularguy, after he recvd it, he sent me an email through the forum ( which unfortunately doesn't give the true email address of the sender) Thanking Me and saying how much he liked it.
Jeff- I don't doubt that the thread got zapped but it did notentirely disappear. I redid the search and still found it mentioned acouple of times on this forum and many times on Toy Train Operating andCollecting. I would have thought that once zapped it would all begone,I guess I was wrong.
I do agree with others that sooner or later people like Zeke wii get theirs. Bob
Cederstrand wrote: I have several relatives out his/her way and thought they might have some fun investigating this on their own, if so inclined. Feel free to e-mail me the address if anyone finds it. You're a kind soul, Doug. Rob
I did find a forum link that went back to the post with the mailing address for Zeke, it is:
Zeke Watkins, 4356 E. Bonnyview rd, Redding, CA 96001
That is the address that I sent the package to, so it should be legit. If you hear anything from your relatives, Please let me know. 10 years ago, I could have checked this out myself, I am a truck driver, back then I drove for a foodservice co. and went through Redding every week. Now I am with a different company( I sure don't miss the food service delivery business) and now, I usually go to Nampa, ID (near Boise) and Spokane, Wa. Redding and the Lake Shasta area are very Pretty, we used to vacation on Lake Shasta when I was a kid. Kinda silly, but I still remember getting burritos at Diggers Bay, I always made sure we got them at least once each year.
Doug, a friend of mine found a new/real name connected with the bonnyview address. Also an alternate address. Connection to the ebayer not confirmed yet. Interesting!
Hi Again Rob,
It may prove interesting if nothing else, and maybe make someone sweat a bit, if it is a scam.
Thanks,
challenger3980 wrote: Hi Guys,(and Gals too) I guess Zeke or whoever it really is must still be reading the forums, I just saw something interesting, the ebay auction for the Porter, had been ended early by the seller, due to a mistake in the listing. Must have realized that the wheel wear would be a give away that the engine was not unrun. Also, Zeke's new forum ID is Tubularguy, after he recvd it, he sent me an email through the forum ( which unfortunately doesn't give the true email address of the sender) Thanking Me and saying how much he liked it. Doug
WOW! Are you saying he sent you a PM laughing at you for sending a scam artist like him the loco?? Or am I misinterpreting your post here?
I was elsewhere online & doing things on my comp (my other half adding a new 250g secondary hard drive to my comp for my CD music collection & my TRAIN pics) as well as at my job.) So I missed the initial "Zeke" thread before it got zapped.
But what I have gathered, this "person" reminds me of the "fwds" I get from time to time. "This man/woman/child" (insert appropriate) has "this/that" & we need "help/sympathy/$$$" (again, insert appropriate) & it seems this is becoming a popular internet scam that preys on the good hearted. Anyways, unless I'm totally familiar with the subject (read that-I KNOW they're on the up & up) I ignore them-period. The last time I gave $$$ was when our local firefighters were gathering donations shortly after 9/11. (I only hope it was used honorably, as I'm sure they did too)
Mr. Vollmer, you are a vet-period, no matter what you may say about your involvement-you had no say in what you were involved with, & thankfully you're still here with us-IMO you're a valuable, intelligent, insightful member of this forum. Myself I never felt I was military service material right from the get-go, but that doesn't mean I don't highly respect the ones that did.
A fellow I know who's a patron at the library I work at. He's a gentle, soft spoken, big hearted fella who cultivated the fields around my parents' house for many years, as did his dad. He was in the reserves, & flew supply missions out of the Gulf/Irag area (not sure exactly) He was good friends with my Mom, & always had a kind word (or a "kidding" to my Mom-those 2 went round & round in a good way-she just recently retired from the library herself after 30 years) But anyways, I casually asked when he was home on leave about things, & he responded, "Not bad, except...I didn't really like being shot at when I was taking off." & the thought of anyone shooting at this gentle big hearted fella just bothered me. (He's done his time tho-& is home for good)
I don't know where I was really going with that, but the bottom line is I respect ALL vets & those in service, no matter what they're "detail" is, as you Dave. You're established here & respectable IMO. But this "unknown" coming out of the clear blue sky soliciting so to speak, raises red flags. It seems to me the true ones in need of help wouldn't go about as this "Zeke" person, & go about it more ways that would be able to establish their credibility.
Cederstrand wrote:Doug, a friend of mine found a new/real name connected with the bonnyview address. Also an alternate address. Connection to the ebayer not confirmed yet. Interesting! Rob
I see you like horses, Bob. Just like Susan Anderson. She's a real witch.
My 15 year old son has Cushing's Disease
I took a gander at that zeke thread. Didn't pay it any mind though.
"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"
EXPERIMENTATION TO BRING INNOVATION
http://community.webshots.com/album/288541251nntnEK?start=588
SteamFreak wrote: Cederstrand wrote: Doug, a friend of mine found a new/real name connected with the bonnyview address. Also an alternate address. Connection to the ebayer not confirmed yet. Interesting! Rob I see you like horses, Bob. Just like Susan Anderson. She's a real witch.www.myspace.com/reallywickedsue My 15 year old son has Cushing's Disease
Cederstrand wrote: Doug, a friend of mine found a new/real name connected with the bonnyview address. Also an alternate address. Connection to the ebayer not confirmed yet. Interesting! Rob
Crikey...
loathar wrote: challenger3980 wrote: Hi Guys,(and Gals too) I guess Zeke or whoever it really is must still be reading the forums, I just saw something interesting, the ebay auction for the Porter, had been ended early by the seller, due to a mistake in the listing. Must have realized that the wheel wear would be a give away that the engine was not unrun. Also, Zeke's new forum ID is Tubularguy, after he recvd it, he sent me an email through the forum ( which unfortunately doesn't give the true email address of the sender) Thanking Me and saying how much he liked it. DougWOW! Are you saying he sent you a PM laughing at you for sending a scam artist like him the loco?? Or am I misinterpreting your post here?
Fergmiester wrote: Cederstrand wrote: Quick break to read some posts. ***Matt, would you like some backup on that visit with the Zeke entity? Speaking of telemarketers, I usually ask them strait away for their home phone number. When they say thay can't give that out, I tell them if they are not willing to take calls at their home, then don't bother calling mine. Most of the time I let the answering machine weed them out. Rob Ooooh I'll have to remember that one... Thanks!
Cederstrand wrote: Quick break to read some posts. ***Matt, would you like some backup on that visit with the Zeke entity? Speaking of telemarketers, I usually ask them strait away for their home phone number. When they say thay can't give that out, I tell them if they are not willing to take calls at their home, then don't bother calling mine. Most of the time I let the answering machine weed them out. Rob
That is a classic Seinfeld joke that I too have used a lot of times. I have one other thing I tell them too but it's a bit to rude to write on a forum like this.
Magnus
My personal favorite thing to do to a telemarketer is to start off like this:
Telemarketer: "Hello, is Dave Loman there?"
Me: "May I ask who's calling?"
Telemarketer: "Yes, this is Mr Smith from UmptySquat Company, is this Mr Loman?"
Me: "Um, hold on." Pretend to cover phone and talk to people in the background: "Okay guys, i need you to put the tape up over by the front door and start documenting the condition of the body."
Me, back on phone: "Actually Mr Smith, this is Sgt O'mally, Baltimore Homicide. You have actually called a crime scene. Mr Loman is no longer with us and I am gonna need you to stay on the line for a while to answer a few questions. First off, how did you know Mr Loman and how did you get this number? ...."
..have done that twice now and never really got much past the 4 minute point before I cant keep a straight face anymore and start laughing uncontrollably :)
Dave Loman
My site: The Rusty Spike
"It's a penny for your thoughts, but you have to put your 2 cents in.... hey, someone's making a penny!"
claymore1977 wrote: My personal favorite thing to do to a telemarketer is to start off like this:Telemarketer: "Hello, is Dave Loman there?"Me: "May I ask who's calling?"Telemarketer: "Yes, this is Mr Smith from UmptySquat Company, is this Mr Loman?"Me: "Um, hold on." Pretend to cover phone and talk to people in the background: "Okay guys, i need you to put the tape up over by the front door and start documenting the condition of the body."Me, back on phone: "Actually Mr Smith, this is Sgt O'mally, Baltimore Homicide. You have actually called a crime scene. Mr Loman is no longer with us and I am gonna need you to stay on the line for a while to answer a few questions. First off, how did you know Mr Loman and how did you get this number? ...." ..have done that twice now and never really got much past the 4 minute point before I cant keep a straight face anymore and start laughing uncontrollably :)
Hear the whole thing:
http://joshualowry.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c225203796f21900c2252ab8c18e1d.html
As posted above, I have heard this bit on Bob and Tom. Pretty funny bit, although it is nothing new.
Hi Again Loathar,
That was a cut and paste of the actual PM Zeke sent.
Dave, that is HILARIOUS. Our neighbors accross the road could pull that one off, he really is a Detective. And his dad who lives behind him is our towns retired sherriff who now runs the feed & tack store in town. Our valley is actually spotted with law enforcement. Oh, across the creek is a sudo-gun club which some weekends sounds like a Civil War battle field.LOL Anyway, I'm rambling again...thanks for the chuckles!
Never claimed to have thought it up by myself. Thanks for the link to the whole thing though! And I agree, there is no such thing as a new joke and there will always be someone who feels the need to try to deflate others fun :P
On the note of deflating fun, this whole zeke thing makes me ill.
CPRail modeler wrote:Y'know what? I just thought of something. Zeke could be this guy that I heard about from a friend. Does anyone know Al Mayo? I'm not trying to reignite a flame war but this may be right. This guy could also be a UPChuck impersonater/reincarnation. Think about it...
I don't think that Zeke and Union Pacific Chuck are the same people, the writing style is too much different, and I don't know if UP Chuck's home location was ever figured out, but I do know that Zeke's address is in Redding, CA.
challenger3980 wrote: CPRail modeler wrote:Y'know what? I just thought of something. Zeke could be this guy that I heard about from a friend. Does anyone know Al Mayo? I'm not trying to reignite a flame war but this may be right. This guy could also be a UPChuck impersonater/reincarnation. Think about it...I don't think that Zeke and Union Pacific Chuck are the same people, the writing style is too much different, and I don't know if UP Chuck's home location was ever figured out, but I do know that Zeke's address is in Redding, CA. Doug
Oh...well there is still the possibility of Zeke=Al Mayo, right?
CPRail modeler wrote: challenger3980 wrote: CPRail modeler wrote:Y'know what? I just thought of something. Zeke could be this guy that I heard about from a friend. Does anyone know Al Mayo? I'm not trying to reignite a flame war but this may be right. This guy could also be a UPChuck impersonater/reincarnation. Think about it...I don't think that Zeke and Union Pacific Chuck are the same people, the writing style is too much different, and I don't know if UP Chuck's home location was ever figured out, but I do know that Zeke's address is in Redding, CA. DougOh...well there is still the possibility of Zeke=Al Mayo, right?
Well CP, I wont say that it's not possible, because I am not familiar with the Forum ID Al Mayo, anything is possible, and often Truth is stranger than Fiction
challenger3980 wrote: CPRail modeler wrote: challenger3980 wrote: CPRail modeler wrote:Y'know what? I just thought of something. Zeke could be this guy that I heard about from a friend. Does anyone know Al Mayo? I'm not trying to reignite a flame war but this may be right. This guy could also be a UPChuck impersonater/reincarnation. Think about it...I don't think that Zeke and Union Pacific Chuck are the same people, the writing style is too much different, and I don't know if UP Chuck's home location was ever figured out, but I do know that Zeke's address is in Redding, CA. DougOh...well there is still the possibility of Zeke=Al Mayo, right? Well CP, I wont say that it's not possible, because I am not familiar with the Forum ID Al Mayo, anything is possible, and often Truth is stranger than Fiction Doug
Okay...how about the SN Shuttheh**lup? Monster railroad? These were some of his former SN's. He also did an A-Z insult list. Ring any bells?
actually I think zeke's new username is: newusername
He just posted a topic about HO scale figures.
Smoke wrote: CPRail modeler wrote: challenger3980 wrote: CPRail modeler wrote:Y'know what? I just thought of something. Zeke could be this guy that I heard about from a friend. Does anyone know Al Mayo? I'm not trying to reignite a flame war but this may be right. This guy could also be a UPChuck impersonater/reincarnation. Think about it...I don't think that Zeke and Union Pacific Chuck are the same people, the writing style is too much different, and I don't know if UP Chuck's home location was ever figured out, but I do know that Zeke's address is in Redding, CA. DougOh...well there is still the possibility of Zeke=Al Mayo, right?actually I think zeke's new username is: newusernameHe just posted a topic about HO scale figures.
I checked that SN and it has been around for the last YEAR. The thread was about finding HO scale figurines that were "mooning". Can someone say INAPPROPRIATE?
CPRail modeler wrote:Oh...well there is still the possibility of Zeke=Al Mayo, right?
I think we're at a point where we're willing to associate all known ills in the world to Zeke, often based on nothing but gut assumptions about other posters, based on behaviors that we do not approve of. Let's take a step back and deal with facts.
If you remember what happened last time somebody brought him up, then don't bring him up!
Can we finally move on?...Please?
After reading a lot of the comments in this thread, I've come to the conclusion that a LOT of people were suspicious of this now-revealed scam, right from the get-go, but were just too polite to question it while it was unfolding. As a Canadian, I have to say that our American friends are known worldwide for their collective generosity, but unfortunately, there are some of their own brethren who are more than willing to take advantage of that reputation, as there are here in Canada and probably most places in the world. OF COURSE we feel sorry for those who have had incredible hardships, but I'm wondering if this forum is the place for anybody even personally reporting such tragedy or hardship such as has happened a couple of times in the past. If they do choose to do so, maybe just a simple "our deepest sympathy, or our thoughts are with you" would suffice, instead of sending gifts to or sharing personal information with people we don't even really know. I know I'll get slammed for appearing to be heartless or uncaring, but that isn't so. Maybe it's my Canadian upbringing, (we are supposed to be notorious for being conservative). I just think that careful consideration should be given to any of these so-called "tragic" stories to make sure that they are factual. I hope that I haven't offended anyone with this input, it's the way I see the situation.
Speaking of writing style, regaurdless of the outlandish death bed/recovery/death bed/recovery story didnt anyone notice the writing/grammar/capitalization/puncunation was identical for both the zeke character/girlfriend? I just skimmed the orginal thread, but it was apparent to me. I was unaware of this 'person' asking for money or 'gifts', but I avoid all the 'click/club' threads like the plague so I knew nothing of this 'zeke' or asking for gifts.
Not to say everyone should be a cynic, but the internet provides many bored/bi-polar/cronic liars/attention deprived individuals a platform.
PFS wrote:Speaking of writing style, regaurdless of the outlandish death bed/recovery/death bed/recovery story didnt anyone notice the writing/grammar/capitalization/puncunation was identical for both the zeke character/girlfriend? I just skimmed the orginal thread, but it was apparent to me.
Speaking of writing style, regaurdless of the outlandish death bed/recovery/death bed/recovery story didnt anyone notice the writing/grammar/capitalization/puncunation was identical for both the zeke character/girlfriend? I just skimmed the orginal thread, but it was apparent to me.
I noticed that too, but I figured that Zeke had lost so many vital body parts that they were probably taking spare components out of Jenny, thus accounting for the similarities.
SteamFreak wrote: PFS wrote: Speaking of writing style, regaurdless of the outlandish death bed/recovery/death bed/recovery story didnt anyone notice the writing/grammar/capitalization/puncunation was identical for both the zeke character/girlfriend? I just skimmed the orginal thread, but it was apparent to me. I noticed that too, but I figured that Zeke had lost so many vital body parts that they were probably taking spare components out of Jenny, thus accounting for the similarities.
PFS wrote: Speaking of writing style, regaurdless of the outlandish death bed/recovery/death bed/recovery story didnt anyone notice the writing/grammar/capitalization/puncunation was identical for both the zeke character/girlfriend? I just skimmed the orginal thread, but it was apparent to me.
hahaha ....and they became one....oh wait, they were all along.
So he was selling his HO stuff too? He told us O scalers he was getting out of O and staying in HO.
A bunch of the stuff we O scalers sent him ended up on eBay. But most of the listings are gone now, including the ZW. I think he said the ZW was given to him, but not by a forum member. A Lionel ZW, if you're not familiar with it, is a high-end 275 watt transformer. They sell for anywhere from $150 to $300 today, depending on physical condition and how well they operate.
Search Craigslist in Redding (http://redding.craigslist.org) for "Lionel" and you'll see postings where he's trying to sell the stuff too. There are also some postings on Craigslist written in the same writing style we saw here, claiming to be a veteran and such, looking for odd jobs mostly involving manual labor. It's consistent with what we saw here, except he told us he was disabled.
I did punch the address into Google Maps, flipped to hybrid view, and zoomed in. It's a residential area, with lots of pools and what appear to be pretty nice-sized houses. Interesting.
I have actually corresponded with him recently. I asked why the locomotive I sent him was on eBay. He said he offered to give back anything people wanted, but I was the only one who asked. I'll let everyone know if my locomotive shows back up.
I gave him a locomotive and some track because he appeared to be a disabled vet looking for a hobby and having a hard time getting his used trains running. What I sent him was bottom of the line stuff, hoping it would give him something to do until he could get one or more of his engines running. I guess other people were sending him much more extravagent stuff.
I'm not overly attached to the locomotive I sent him (I had another one just like it). But I used to be a journalist, so I really want to know the rest of the story.
Susan K. Anderson (reallywickedsue) lives on E. Bonnyville Rd., Redding, CA 96001. Her husband, Logan S. Anderson, died in 2002. His last residence was in Fremont, CA. According to her Myspace page, she has a 33-year-old daughter, Jenn (Jenny?). Susan's English is far better than Zeke's. Jenn lives with "My Family" and has a 30-year-old boyfriend, Brian (another familiar name). Jenn's writing resembles Zeke's; but neither of the words "through" nor "threw" appears. Both Susan and Jenn claim to have a 15-year-old son, Joshua, who recently had brain surgery for Cushing's disease.
Bob Nelson
initagain wrote: As a Canadian, I have to say that our American friends are known worldwide for their collective generosity,
As a Canadian, I have to say that our American friends are known worldwide for their collective generosity,
Thank You initagain!! It's nice to hear a kind word directed at us instead of the usual bashing we get from the rest of the world. We are definatly not all but it's seems our bad apples get most of the press!
challenger3980 wrote: Hi Tom, You are right I missed a digit, it should be item # 270144876788, I missed the 7 third digit from the end. but you will also find it by checking sellers other items list. Another forum member posted maybe he is selling it to pay other expenses ( such as medical) and it was a gift, so even if not accepted in the spirit given, he is free to do as he pleases with them, but admittedly it was sent to cheer him up, and did feel like a slap in the face, like the scam warnings( which I read after having sent it) maybe had some validity. Doug
Dong- He probably did enjoy the gifts you sent him, but need the money to help pay the medical expenses, and besides none of us know wether he even sold some or almost all of his own rolling stock, locos, even maybe his entire layout, but hey we don't know that.
ModelTrainLover wrote: challenger3980 wrote: Hi Tom, You are right I missed a digit, it should be item # 270144876788, I missed the 7 third digit from the end. but you will also find it by checking sellers other items list. Another forum member posted maybe he is selling it to pay other expenses ( such as medical) and it was a gift, so even if not accepted in the spirit given, he is free to do as he pleases with them, but admittedly it was sent to cheer him up, and did feel like a slap in the face, like the scam warnings( which I read after having sent it) maybe had some validity. DougDong- He probably did enjoy the gifts you sent him, but need the money to help pay the medical expenses, and besides none of us know wether he even sold some or almost all of his own rolling stock, locos, even maybe his entire layout, but hey we don't know that.
Model Train Lover,
This idea is easy to debunk, if you look at the ebay sellers feedback there have been purchases for model railroad equipment since. That makes it rather doubtful, in my opinion, that it was to pay medical bills, Bottom line, I was STUPID and got suckered as did at least one other forum member. The purpose of this thread was to help other forum members avoid making the same mistake that I did.
Well, if any of you are interested, in the Toy trains section, the "Zeke" thread, A guy posted a response from Zeke from another forum stating he was planning on returning the items sent to him. Of course this is after he/she/whoever got busted trying to selling them on EBay. Zeke claims he never wanted or asked for the stuff, so instead of sending it back first with a big 'thank you, though", he/she/ they(?) sells them on EBay? That to me justifies it was a scam. That's what thye do when they get caught, put the guilt back on those kind soles that tried to do something special to help them or cheer them up with the whole "I never asked you to this" bit, knowing all the while they were pulling at your strings hoping you will.
Anyway, I'm of my box. thought that anyone here who sent him something who hasn't seen it might want to know.
Good day, ya'll, and good luck on getting your stuff back.
As a regular from the Classic Toy Trains forum, I think that the reason so many of us were duped by Zeke, myself included (although I didn't send him anything), was that long before the tale of woe delivered by "Jenny", he was a frequent and very enthusiastic contributer to the forum. He first came on asking for advice about a Lionel engine he purchased at a garage sale that needed repair work done to it. This was perfectly acceptable and everyone was happy to help out this person on their start in the O gauge three-rail hobby. As time went on, he was asking questions about how to properly go about building the O gauge layout he was starting. In no time at all, he was basically "one of the guys" at the CTT forum. He even started a topic encouraging everyone to post pictures of themselves, in which he included his own pictures (although who they were actually of is anyone's guess). All of this combined made most of us believe that this guy was legit. My first impression of him was that he certainly wasn't very smart, but there are no I.Q. tests that need to be passed to qualify as a member of the model train hobby and he seemed to make up for his intelligence with enthusiasm.
He was actively posting for a couple months and well-established in the forum community before "Jenny" ever came onto the scene. I'm sure that if he had joined the forum and only a couple of weeks later posted Jenny's saga, none of us would have believed him.
One post of his that is interesting to look back on now is one in which he told the story of meeting an elderly gentleman who had a large train collection and out of kindness gave him a Lionel ZW transformer, a Lionel Lackawanna 4-8-4 and some track (all of which ended up on ebay). In this story, he mentioned his politeness with the man and his wife (calling them "sir" and "ma'am") and of the bond that formed between the two because of them both being veterans. Certainly if a simmilar experience happened to me, I wouldn't tell it with such self-effacing frankness. Unfortunately, I assumed that he was simply naiive and didn't have the tact or brains for modesty. Not long after, Zeke posted that the elderly gentleman died without mentioning anything about a funeral or the fate of his trains. I thought this rather odd at the time, but really didn't give it any more thought.
My theory is that he probably just wanted attention. This certainly explains his extreme keenness before all of this. Simply posting on the forum got him some attention, telling his heartwarming story about the old man giving him trains got him more attention and having a heart attack and brain tumor got him a lot of attention. It also got him some trains, which he may or may not have planned on, but certainlly didn't mind I'm sure. Actually, if he really is a fifteen-year-old who needs to pull a stunt like this in order to get attention, I can't help but feel sorrry for him.
It will be interesting to see if he actually ends up sending back the trains he got...
Here's the post from Modeltrainjournal by Zeke referencing sending the trains back. It has since been pulled. This was where he said people would be getting their trains back.
well im not 15 And thats not my mom. But anyways. I would like to tell all of you that i am returning each and every train i recieved. not because i didnt deserve it, cuz i did. I am returning them because i have no interest left in the hobby and so why not return them. These were gifts i never asked for anything. I cant post this on ctt but i know it will make its way there. I was gonna ebay them but thought it threw and it just wasnt the right thing to do. Im not trying to save myself, not tryin to get in anyones good graces cuz were past that, Im returning them soley because i dont want them. I hear constantly how i lied but yet have not seen one relevant thing about what the lie was over. Doesnt matter. I fear nobody and have not broke any laws. they were all gifts , and will be returned. Dont know who is feeding you all info but its wrong but whatever. You wont hear from me again as i am taking leave for a bit. Tired of the phone calls threatining my life. That isnt even gonna happen just tired of hearing it. And well i wish you all the best of luck. I never meant for any of this to happen
He was referring to the theory that Zeke is actually reallywickedsue's 15-year-old son. I've heard three theories as to Zeke's true identity: 1. He is a 30-something with a girlfriend named Jenny whose mother is named Susan, like he says. 2. He is reallywickedsue's 15-year-old son. 3. He's reallywickedsue.
Having read Zeke's posts in various places, his postings on Craigslist, and reallywickedsue's eBay and Myspace pages, I don't believe Zeke and reallywickedsue are the same person. Their writing styles are too different. I've been told reallywickedsue's Myspace page mentions a 33-year-old daughter Jenny with a boyfriend named Brian Watkins. That supports the theory that Brian "Zeke" Watkins is a 30-something male.
I can't speak for anyone else who gave to him. I can say that I gave him a Marx locomotive back in May because he was having trouble getting his Lionels working. I had an extra locomotive in the basement that I wasn't using, so I spent a couple of hours one night fixing it up and checking it out and I sent it to him, along with a loop of track, so he'd have something to do, because he said he was a bored veteran looking for a hobby.
Zeke never came out and asked for anything to my knowledge, but soon after I sent him that Marx locomotive, he changed his signature line to read something like, "Do something nice for someone you normally wouldn't. You'll like it!" That's not directly asking someone for trains, but it sure sounds like an indirect request to me. A few weeks later, after he posted a story about an experienced train collector inviting him into his basement and showering him with gifts, he changed his signature line again, in reference to that story. Again, not a direct request for gifts. But some would interpret that as an indirect request.
Now one thing that bothers me about this post is that he says he's been getting phone calls and death threats. That's crossing a line. That's not cool. I know on another forum he said something to DennisB (a user on MTJ and CTT's forum) that Dennis interpreted as a death threat. Something like, "I've killed people for less." I saw the message and I can see how Dennis interpreted it as a death threat. But I can also see how that could have been unintentional. Zeke was mad when he wrote it and sometimes the things he wrote weren't very clear even when he wasn't mad.
There's no need for anyone else to give Zeke death threats. Dennis says he reported that to the FBI, so let them handle it. And there's no point in giving a death threat over a $300 (or $25) train. There is a procedure for handling that. Ask for the train back, and if you don't get it back, visit http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm and fill out a complaint.
I haven't addressed the lies. I don't know that anyone has ever publicly caught him in a lie. But there were inconsistencies in his stories. He went from near death to being home again in three days. Questionable. People who have had heart surgery said his stories about heart surgery weren't consistent. (I wouldn't know.) When Jenny was posting about Zeke using his account, she had the same writing style as Zeke. I'm a professional writer (in the sense that I've been paid to publish articles and a book), and it's my opinion that the postings by Zeke and Jenny were written by the same person, because they both made the same spelling, punctuation, grammatical, and capitalization errors.
None of these is a huge deal. But the combination of these, and other things other people have observed, call the whole story into question. The result is that some people call the whole story into question, up to and including the true identity of Brian "Zeke" Watkins himself, and question whether he might actually be 15. It's ridiculous, but no more ridiculous than the other elements of the story.
It really bothers me that the stuff turned up on eBay while all of this was still going down. He told me he offered to give the trains back before he put them up. That may be true. I didn't see it. But he didn't wait very long before the time he made his offer, and the time they got posted for sale. The trains were on eBay and Craigslist on Wednesday, and while the implosion was going on then, it didn't reach its peak until Thursday.
If Zeke makes good on things, returning the trains, and the guy in Canada gets his package, then that's one thing. That proves he has some character.
I guess the lesson in all this is to make sure you have a really good idea who you're giving gifts to online, and if you give something away, ask yourself first if it would bother you if it showed up on eBay soon after its arrival.
Dave Farquhar wrote:Here's the post from Modeltrainjournal by Zeke referencing sending the trains back. It has since been pulled. This was where he said people would be getting their trains back. (snip)But anyways. I would like to tell all of you that i am returning each and every train i recieved. not because i didnt deserve it, cuz i did.(snip)
(snip)But anyways. I would like to tell all of you that i am returning each and every train i recieved. not because i didnt deserve it, cuz i did.(snip)
(snip)
But anyways. I would like to tell all of you that i am returning each and every train i recieved. not because i didnt deserve it, cuz i did.
Ooookey, I'd like to hear the logic for that convoluted piece of reasoning.
I've been looking at Susan Anderson's Myspace page and related pages and this is what I've ascertained:
Susan is raising her 33 year old daughter's son Josh. The reason I came to that conclusion is that her daughter, Jenny, states that she has a 16 year old son, Josh, with Cushing's disease. That would make Jenny 17 when Josh was born. Ergo, Susan raised Josh. Jenny has a boyfriend named Brian. Brian uses a dog for is avitar and I believe the dog's name is Zeke.
Despite all of this, and what to make sense of it all, I am very pleased with the generosity and support that so many members of this forum offered Zeke...or whomever. Getting suckered is something that only pertains to those who are good-natured, trusting, and generous. It suggests that those taking the advantage are much closer to the other end of the spectrum, and must live lives that Hobbes described as, "...solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." I'll take being a sucker over the other.
To all of you who went in with your heads up, please don't let this be a stimulus to changing the way you think of people.
I don't think we will ever know the "REAL" truth about this zeke mess.
Stan.
THE SOUTHERN SERVES THE SOUTH.
Zeke told me that reallywickedsue is his girlfriend's mom's ebay account, and that he stands strong about that he is 30.
Grayson
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
magicman710 wrote: Zeke told me that reallywickedsue is his girlfriend's mom's ebay account, and that he stands strong about that he is 30. Grayson
Hyun wrote: Dave Farquhar wrote: Here's the post from Modeltrainjournal by Zeke referencing sending the trains back. It has since been pulled. This was where he said people would be getting their trains back. (snip)But anyways. I would like to tell all of you that i am returning each and every train i recieved. not because i didnt deserve it, cuz i did.(snip) Ooookey, I'd like to hear the logic for that convoluted piece of reasoning.
Dave Farquhar wrote: Here's the post from Modeltrainjournal by Zeke referencing sending the trains back. It has since been pulled. This was where he said people would be getting their trains back. (snip)But anyways. I would like to tell all of you that i am returning each and every train i recieved. not because i didnt deserve it, cuz i did.(snip)
I think I deserve a million dollars. I'm not going to make up lies to get people to pity me and send me $$$.
P.S.- It wasn't a heart attack....It was just a stroke....(probably the 24 hour kind)
Well, that jives with what I posted above. Susan Anderson's ebay account is reallywickedsue. Susan is Jenn's mother. Jenn's boyfriend is Brian Watkins.
....and for some reason I don't buy into the deal, that zeke (he or she) is just 15 years old. I think it was a well planned scam.
DennisB-1 wrote: magicman710 wrote: Zeke told me that reallywickedsue is his girlfriend's mom's ebay account, and that he stands strong about that he is 30.GraysonWell, that jives with what I posted above. Susan Anderson's ebay account is reallywickedsue. Susan is Jenn's mother. Jenn's boyfriend is Brian Watkins.
magicman710 wrote: Zeke told me that reallywickedsue is his girlfriend's mom's ebay account, and that he stands strong about that he is 30.Grayson
This is whole thread is sounding more like an episode of "The Guiding Headlight". Can we finally change channels and watch "Gilligan's Island" instead?...
BMRR wrote:....and for some reason I don't buy into the deal, that zeke (he or she) is just 15 years old. I think it was a well planned scam.Stan.
I agree. I recently won a locomotive from a woman on eBay and everything looked kosher up front -- a 100% (at that point) feedback rating, and a number of happy customers -- but she apparently mixed up two auctions and sent me an inferior, damaged example of the same engine she had listed at the same time. It took opening a PayPal dispute to get any response from her, at which point she moaned about caring for her ill husband, and how she was sorry but would send the correct loco once he was able to help her determine the difference between the two. Then she vanished. I let the case linger in case she was telling the truth, but escalated it before the deadline.
She let the escalated case lapse without a response and I thought I was going to recover all of my money, but at the last minute she notified them she'd give a "full" refund if I shipped it back. Now, did "full" indicate the entire amount, or just the winning bid? Would PayPal have any teeth if she reneged? I decided to keep the engine for parts since this was not a huge dollar amount, and I could certainly repair it and make it worth more than what I paid. I then left her scathing feedback, and didn't have to worry about retaliation since at some point during the 5 weeks it took to resolve the whole mess, she left me positive feedback first.
So how does this relate to REALLYWICKEDSUE? The first part of this woman's email address turned out to be Venomrose, which I, of course, was not privy to before the close of auction. I would never trust anyone who chooses such a sinister identity, because they are telegraphing loud and clear something very important about their personality. After this Zeke debacle, I'm sure the woman I dealt with was just giving me a sob story as well. She has since racked up 2 other very angry chinks in her feedback rating, so I'm not the only one.
You take your chances if you trust anything coming out of the mouth (or keyboard) of a proven sociopathological liar. Surfer beware!
tstage wrote: DennisB-1 wrote: magicman710 wrote: Zeke told me that reallywickedsue is his girlfriend's mom's ebay account, and that he stands strong about that he is 30.GraysonWell, that jives with what I posted above. Susan Anderson's ebay account is reallywickedsue. Susan is Jenn's mother. Jenn's boyfriend is Brian Watkins.This is whole thread is sounding more like an episode of "The Guiding Headlight". Can we finally change channels and watch "Gilligan's Island" instead?...Tom
Actually I'm thinking...
"Next on Oprah" or "Dr. Phil explores the Seedy Side of Model Railroading" or better yet... "The Other side of the Tracks"