self-promoting street psychics

january

I wasn't sure if this belonged on this thread or "Spirituality", but here goes...

One evening this past summer I was walking down 7th Ave. to the subway. Right at the stairwell entrance was this young woman who stopped me by saying "You have such a bright aura!" I see good things - money, etc. in your future." I half-smiled to be polite and tried to escape but she was very pushy. She said for $20 she's give me a reading. I told her I didn't have any money on me and she told me that there's an ATM across the street. I said, I'm sorry but I'm not interested. She insisted that I had to hear what she so needed to tell me.

Well, its only $20 and I was curious to hear her. So she followed me to the bank machine (this should have been another sign!), I withdrew my money and accompanied her to her apartment. She told me pretty general stuff, that my heart has been broken (like, whose hasn't?) and that I have a negative energy field around me and nothing will ever go right for me. I will never find someone to love me, I'll always struggle financially and that my friends talk about me behind my back. But, she could fix all this with crystal healing for $400. I declined, of course, saying I couldn't afford it, etc. But then she became rude, asking me if I could borrow the money from someone, do I have credit cards, yada yada... I said I had to go and well, I left.

I walked away feeling nothing but the hole in my wallet. I felt so foolish! I guess I was vulnerable that night and her intuition picked up on it.

Since that night, I've noticed her and others in different parts of the city soliciting "readings". I'm not questioning her ability (although what she told me wasn't any help) but her business ethic.

Has anything similar happened to any of you?

~ january
 

purplelady

january, those must be the people who give legitimate tarot card readers and other psychic readers a bad name! That must be why reading tarot cards for money (if you're not a licensed minister) in Denver is illegal. I think it's awful and rude the WAY she solicited you. And it's obviously a scam. If anyone , Especially a stranger or solicitor , begins in any way to be Pushy , inquiring as to whether I have a checking accnt or credit card , that is my immediate clue to hang up phone fast or run in opposite direction!
 

Pollux

I can only agree with purplelady, although in Italy there's so many psychics, mages, readers and all that we could fill a whole country, and they don't stop at street promotion: they organise shows and stuff on the telly (I believe it's the same for you as well), on local TVs.

There's one, you might know her she's quite famous, her name is Rita Russo. She lives near my house. I always wonder whether sha had abilities and powers. What strikes me is her ability to be rude and brutal with people calling her - it's phone-call live programs mostly ;p - notwithstanding the fact that it's because of them that she makes ends meet.
And in Naples the gipsy community is very present - and sometimes stifling.
Gipsy ladies - some are gourgeous and refined, but the bunch is rude and brutal too - walk the alleys selling out "magical lotto numbers" to their victims, who are pickpocketed or stolen while taking up a coin the lady requires for the ritual, or something very similar implying that you take your wallet out of the bag, and, while staring at the awesome conjuring of the lady, get emptied...

In Naples there's a saying:
CA' NISCIUN E' FESS!
which means: there's no fool to be found here.
 

MeeWah

January: I got the creeps reading the account of your dubious experience; but I am glad you were able to get away from her further clutches! Whether she could do what she claimed is moot. Her salesmanship screams con artist (& I am being polite). She puts a whole new spin on the concept of the "hard sell"--she moreorless went after you with a sledgehammer!
As PurpleLady stated, people like this woman give us all a bad rep.
It is a good idea to publicise the existance of such charlatans & to expose them for what they are. They are not interested in the art of Tarot or cartomancy, whatever. They are only interested in the money.
I bet you could give her a run for the money in terms of giving a productive reading!
 

blue

What a scam!

The whole time I was reading your story a little voice in my head was screaming "Let the buyer beware!"

I'll bet you learned a lot for your $20 investment.
 

jade

i am so sorry that you went thru that experience....but i am glad that you lived thru it.

didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers? you could have been raped or murdered................

i send you love and hugs (((hugs)))

love
jade
 

mystic

I feel your pain and fear from here.....this women was very lucky I wasn't there to "intervene".....

please, for my soles sake, don't EVER do that again.....

I'm glad your still with us, some innocent people have not been so lucky!!

Love and Light.
 

january

Thank you all for the suuport! I still remember how she was trying to develop a rapport with me on our walk to her apartment ('nice nail polish!' she commented). It IS a shame that the reputations truly gifted Tarot readers and psychics are tarnished by those on a less than ethical mission.

Purplelady: Yes, I should have run, but I was wearing my Steve Maddens! Tarot reading was also illegal in CT until about 5years ago and I know "card playing" in general is punishable by fine in Alabama. This woman - she did have a Tarot deck - but it was only on "display" in its box, maybe to create an atmosphere. She never touched them.

Pollux: Gratzie! Funny, when I was in Italy I was approached in just that manner. But I didn't donate my Lira that day. I waited unitl I got home!

Meewah: Thanks for the compliment! However, I have far to go before my intuition with the cards develops as beautifully as many of you on these boards!

Blue: I will make wiser "investments" now, that's for sure!

Jade: Yes, my mother told me not to talk to strangers and that's why I probably never told her about this incident. WHAT was I thinking? I was in a very vulnerable and desparate mood that night and that's why I was such a target! Love and hugs back to (((you)))!!

Mystic: It would be interesting if you were there to intervene. Would she have doubted her own credibility? Yes, I promise, I will never do that again! I could very well have been a statistic.

My friend's husband jokes that the the three of us share a brain (my 2 best friends and I). Well, it obviously wasn't in my head that night!

Love,

~january
 

tarotbear

Be thankful it only cost you $20 and not $20,000 !!!

If this had happened to me (and it would not have; I never talk to people who are obviously trying to get my money) I would have found the nearest cop. Although they cannot do much, if someone makes enough nusiance of themselves and enough people complain, the cops have to tell them to pick up their stuff and 'keep moving'.
 

jade

i'm just sooooooo glad that you are okay!

love
jade