I have two quick examples of how asking for something special can get you something special. First, I paid for a hotel room on New Year’s Eve. It was a no frills room at a decent Red Roof Inn. When I checked in I was sure to be extra friendly to the desk attendant. I asked if there were any free upgrades available for the night and lucky for me she looked through her system and found a better room for me.
Second, I bought the new G1 (Google’s delicious piece of cellular technology) two days ago. I scoped out buying it online before I went in the store and noticed that they were currently waiving the $35 activation fee for “web orders only.” I definitely didn’t want to wait a week for the phone to arrive and I didn’t really want to pay for shipping, so buying online wasn’t an option. So, I called the store I was going to visit before I went in so that I could ask if they had the phone in stock. Being that the person I was talking to was friendly and helpful already, I asked her if she could honor the activation fee waiver. She double checked with her manager and sure enough I saved $35 when I bought my G1.
These aren’t new tricks by any means, but a reminder that it never hurts to ask.
Preparing for a job interview requires time, energy, and money. Put all of those together and you’ll have the best interview your resume will allow.
I’ve used numerous job interviewing techniques to outsmart in my professional career. The first one that I’ll talk about will require a bit of a cash investment, but a wise investment nonetheless. Go out a get yourself a really nice pen and a decent looking notebook. You can get nice pens that cost up to $1,000 dollars, but you need not spend that much. You can find a decent looking pen for around $40 dollars like this one at Levenger; and a notebook shouldn’t cost any more that $10 dollars.
Bring a stylish pen like this to an interview.
Here’s what you do with your pen and notebook. Don’t pull the pen out as soon as the job interview begins and start waving it around and taking notes. You’ll seem like you’re too eager to show be showing off your pen. The interviewer will sniff out your scheme immediately and assume you’re a bullshitter. At least I would. Also it’s better to just have a conversation with the interviewer, as it will create more comfort and confidence for you. Save the notes for the time when you really have to remember what’s being said.
When the time comes, pull that bad boy out with confidence and start writing in your notebook. This simple action makes a statement in itself. It tells the interviewer that you pay attention to detail, as you care enough to write them down. If you do it with confidence you’re sure to impress. You’ll be a confident, organized, and detail-oriented job prospect that’s even stylish in your note-taking.
Here’s an article by someone else who agrees with me on this subject. Check back for more interviewing tips.
This is the perfect bag type to fully execute this loophole
Movie theater popcorn tastes even better when you’re eating the free refill!
If you’re too much of a proud person or an infrequent movie goer, this might not be for you. To get the most out of this loophole, simply go to a movie as you normally would - but buy the largest, most delicious, most ridiculously priced bag of popcorn they have. But only if the theater offers FREE REFILLS and uses PAPER BAGS like the one shown here. After indulging in your delightful bag of fatty salty goodness, neatly fold the paper bag and place in your purse or pocket. Next, take that sucker home and gently wipe it out with a paper napkin. Store it in a place you’ll remember when it’s time to go to another movie. When we go to another show you can bring your used bag, buy your ticket, sit in the theater (at least through the previews and first few minutes of the movie) and then make a quick run to the snack bar. Get your refill as if you had bought that bag today. Remember, confidence is key here. That 15 year old pimply faced kid doesn’t really remember or care if you bought that bag that same day.
Police are very knowledgeable about the Fourth Amendment, and are always looking for ways to use it to their advantage. You should know it too, especially if you’re someone with something to hide.
If you typically drive with illegal contraband then you should know about the Fourth Amendment and probable cause. The first thing you should know is that in America you are protected from unreasonable search and seizure by the Fourth Amendment; which protects you from police being able to shake you down whenever they feel like it. The United States Constitution requires that the police obtain a “General Warrant” before attempting a search. For police, there are ways around this. Probable cause is where known facts and circumstances, of a reasonable and trustworthy nature, are sufficient to justify a man of reasonable caution in the belief that a crime has been or is being committed. Basically this means that if circumstances make a cop feel like you’re doing something wrong, he can search you without a warrant. I read a great article that describes the sources of probable cause. I’ll sum it up:
Furtive Movements: this basically means that your movements appear suspicious to a cop. It looks like your are scrambling to conceal something. Cops see you do this and they’ll search you and your vehicle for sure.
Attempting to Flea: This is simple. You run you get searched.
Observation of Evidence: If a cop sees some little weedlets on your car seat, red eyes, an open alcohol container, or smells marijuana he’s pulling you out of the car to search your stuff. You have to think about what is visible in your car, and be sure that none of it is illegal.
Admitted Ownership: If you confess to doing something illegal, you are toast.
False/Improbable Answers: Lying will get you nowhere. Police are trained to ask questions and go deep into a story. So if you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything at all.
Presence in a High Crime Area: Rolling around in an area that is rich in illegal activity is will give a cop probable cause.
Association with Known Criminals: You ever hear the expression “you’re only as good as the friends you keep”? It really is true. It doesn’t matter if you have the cleanest record in the world. If you have a friend with you that has had numerous run-in’s with the law, chances are you are going to get searched too.
Past Criminal Conduct: Suppose you have multiple possession of controlled substance charges on your record. A cop will assume that since you got busted with drugs before, there’s a good chance you’re holding now.
Ultimately, a judge has the final say on what is considered sufficient probable cause. So even if you get searched and they find something, the case can still get thrown out if the judge finds that the officer’s probable cause claim doesn’t hold water; and there was no basis for the search.
Here’s a You Tube video that I found which gives some tips on how to behave if you are pulled over. It’s kind of goofy, but I think it will do a good job of putting together all of this probable cause stuff. Good Luck!
Since there’s been no progress in the fight for legalization of marijuana in my state, I have to break the law. The effects of marijuana work well for me, but it’s too bad that I’m considered a criminal for smoking it in my car.
Sometimes the day just calls for you to smoke weed in your car. For me, it’s those long drives that really gives me the craving. I guess I’m just bored. I understand that this activity is extremely illegal, however I never was good at letting the little things keep me from doing what I want to do.
I use a technique that makes me feel safe and allows me to enjoy my smoke in peace. It’s super simple. ONLY smoke joints in the car. Never use a bowl, bong, or one-hitter. The reason for this is in the event that you get stopped by the cops, you can discretely dispose of the joint. Disposing of a bowl can be a dangerous and difficult thing to do. And even if you smoked all of the weed in the bowl a cop can still charge you with possession of narcotics paraphernalia, or even possession of a controlled substance. Nobody but the state wins in that situation.
Picture this: you are driving down the highway and smoking the one and only joint you decided to bring on your trip. All of a sudden you see a cop parked in the median clocking speeders. He got you. As you pass, you see that he has pulled out and it appears that he will soon be hot on your tail. Get rid of the joint now! You could dispose of it in two ways: 1.) toss it out the window. If you choose to do this, you better be sure that the cop is far enough behind you that he can’t see it fly out the window. The evening is the best time to toss out the window, but make sure to put the joint out first as you don’t want the cop to see the red-hot amber flying through the air. 2.) You can simply eat the joint. Be sure to have a can of coke, or something else to wash it down. This is the easiest way, but you have to make sure that the cop is far enough back to not see you do it. If he does see you, he will consider your actions to be furtive movements which gives him probably cause to search you and the vehicle. If you have a bowl in this situation, then you’re screwed. Ticket City.
Tips to smoking weed in your car:
Only carry ONE joint in the car
NEVER smoke from a bowl, or any other marijuana pipes
Getting stopped by police: toss EXTINGUISHED joint out the window if cop is FAR enough BEHIND
Here’s a way to get lost in the bureaucracy of your job. Walk around with a clipboard all day. It’s so simple, and I’ve found that people don’t ask you any questions if you’re carrying one. Think about how many people you see in a day walking with clipboards. You always assume they’re working. Just walk around with one for a day and see what happens. Every couple of hours remember to ask your boss a specific question about your job, while holding the clipboard. What’s funny is that your boss will see the clipboard and think you’re organized. You’ll be surprised about how much recognition you’ll get for getting so little work done.
I used this technique on a daily basis when I used to work at a prestigious health club. I walked around all day and talked to anyone who would talk to me; just to maximize the amount of people who saw my clipboard. The technique even got me employee of the month one time. I thought it was funny.
Whether for a party, an after-hour soiree, or some crazy shit I can’t even mention here…a free hotel room is an absolute must.
Do you ever find yourself in the precarious situation of needing a hotel room ASAP but not wanting to drop the necessary funds? Happens to me all the time. Sometimes a girl has got to play, after all. That is why this info on how to score a free hotel night just about changed my life.
Wyndham family hotels have a promotion (aka- LOOPHOLE) called the Best Rate Gaurantee. This gaurantee says that if you can find a cheaper rate at a competing site for the same hotel (meaning – exact same hotel, same night, same room type, and same number of guests) then they will give you your first night free. So, what do you do? Here goes:
Go to the Wyndham site and pull up listings for all of their hotels for the night you want to party (it must be 48 hours from the time of booking to comply with the rules of the promotion – try for a week in advance just in case)
Go to competitors websites and do a search for the same night*
Search and search until you find a cheaper rate (again, it must be for the same hotel, same night, same room type, and same number of guests)
Once you have it, go ahead and make a booking with Wyndham family hotel.
Fill out the claim form on the Wyndhamn site, making sure you put in your correct email address (this is how they’ll inform you if you were approved)
Wait for your email response from a claim agent – this usually doesn’t take more than 24 hours
If you get it, sweet! If not, you can cancel your Wyndham family reservation up until the day of your booking (with no charge!)
You really can’t lose with this one. You should also know that you can only submit one claim per person, per email address per month. So, if you find yourself doing crazy things with the same friend, you can each make a claim once per month. That’s 24 potential free rooms in a year. At $60 a pop (or more) that’s a saving worth telling mom about. She’d be really proud.
Happy hoteling! And please, Let us know if it works for you.
(*You could go to them separately – like www.expedia.com, www.orbitz.com, www.priceline.com, and so on and so forth… OR you could go to www.kayak.com which lists multiple booking sites in one place. You can even pull up only Wyndham family hotels, and it shows their competitors prices. This makes it really easy to spot a cheaper rate.)
As a kid I had to use some innovation with the presence of strict under age drinking laws.
The summertime calls for days being spent outdoors among friends, while knocking back a few cold brews. The problem is that if a cop sees you drinking a beer in a “no-drinking” zone, he’s going to come hassle and ticket you. So you can do one of two things: 1.) comply with the law, or 2.) outsmart the police. If you choose to comply then more power to you. Personally, I always choose the latter.
Here’s how I outsmart in this situation: pocket concealment. First of all, you have to have a beer bottle that is small enough to fit in your pocket. Never attempt to conceal a beer bottle that is any bigger than 16 ounces, and certainly NO 40 ouncers. I recommend a 12 ounce bottle. Place the bottle in your front pocket and conceal the protruding neck with your hand and wrist like the picture shown above. The important thing to remember when performing this technique is to always project confidence. If you look like you have something to hide, then you will be easy to spot. However if you keep your head up, shoulders straight, and make confident eye-contact the technique should be easy to pull off.
This is how I outsmarted the cops when it came to under age drinking. It’s funny, now that I’ve been of age for seven years now I still find myself using it from time to time.
I beat traffic tickets using simple driving techniques at traffic lights. You can too.
We’ll ease into this soon to be controversial blog with something simple. Lets say that you’re driving down a moderately busy street in your city or town. As you approach the intersection you notice that the green light has suddenly changed to amber. You know you could stop in time before the light turns red; however you are in a hurry to pick up your friends for a night that will be filled with sex and alcohol. So you watch the light turn red as you blow through the intersection. You might get spotted by a cop and you might not, but it’s a risk that you’re willing to take.
Here’s how you can reduce the risk of getting stopped by the cops. It’s very simple. As you see the green light turns amber simply pump your brakes. Any cop that is watching you from behind will see your tail lights illuminate. A cop that’s watching from the front will see the front end of your car quickly dropped lower to the the ground, which will easily let him know that you have firmly pumped the brakes. Either way it will be easy for a cop to see that you did not blatantly blow through the light, and that you tried to safely stop your vehicle. Even though you intended to blow through it all along.
I’ve used this technique throughout my 11 year driving career, and have never gotten a ticket using it. I have even used it successfully in front of cops. I think it’s safe to say that it works. Anyone esle ever do this?
