A preview of what’s to come? Safari count: 9, 4 continents

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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 12:07 pm

Padme wrote:

Hats are for safaris. The rule for safaris is minimum 200 miles traveled distant from the lad's starting point (i.e. 400 miles round trip) OR an international border crossing. Getting a lad to travel this distance is the goal. In order to legitimately claim a pith helmet the journey would also have to be IP verified, OR verified by the lad's change of country code of his mobile phone number. Other solid evidence that the lad has traveled may also suffice, such as a selfie in front of a fixed landmark, hotel receipts or calls from fixed lines, or travel documents like visas, passport stamps, bus tickets or airline boarding card stubs. Geotags in digital photographs' EXIF data are also strong evidence for a lad having moved.

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2019 3:45 pm

In about 12 hours I may receive confirmation of an Accra-Tamale safari, marked by frantic messages about a guy not being able to find "a man in a red cap" with $30000 waiting for him. Running in parallel to this, he has a friend in Kumasi who will try, unsuccessfully, to find a P-Log office. Naturally whatever goes wrong will be this "friend's" fault.

Another major take-away of this is that I now know of an Accra-based service that can take lads to Mali.

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2019 3:34 pm

And wouldn't you look at that: safari #3. Observe the same handwriting:

Our lad can't find my guy:

Quote:

[6:41 AM, 12/28/2019] +234 905 710 1759: Hello
[6:41 AM, 12/28/2019] Where are you
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Your attention needed
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Lots of churches here
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Too many across and around the hospital
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Hospital too huge
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] I have been to 3 churches already
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Still looking
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Ask name of church bro
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] No church across the hospital
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Name of the church can pin point where I should go
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] The other churches are abit far from hospital
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Found another church just across the hospital and its opposite a presby SCH
[6:42 AM, 12/28/2019] Still no one

What a shame. Naturally, it's all the lad's fault.
Edit: the lad's friend in Kumasi, although not on safari, is doing some urban exploration:

Quote:

[7:39 AM, 12/28/2019] So where will the Van be
[7:39 AM, 12/28/2019] I want exact and precise direction no messing up
[7:39 AM, 12/28/2019] Is 3:02pm no Van is around
[7:39 AM, 12/28/2019] You see this is what I don't like I told you to give me right location
[7:39 AM, 12/28/2019] I got here 35 mins ago and I told you am opposite the school

Fun.

ETA: some other amusing tidbits between the lads. There's one lad in Lagos sending his buddies in Ghana to explore, and I think there may be some trust issues developing:

Quote:

I asked you a simple question you knew I set off so did you tell me to proceed to this location knowing that the location have changed

Quote:

Why did you give me the school at the location now you're talking about 2 different locations

Quote:

Where's that restaurant

Quote:

Tell him to give me the drivers number

For that, I pulled a random Ghanaian number from another scammer WhatsApp group and gave it to him, saying it may not be the right one. I'm sure that will help things.
Secondary edit:
The Tamale lad made it to the restaurant where the rendezvous point will be. In about 10 minutes, my guy will see some thugs lingering outside the restaurant (did the lad see them?) and move to another secure location.

Apparently the Kumasi guy isn't responding. I wonder if he called the number I randomly picked for him.

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:15 am

I'll take "stredded lads" for $200, Alex. I'm skipping some messages because there's a good amount of "we'll wait". When last we met, I promised that there would be thugs on the way to make the delivery at the restaurant an impossibility. I figured that the lad would be more comfortable the farther away from the city he was.

Quote:

Uh-oh
This is bad
"Abort mission. Guys spotted hanging around bar looking for me. At least two have guns. Moving north to safe area."
"Your contact needs to get out of there ASAP. He is being watched."
"I saw him there in front of the door but could not make contact safely."
"Following the Bolgatanga road north to try and lose them."
"Going to try and shake them at the road to the technical university. Your guy needs to get there."
I don't know what's happening over there, but your guy needs to get out.
I think they are hoping that he already has some of the money with him.
This is bad. This is very bad.
Forward that info to your guy. Tell him to act calm and not look like he knows what's going on.
See if he can go into the restaurant and out through a back exit.
Are you there?

The stuff in the quotes is from my supposed character in Tamale.
Me:

Quote:

"Still trying to lose them. At least four guys following me, but I think more may be at the restaurant still." Where is your guy now? Is he doing what he needs to do and moving out?

Lad:

Quote:

Yes

Quote:

Where do I sleep bro
I have no contact here
Low batt
2%
What do I do now

I tell him to tell his guy to follow the road further outside the city to a hotel. The lad doesn't like this:

Quote:

What really going on

I explain that I think the thugs found out about the cash my guy was carrying whom the Accra/Tamale lad is supposed to meet. The lad assures me that his guy is heading in the proper direction, and forwards:

Quote:

I'm out of battery bro. Funds as well. I can go to the university but after that fare I'm down.

Perfect. He can walk from there. Weirdly enough, he did not report being followed by anyone. Oh well.
The lad pleads a bit:

Quote:

Bro you sure about this deal??? Wht really happening. Don't leave him stranded and make him homeless. He came all the way from afar.

Well, you see, that's kind of the point. At this point I get confirmation that the Kumasi guy gave up and went silent. The lad is starting to get antsy at this point, especially as I say that my guy is leaving the hotel and moving further into the countryside if he can't find the traveling lad. I say that he left a note with the receptionist, but that gives me an idea: I say that my guy left some money buried in an envelope a bit along the road if he keeps walking. This idea isn't popular:

Quote:

This is a joke ryt. By the road where?? How can he find money by the road?

Naturally, my guy left a little improvised flag there. I chide the lad more for his friend's lack of cooperation, and he seems a bit mollified. Despite his phone supposedly being out of power (the traveling lad's), occasionally he gets some messages through. The main lad is "not really sure" why this is happening. More confusion, I suppose. The lad asks:

Quote:

What location is the Envelop at??

I give him a cropped image from Google Maps satellite view of a house in the area that kind of looks like a T from above; how the traveling lad is supposed to find this at night, in the dark, isn't up to me. When I offer to try and rustle up some people to go find him (which I may try to do), the lad responds:

Quote:

Im speechless (probably not in a good way

He also sends me a new volley of messages from the traveling lad:

Note: messages in parentheses are from the traveling lad, the others are from the main lad.

Quote:

(Did you pick up the money yet, ?)
"Locations are very far. Not closer at all. No. I'm f****d. (Where are you??) I'm dead. Return to town cos grand Sophia is not near town.

Quote:

Only bushes around. Something must kill a man... where to lay my head now is my top prob now. Out of options now I meant. (He has no money to move.)

I suggest he walks again.

Quote:

(Can't find that T shaped house)

Now:

Quote:

He's got no money on him

When I ask where he is:

Quote:

Bush

I gave him some instructions on where to meet my guy in a village up the road:

Quote:

How can he get here, ? Is the former code still relevant?

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 6:43 am

LOL!

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 9:26 am

Great work!

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 1:51 pm

Congratulations on a lad well screwed!

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:55 pm

It sounds like the lad is still stuck in Nanton. Fortunately, we are assembling a rescue team now; I'm trying to get someone to go from Koforidua to help him out, and I plan on just sending out more solicitations to get a bunch of confused Ghanaian lads debating on if they should go and help. If this works out, this will be legendary.

Edit: These guys are hilarious. They're asking the stranded lad now to send pictures of himself at a recognizable place in the city for pickup. They also want to maybe cut the stranded guy out of the deal and go find my veteran guy in another city themselves (or more specifically, the guy in Koforidua; his oga or whomever is also in the chat and making snide remarks about our competence).

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 7:05 pm

I'll get around to recounting more of that adventure later, but there are about 4 lads all arguing with each other now.

On another note, another lad may have safaried to Bamako to "scout it" for a later pickup. Trying to get more proof besides his live WhatsApp location that he wasn't there the entire time, but if I get that this will be a fourth safari.

Edit: I don't think I'll get more proof of a safari, but he's certainly in Bamako:

If I get hotel and more info I'll count this as a safari, but all the indications he's given previously, before Bamako was even mentioned, is that he's in Nigeria, Osun State to be specific. I personally believe he traveled to Bamako just for the heck of it, but want to at least learn more.

Secondary edit: not much else from the Bamako guy, and relatively little interesting chatter with the Ghana lad. He made it back to Tamale, but he doesn't have any resources to go anywhere else, and the few lads I've brought in aren't doing much yet. They're wondering why I keep adding new people to the group (to cause more chaos, of course), but the main highlight is that the stranded lad is still not happy that nobody's gone to save him. Bertje may step in as my enigmatic veteran in Karaga who will hopefully lead at least one lad on a merry dance through the countryside.

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:13 pm

Some of the lads who I invited into the group started to get suspicious about my story, but the main lads are still there. I'm guessing this news will comfort them greatly; I've heard nothing from the stranded lad, so I think they're out of power.

Fortunately, based on these conversation snippets with the Bamako lad I am quite certain he went there and had a reasonably pleasant time:

Quote:

Not too much only with the boarders but was nothing

Quote:

Just came to look around

Quote:

Coming down here to Bamako is no joke

I didn't expect you to go this early just to scout...

Quote:

I could return its not big deal... I'm an adventurer

Good to know.

Quote:

I sort out myself till the van arrives also

The lad doesn't trust my accommodations. Oh well. That will make it more of a challenge to put him in discomfort; getting him out of the city will help do that.
That makes 4 confirmed safaris so far then, including one that was largely a surprise and will soon be replicated.

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 4:09 pm

Our stranded lad in Tamale made it back, and he's pissed:

Quote:

Are you guys real?
I'm really disappointed in you guys
How can you abandon me in the middle of a deal.

Quote:

As I told you I was using my last cash on my trip back to tamale from nanton.I also made it clear my phone was dying that night.I was left with nothing than to sleep on the streets till morning coz it was late and nobody was ready to shelter me that night after begging several pll

Quote:

It was getting late and people were getting suspicious. Remember I was at nanton since morning.
2 different people came asking questions and they told me they had chieftaincy issues so I should be careful.
I guess you still don't know much about northern Ghana

It's not a coincidence I sent you out of Tamale...
When I asked why he didn't simply walk 20 miles:

Quote:

Did you check the distance between nanton and karaga? You also had no idea the distance I walked on nanton street before getting a bike to drop me

Quote:

I wasnt briefed properly on the journey. I would have prepared before setting off

Quote:

If we can put things in place I can possibly go back to finish this

Hmm... Why should I trust you to not mess up again?

Quote:

Iike I said,I was unaware of such eventualities on my first trip. I can handle this properly this time trust me.those 5 guys were just talking and doing nothing bro

First off, he needs money. When he figures out how to do that, you may be needed again Bertje.

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 4:26 pm

Prince is standing by Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 5:18 pm

Sorry for the somewhat necro, but I wanted to keep things consistent
If all goes well, a lad is on a flight from Houston to Las Vegas right now:

Quote:

I’ll let u know wen I land

Our chats have been somewhat boring, but he seems wealthy and professional:

Quote:

Yea of course I can, I’m smart about it and Yea definitely smooth and easy is always best

(When I suggested he book a room at the Bellagio, a more expensive hotel than what he was originally doing)

Quote:

Yea I mean if it’s a quick pick up like u said everything should be smooth u know

It won't.

I'll keep this updated when he arrives and things start going wrong.

Edit: The eagle has landed! (I believe)

That says "Welcome to Las Vegas". I'll try to get another picture when he's at his hotel.

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:29 pm

The lad's on his way to the hotel now. He doesn't want to show his face, so I suggested he use today's newspaper instead. That's fine. When he gets there, I'll give him the local manager's email, and then we can play the waiting game. Traffic doesn't seem too bad right now on the Strip, but I'm sure we can make that an issue; I'll try to get him to move back and forth a bit there before inviting him to find our warehouse somewhere in the sketchy areas of Vegas. A shame that the most reliable drivers aren't available on weekends.

I'll wait to claim this as a Safari

until I get confirmation he's at the hotel. If this works, this will be my first US safari.

Edit:
After not hearing from the lad for about 40 minutes, I checked in with him.

Quote:

Are you at the hotel yet? 40 minutes seems longer than I'd expect

Quote:

Check in not until 3pm. I'm a go to the mall or something.

I independently verified this, which adds further credence to the safari story.

Quote:

Have you eaten yet?

Quote:

Im ago to Benihana by the mall

Disappointing taste, but OK.

Quote:

OK. Still, as requested, send me a picture with the newspaper somewhere recognizable. Maybe when you get back to the hotel area. The Strip is full of landmarks, although I don't think I remember where the Benihana is.

Quote:

OK I'm go do it

Quote:

Thanks. I'm sorry to keep bothering you with such trivial requests, but especially for a first job I think it's fair. Aim to be back in the general area of the pickup 15 minutes or so before the scheduled time in case they're early.

Quote:

Nah it's all good bro I understand. OK.

No picture yet, but he can at least eat first. All the evidence at this point is in favor of him traveling unless he went to the airport just for a picture, then decided to go to the most crowded area of the city to eat at a Benihana. I'll claim a Safari

after a picture or more travel stories that add further evidence.

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 8:49 pm

Second picture:

This smells like a safari to me. I gave him few random names and numbers for the package pickup, and told him to email the local manager (me) if there are delays. Pickup should be in about an hour. He says traffic isn't too bad on the Strip, but naturally the van will still have some issues.

Update:
The lad sent me two short clips of the fountains at the Bellagio, where he is supposed to be waiting for the van. It isn't worth the time to upload them to YouTube. He asked me a few more clarifying questions, and a few minutes ago (a bit after the van was supposed to arrive):

Quote:

Right, I am a little anxious. Not seeing the van though.

Patience is key... I'm sure it will show up eventually.

Baiting Guru Joined: 25 Jul 2017 Posts: 2107

Good work! Love the part we are assembling a rescue team now

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:51 pm

Mr. Newberry received an email from our stranded traveler:

Quote:

Hi this is Mr. De Leon inquiring about package?,I am at the front of the Bellagio and have waited over 40 minutes now. Tracking #______

Mr. Newberry is busy reading Don Quixote and won't get back to him for an hour or two.

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:20 pm

I'm starting to feel like I've unleashed an evil jinn upon lad land by showing you around these whatsapp groups. Laughing

You should think about moving the meet down the road to "old vegas". There are some genuinely dodgy areas down there where our lad could probably find himself in some situations if he goes wandering around looking to "pick up the package".

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:20 pm

Welcome to Las Vegas webcam.

https://www.earthcam.com/usa/nevada/lasvegas/?cam=sign_hd

Edit to add: The area north of Lake Mead Blvd along N. Las Vegas Blvd is lovely at night.

https://www.crimemapping.com/map/nv/lasvegas

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:27 pm

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:51 pm

Thanks for the support. I knew about the webcam from when I was trying to get another lad to travel, but seeing as I know where he is already I don’t think he’d accomplish much there. I was going to send him to the corner of Smiley and Novak, where a surprising amount of car demolition places are located; it isn’t in the really unsafe area, but the lad is going to have to walk a long way to get anywhere from there, through areas I personally wouldn’t want to linger. Naturally, when that doesn’t work, he can be sent to the old Vegas area. I’ll just pick a random street corner and tell him to have fun; the odds are good someone will be doing something illicit there.

P.S. “Evil Djinn” would be an awesome custom title. As a fun fact, according to the Scrabble dictionary, that can also be spelled Djin, Jinni, Djinny, and so on.

Edit: from the lad:

Quote:

I ain’t expecting to be waiting like this.

If Mike’s response is anything to go off, that will continue a while longer:

Quote:

Mr De Leon,
Sorry to hear about delay. I dont know what could of caused this. I will email local staff and respond back to you soon.

The lad responded simply:

Quote:

Ok thank you

I’ll get back to him in maybe half an hour telling him to wait behind the hotel, on Frank Sinatra Road. Then the driver won’t be able to get there, so the lad will have to go off into the boonies.

Second edit: Mike gets back to the lad:

Quote:

Mr De Leon,
Heard from driver. Sounds like some computer system got broke and wasnt sending them the info. Driver thinks bad idea to do pickup on main road. Can you wait behind bellagio on Frank Sinatra road? There should be an elevator from your hotel. Hopefully he will be there within the hour. Once again I give my apologies.

He’s apparently busy at McDonald’s right now, by Caesar’s Palace, but hopefully this news should inspire him to get back to the hotel. Naturally the van will have mechanical issues and the lad will have to go find him.

Third edit:

Quote:

Ok I will be there waiting

He’s checking his email frequently. That’s a good sign.
Fourth edit: He sent two more emails in a span of a few minutes. I'm guessing he doesn't see the driver:

Quote:

Can I give my description if I can't find it maybe driver will see me.

Quote:

Or # I call your driver?

I ignore the latter request and send this:

Quote:

Mr De Leon,
please feel free to tell me what you look like or send a picture so I can tell the driver. I have not heard from Bob after our last conversation. He should still be driving along the road, maybe walk up and down there if you dont see him, he maybe wont remember which hotel you at. Its hard to find people in the dark. Are you still there on the road.

Naturally, I'll hear from Bob a bit later to discover that due to mechanical troubles, he didn't leave our secret warehouse. We need to hide it so people don't ransack it, which is why it won't show up on Google Maps and the taxi/Uber drivers won't know it.
Two rapid-fire responses after that:

Quote:

Yes I am on Frank Sinatra rd I have black jacket and teal colored pants

Quote:

He cannot meet here because this is employee only so can he come to the front of the hotel?

I think I'll give him another half hour to ruminate.
Fourth edit:
You have to love lads who send multiple emails in a row:

Quote:

Actually have him come to Frank Sinatra st and come to the employee entrance and I will be right on the street so he can see me.

And a minute later:

Quote:

I will wait right here

Still, it's a big shame that our van's having troubles, and of course the mechanic isn't working weekends. Bob the driver spent a while trying to fix it, but he couldn't figure it out himself. Bob may be a bit slow and frequently get locations mixed up.

The lad read my inquiry on WhatsApp but didn't respond. I think he's realizing that I can't really do anything at this point.

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:44 am

Sorry for the double-post, but I think quintuple edits are a bit excessive.
The lad clearly is unsatisfied with my lack of response, so he sent this with a picture attached:

Quote:

Your driver will see me on right on the street on Frank Sinatra by the back of hotel at employee entrance
These colored pants he can’t miss me

That's the same hand that was holding the newspaper earlier, in case anyone was wondering.

Edit 1: Let's see how the lad takes this news:

Quote:

Mr De Leon,
Sorry again for delay. Bob sent me a message. His van is having car trouble at our warehouse and could not go. He tried fixing it but it didnt work, our mechanic is traveling this weekend to Tuscon to visit his aunt Barbara. She a sweet lady. He wants you to come to our warehouse so you can get your stuff tonight. It is by Kenny's place near the military base right off north lamb road. Very easy to find, take a taxi or public bus. Once again I give my apologies. And if you know how to fix a van that would be great help.

One of the car demolition places is named "Ken's," so obviously Mike calls him Kenny. I'm sure that will help the lad find him.
The lad took this well:

Quote:

On my way now sir.

And he finally messaged me on WhatsApp copying the email. He said he was taking an Uber, so I gave him some very helpful advice:

Quote:

Try going to the intersection of North Lamb Boulevard and East Craig Road. That's the only major intersection for that road near the military base. I don't know where "Kenny's place" is, but I'm guessing it's somewhere around there. It must be well known by the locals if that's all the information he gave.

That does happen to be the only major intersection near there, but the destination I had in mind is a half mile away, and naturally I won't be able to figure out which direction. He really should just ask around if anyone knows Kenny. I'm sure that will be helpful. Even if he goes to the location somewhat near there on Google Maps that could presumably be Kenny's, it's a 20 minute Uber drive, and naturally that won't be the Kenny our illustrious manager was thinking of.

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 2:38 am

I was going to suggest the bar at the top of the Stratosphere as it would definitely require a cab and cause inconvenience but you sent him to an ocean of wrecked cars much further away. I can only imagine how many dead bodies are in trunks/boots at any given time at that place. You probably don't know but if he is wearing sneakers you could try to send him to a busy trendy club with a dress code. There usually aren't any signs posted so he'd have to wait in line until he got to the door for the bouncer to tell him to take a hike because he wasn't wearing dress shoes. I learned that the hard way at some club in the Luxor (Ra I think) back in my college years. Sin City is a great place to screw a lad over. You can send them to ghetto hell holes or places so upscale that they're equally uncomfortable. I wish I knew of places that have minimum drink orders. Luck be a lady tonight with your pet!

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 2:46 am

I imagine he's going to think his luck has a very unladylike way of running out soon enough. The issue with sending him to clubs or fancy restaurants (I wanted to send him to Joel Robuchon or something and tell him I booked a table) is that it doesn't really connect to the package job. Perhaps if he comes back from this current outing and has worked up an appetite, and still believes, I'll send him to Fleur by Hubert Keller (a great restaurant, by the way), which is on the far south end of the strip in Mandalay Bay. Bob the driver will, surprisingly enough, fail to make the reservation correctly. And of course, while there won't really be a dress code for there, teal pants will definitely get a few strange looks. This lad's fairly well-resourced, given how he was able to fly into Vegas pretty quickly, so I expect that will have better dramatic effect later on once he's grumpier.

Just now he sent Mike a very good question that I'll ignore:

Quote:

What time does your warehouse close?

We'll stay open for him until let's say midnight (although I won't be awake then). That wouldn't be my priority if I were him, I'd be worrying more about being jumped.

I imagine tonight's festivities will be coming to a close relatively soon, so if anyone has suggestions for what to do with him tomorrow, I'd love ideas, assuming he's still on the hook.

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:04 am

You could always have him meet you at one of the hidden bars in The Cosmopolitan. I've been to The Underground and 1923 and may have a pic or two that could help the lad. Laughing

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