Thievery, The Show and My Ring

Asshole Towing Company

From Scotty Clark Poker.com

This story really pisses me off...and it is a bit personal...and embarrassing. I don't know why I am embarrassed by it. Maybe it is because this story involves the only thing I have ever won as a poker player -- a WSOP gold ring for my HORSE victory in Southern Indiana (2010). Maybe it is because, once again, some fucker pushed me around and victimized Scotty Clark. So, in my earnest to keep you entertained, be it weird poker news, personal triumphs and or my many defeats, I will now tell this story.

The day in question. This story starts off like any other Friday, in fact, I remember it was a day off work for my girlfriend. Her car was in the shop, and she asked to borrow my piece of shit Chevy Blazer to go to the Air Force base to do some paperwork. 

Cheryl never made it, and as most followers of this blog know, she T-boned a car not far from the house. Cheryl broke her wrist AND shattered her ankle. And this wasn't your garden variety shattered ankle, her ankle is a "severe case" in the words of her surgeon. The ankle will require multiple surgeries, and of course, my truck was totaled. Cheryl is a good driver with a spotless driving history, and for your information, the other driver involved in the accident was cited for "no valid drivers license". When I was called by the emergency room at Memorial, and as I drove there, my mind was racing despite the nurse assured me her injuries were non-life threatening.

This fucking guy. Of course we have automobile insurance, but I only kept liability on the Blazer. And that is my mistake. After I left the emergency room, and while Cheryl was being transported into St. Louis city and to Barnes Jewish Hospital, I went to O'Fallon-Shiloh Towing where my truck was being stored. I gave the attendant our USAA insurance information, and was then allowed to retrieve personal items from my truck. What I didn't retrieve was MY WSOP RING. And looking back, I made the mistake of calling ahead to say I was coming to retrieve my ring. I made no accusations at the towing shop, I simply said, "My ring is missing" and the other guy that runs the shop replied, "Are you sure it was in there?" "100% sure Sir. 100 percent!"

Late Monday afternoon, I called the insurance company, and learned the max towing payout was $150 on the policy -- and learned it was my responsibility to dispose of the truck. So I called a friend that owns a junkyard/towing company and he agreed to dispose of the carnage. Then I called O'Fallon-Shiloh Towing to get the damage report (bill). The attendant quoted a figure in excess of $700. Yep folks, that's seven Ben Franklins for a tow less than five miles and four days worth of storage fees. I couldn't hold back any longer, "Well, I'll tell you one thing, I'm going to pay this bill, but then we're going to talk about my fucking World Series ring!" And he got smart on the phone. He said something like, "Well come on up! Pay your bill, and I bet you find your ring in your truck". Begrudgingly, I went to the ATM and got the money to pay the bill.

And it was all eating on me pretty good....

Facsimile

Would I get my ring back? Would there be a fight on a parking lot of some asshole towing outfit? Was I willing to get my ass kicked (again) on principle? Should I just pay the bill? Should I just go home and and go back to bed? Well, I decided to go into that office and TELL THEM I wasn't paying them. I had hoped they would show me the ring, I would pay the bill and it would be a "no harm. no foul" ordeal. It wasn't. We had a "fuck you match" in the office. The guy even followed me out of his office, banged his hand on the Cadillac and was yelling I was going to lose my drivers license. Really? The next place I went was the Shiloh Police to report the ring stolen. Then I called my buddy, the long-time towing and junkyard guy. He called bullshit on the guy, and said don't worry about it. Really? Then I got served at my front door by a county deputy to appear in small claims court.

I must confess, I watch a little Judge Judy and small claims court cases are like kids. They're fun, as long as it is someone else's kids. The towing company was suing me for in excess of $1800. That's a month storage plus the towing charge. Funny thing? The bill the company presented to the court was much different than the bill presented to me that day at the shop ($380 vs $540). I did not contest the judgement because that costs a couple of hundred bucks (if you don't get a lawyer) and I am just positive the court would have ruled against me, despite the missing ring.

CLARIFICATION: No. I did not keep my ring in my truck, this was a rare instance.

The Scotty Clark Poker Show #29. We returned to the airwaves this past Sunday after a two-week haitus. You can read more about why we did not do shows for a couple of weeks HERE. This week, The Poker Monkey and myself just kinda rambled about nothing, as we were off our game. This show is about as bad as we get, and it wasn't thaaaaat baaaaad :)
 

 
Next week: I will be playing at the new Hollywood here in town, and will be providing a report.