[TomW]

I've had a couple high dollar items (MC, golf clubs) for sale in the usual Villages on-line places for about a month. A few nice people have contacted me about my items. But I've had at least three, that I know of, scam contacts.

They all go something like this:
THEM: I have inane questions about your bike can you provide answers?
ME: Yes, it has square wheels and is horse-drawn.
THEM: Great, I would like to buy it but I live a Zillion miles away and will have a shipping company handle sending it to me. I will send you a cashier's check for the price of the bike and the cost of shipping.
ME: No Thanks. Deal with the shipping company yourself.

That usually ends the correspondence. There are variations but that is the jist of it. I assume the way it works is some thug will crawl off his barstool and show up claiming to be the shipper and demand I pay the huge shipping charge before the check can bounce. I've contacted Seniors vs. Crime but they say the scam is so common, usually with car sales, that all they can do is warn about it.

[Bogie Shooter]

Did the boat just arrive?

[TheVillageChicken]

Tell them to solve this problem to prove they are not a robot.

[TomW]

Ah Bogie,
So you have a boat for sale. (I know 'bought' translates from old bogie syntax to 'boat.' Tell ya what I'm gonna do for ya........send ya a big check...... you pay for......

[Shadow8IA]

I think the (bogus) cashiers check is always to much so you have to send them the difference.

[TomW]

Chicken,
I think it is now illegal to discriminate against robots. So, if one shows up with bitcoins, you have to sell your house to it.

[Bay Kid]

Trust is all but gone.

[Jima64]

Originally Posted by TomW

Chicken,
I think it is now illegal to discriminate against robots. So, if one shows up with bitcoins, you have to sell your house to it.

I would require cash only.

[dgammon6]

The scam with me was similar. He wanted my item, but lived in another State. He said he would send a cashier check, and he would have someone pick the item up and deliver to him. I knew it was a scam, but lead him on. He sent me a note saying he made a big mistake, he accidentally sent me a cashier check met to be for his wife's Surgeon, and wanted me to deposit the check and please send him the difference. I at least made him spend the money to deliver the check to me.

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by dgammon6

The scam with me was similar. He wanted my item, but lived in another State. He said he would send a cashier check, and he would have someone pick the item up and deliver to him. I knew it was a scam, but lead him on. He sent me a note saying he made a big mistake, he accidentally sent me a cashier check met to be for his wife's Surgeon, and wanted me to deposit the check and please send him the difference. I at least made him spend the money to deliver the check to me.

Interesting, if the person actually sent the check, you probably have evidence the police would like, finger prints on the check, possible DNA on the envelop. Hope you followed through.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

Tell them to solve this problem to prove they are not a robot.

I'm not sure the statement of the problem is accurate.
First of all, the alligator has to enter the water, accelerate, reach a constant velocity, decelerate to exit the water, then accelerate on land again. So the problem is not a simple algebraic formula, but a differential equation.
Also, from a simple trigonometric point of view, the direct line to the zebra has one side and one angle of the triangle, so we need to know either how wide the river is, how far to the zebra, or a second angle.
Now, my advanced math is about 40 years rusty---maybe some mathematicians out there can clarify

[villagetinker]

I came up with x = 8, to minimize Time = 98.

What do I win?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

I came up with x = 8, to minimize Time = 98.

What do I win?

an attaboy

[Skip]

Originally Posted by TomW

I've had a couple high dollar items (MC, golf clubs) for sale in the usual Villages on-line places for about a month. A few nice people have contacted me about my items. But I've had at least three, that I know of, scam contacts.

They all go something like this:
THEM: I have inane questions about your bike can you provide answers?
ME: Yes, it has square wheels and is horse-drawn.
THEM: Great, I would like to buy it but I live a Zillion miles away and will have a shipping company handle sending it to me. I will send you a cashier's check for the price of the bike and the cost of shipping.
ME: No Thanks. Deal with the shipping company yourself.

That usually ends the correspondence. There are variations but that is the jist of it. I assume the way it works is some thug will crawl off his barstool and show up claiming to be the shipper and demand I pay the huge shipping charge before the check can bounce. I've contacted Seniors vs. Crime but they say the scam is so common, usually with car sales, that all they can do is warn about it.

Been going on here (and elsewhere) for years now. No person is going to send you anything more than it's worth.

Glad you were smart enough to see through it.

We should all make them spend the stamp.

Skip

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

I came up with x = 8, to minimize Time = 98.

What do I win?

Since T(x) is expressed in 1/10's of sec, time = 9.8 sec, which coincidentally (?) is exactly the value of g (acceleration due to gravity, 9.8 m/sec2) VERY suspicious!