Transcript
Rosetta Stone Advertiser (0:00)
As we approach the end of the year, I'm thinking about the next. Next year is the year I finally make my Spanish better than my 9 year old's. Rosetta Stone is the most trusted language learning program available on desktop or as an app, and it truly immerses you in the language that you want to learn. I can't wait to use Rosetta Stone and finally speak better than my 9 year old who's been learning Spanish in his own way. Rosetta Stone is the trusted expert for 30 years. With millions of users and 25 languages offered speaking Spanish, French, Italian, German, Korean, I could go on fast language acquisition. Rosetta Stone immerses you in many ways. There are no English translations, so you can really learn to speak, listen and think in that language. Start the new year off with a resolution you can reach today. The Moth listeners can take advantage of this Rosetta Stones lifetime membership for 50% off, visit rosettastone.com moth that's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% off@RosettaStone.com moth today.
Dan Kennedy (1:08)
Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This week we bring you two slam stories. And for those of you that don't know our story, Slams are the open mic storytelling competitions we do in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit. The first story you're about to hear by James Foster was recorded live in Detroit in 2009. The theme of the night was cars.
James Foster (1:36)
Good evening everyone. Thank you. My story has to do with a 1996 Grand Marquis Mercury that I that I picked up from my father when he bought a new car. I got it when my daughter was in high school so that I could have a second car to get her to and from school. And we had a brief relationship. I got this car about five years ago and it was pretty reliable. But the main part of the story has to do with the time that I got the car stolen and how I got the car stolen. I live in Detroit. I've been a lifelong Detroit resident. I'm a third generation Detroiter. I'm not easily bamboozled. I'm not easily scammed. I've seen panhandlers and people trying to get you at the gas station for a couple of bucks. But this guy was good. This guy was real good. He got me. I'm loading tools in the car to go over my dad's to do a little work. Guy comes up and says, can you help me? And I right away say, no, no, can't Help you? I've got a couple bucks. I just need you to give me a ride over to get my car a jump. Now, most of the time, people are trying to scam you. They don't have $2 in their hand offering it to you. So I listened. He said, his van broke down. He's just around the corner on the freeway off the lodge. He just needs a jump. Give me a couple. I said, oh, okay. Maybe this time I'll do the guy a favor. So he gets in the car with me. You drive around. There's actually a van there. So, okay, the stories make a little bit more sense. The hood's up on the van. I say, okay, I've got jumper cables. I figure, you know, 30 seconds, I'm going on with my life, raise the hood on my car. He gets in the van. He fools around. Nothing's happening with the van, even with the cables on it. So we're sitting there for a while trying to get the car started. Finally, he says, you try to start the van. I'll tinker under the hood while you try to start the van. Cause I know the van. I should be able to start it. I'm a little leery, but, you know, the hood's up in my car. It's got jumper cables on it. You know, I figured what could happen. So we're on a large service drive. I'm trying to, you know, turn the key in the van. And as I look down, it's not really a key, it's a screwdriver in the ignition of the van. Yeah, a little suspicious, but, you know, he offered me a couple dollars. So then he gets very concerned. He says, these people sure are flying up the service drive. Maybe you better pull your car off to the side while, you know, while we try to figure out what's wrong with the van. So he says, I'll take the. You take the cables off, and I'll move your car. Now the hood's up on. The hood's up on the car. I'm outside the car. I say, okay. I take the cables off. I see my car going northbound on the lodge service drive with the hood up. With the hood up, he makes it all the way to the forest entrance to the lodge. Freeway stops, puts the hood down. Gone. Now the police do recover the car a few weeks later, minus the catalytic converter, the aluminum wheels, even take the visors off from, you know, to block the sun. But I got the last laugh, thanks to President Obama and cash for clunkers. I traded it in got the 4500 and got a new car. So it all worked out.