 A Note to Our Readers: Guard Your Feet Friday, May 12, 2006
Yesterday we got a phone call from a ‘Marcus’ who has just bought a 1,200 sf apartment in Park Slope – he has looked at the AIA website and been forwarded to our site and would like to meet us. So I try and explain that renovating is an expensive business but he doesn’t seem particularly interested. Just asks how much experience we have as we look young on our web site - which should have tipped us off.Foot blessings, grabs, and pleasure grunts after the jump. ‘Marcus’ wants to meet asap. I say we’re in Tribeca and he says that’s fine as he’s in our neighborhood today. I try and say we’re too busy today but he’s insistent so my partner Robert says we might be able to see him at 2.00pm so 2 it is. Well then it starts getting weird. ‘Marcus’ says he’s a Japanese Buddhist and can he remove his socks and shoes when he visits our office – and can we do likewise during the meeting. Then he’ll perform a foot blessing which will give us 3 months prosperity. Ok – whatever – this is New York. So 2 o’clock comes and I’m rushing in and out of the office and in our meeting room Robert’s sitting down with ‘Marcus’ and their shoes off. I get back from another meeting and ‘Marcus’ has left and Robert’s screaming “what a pervert”. Apparently the foot blessing consisted of ‘Marcus’ resting Robert’s foot on his crutch [sic] and squeezing it down whilst grunting in pleasure. Transpires that ‘Marcus’ doesn’t actually own the apartment yet, won't give out his telephone number etc. I guess we got scammed but not in the normal way. Duly warned, folks. Duly warned. Reader Comments (12 extant) 1. Similar thing happened to us ( minus the crotchiness) a couple of years ago. Same story about a park slope renovation. I have another friend who's boss also came across this about a year ago. By Anonymous at May 12, 2006 11:55 AM2. HA HA HA HA, I met Marcus- who lives with his mother and will probably never own an apartment two years ago. He found us on the AIA website, he came over, and wanted to do the foot blessing-no grunting, but definitely weird. He also tried this with another architect I know. You have to admit that he found a good line with the Japanese Buddhism line (you get visions of a pristine minimalist project). Too funny, a serial foot molester who preys on unsuspecting architects! By Anonymous at May 12, 2006 12:48 PM3. THANK GOD FOR THE GUTTER! I just received the same call, EXACT same details- although he hooked me saying he had a $750,000 budget for the 1,200sf reno. When I put him on hold to check with my staff about scheduling a meeting this afternoon, they remembered reading about it here... By Anonymous at June 12, 2006 12:39 PM4. same here. about two years ago. then he called back a week later and wanted to meet again. by that time i'd wised up. i'll never trust a potential client again. By schadenfreudisch at June 13, 2006 6:33 PM5. Indeed, Thank Buddha for the Gutter. Marcus called our office today and we were excited about doing a 1200 SF apartment with a 600,000 dollar budget. Then he explained the foot rituals, which we thought, hey, whatever you gotta do. A little internet research on Buddhist foot ceremonies brought us here. 6. Dupped by the same Perv... I was just stung by a man named "Mark" who was interested in working out at my gym and personal training. 7. Same thing, again in an office in Tribeca.....a few months ago. No grunting thank God. By Stephen at June 26, 2006 2:55 PM8. how come you are all remaining anonymous? By rita at September 5, 2006 6:02 PM9. sorry, except Steven. By rita at September 5, 2006 6:03 PM10. Man oh man. I am a financial planner who just got a call from a guy named "Mark Staple" (no phone, no e-mail) who wanted to come in for a consultation and gave me the same g*ddamn feet story! Very vague, just wanted to set up a meeting asap. Because security is so tight in my building, we needed his number and e-mail, so when I asked for specifics and hesitated about the whole feet thing, he hung up - THANK GOD. I mean THANK BUDDAH! By Financial Planner at September 6, 2006 10:54 AM11. Marcus called us twice, but we kept putting him off. The calls made no sense. He said had no phone, but claimed he had a big budget. That plus the weird comment that his religion prevented him from meeting with women, all delivered in a voice straight out of "Paris is Burning". We've been duped before by a guy claiming he was the heir to the Readers Digest fortune who got me to spend a full day with him and his brokers looking at unbelievably expensive properties in Manhattan. Pleasant enough experience, but the guy's story fell apart as the day wore on. And then he disappeared. Guess he just wanted to feel important and look at palatial houses. Ever since then, odd prospective clients make me skeptical. By Jeff at September 14, 2006 11:32 AM12. Marcus has made his way north of Tribeca. Same ol' story, just happened a month ago at a friend's firm in Chelsea. Both the partners got duped into a foot massage. All set here? Continue enjoying The Gutter... « Frank Gehry Goes Plop in Brooklyn | Home | The Gutter Salutes: Dr. Frankengehry » Back to top |
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