Sympathy For The Craigslist World-Series-Tix-For-Sex Lady
This poor woman. Her face plastered all over the evening news, so that The Good People Of The Delaware Valley can tut-tut and malevolently cluck in her direction over dinner. And for what? Beyond the obvious notion that, in the face of violent killings on the streets and other things that actually hurt people, local police ought to be ashamed for this like-duh sting operation that got her caught, there’s also something else, something a little more universal: Who among us has not wanted something so bad that they’d get into bed with someone else to get it? And furthermore, who among us does not realize that Craigslist, if not the whole of the Internet, is a kind of psuedo-wish-fulfillment device, where people can try ideas on, to see if they’ll work, to see, at the end, if what they thought they wanted was really what they wanted at all? We have our doubts that the woman in question here was a “pro,” spreading disease and addiction and crime on every street where she chose to beat a path. The cops cured no great societal ill when they pounced on her, smug and sure in the belief that her face would be plastered over every newscast and publication in advance of the World Series; rather, they used a person’s loneliness — yeah, when we see this, we see loneliness, and confusion, and desperation — to bolster their own sense of import and adeptness at crime-solving. Worse still, they did so by playing on the faux-puritanical self-regard of mainstream media (and the people who consume it at face value), which is something that frankly does not need encouraging in any corner of American society. We are all stupider for having watched this play out. It is our hope, though, that somewhere, there is a likewise lonely man in Philadelphia who needs a date to the World Series who also, like us, knows what it’s like to be driven to distraction for the things in life one loves most, and knows what we all know: It’s not too late for love. It’s not too late for baseball.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
America were no joke.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
The ladies of Bensalem turn tricks for Skittles and/or Whatchamacallits every last day of the year. Guess Johnny Law only pays attention at World Series time.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I truly love how often a video from that America session finds its way on here.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
This post is right on and the song is right on.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I don’t know how much sympathy is warranted here.
“Guess Johnny Law only pays attention at World Series time.”
Could it be that Johnny Media only pays attention at world Series Time? It’s not like busting prostitutes using Craigslist is unprecedented. I sympathize insofar as this incident garnered far more media attention than it may have outside the context of the World Series. However, this lady incriminated herself on the internet… for baseball tickets.
I believe that the author would would be hard pressed to publish a sympathy piece for a teenagers who advertised, on myspace, ‘home-grown goodies’ in exchange for tickets (and further incriminated their noob self in less “subtle” follow-up correspondence). Then again that teenager’s face would be spared from the media so I may be arguing apples and oranges here. Though I believe that both marijuana and prostitution should be decriminalized (if not legalized and regulated), I still think you’re a dumbass if you advertise illegal goods/services to strangers on the internet. Let this unfortunate soul serve as yet another example of how not to wield the intarwebz.
I think it’s an unfair assumption that the police “knew” her case would receive so much attention. Also, the whole loneliness angle is crap. She was advertising for 2 tickets – not for a free date at the park.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
The Bensalem Police grabbed her, not Philadelphia.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Again, Philebs, please READ your sources and FACT CHECK.
Like digitallogic said, it was Bensalem and their heavy-handed police work that nabbed her and “accidentally” sent out a news release about it:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20091028_Ticket_seeker_s_pitch_runs_afoul_of_police.html
October 28th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I’m curious how this played out. The actual ad in question doesn’t really sound like an advertisement for sexual services:
“Investigators said Finkelstein posted an ad on the website Craigslist that stated she was a die-hard Phillies fan and buxom blonde in desperate need of two World Series tickets.
Police said her posting went on to say the price was negotiable and that “I’m the creative type! Maybe we can help each other!”
An undercover officer responded to the ad. Police said Finkelstein offered to perform various sex acts in exchange for World Series tickets.”
Depending on how the e-mail exchange developed, this reads like it could be a case of entrapment.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
@digitiallogic, towncrier: Pardon the error. Post has now been edited.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
She’s not lonely — she’s married, was trying to get tickets for herself and her husband. She was taking one for the team, so to speak.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I had the same suspicion, Res. That would make for a real story.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
well she got ‘em:
“Wired 96.5′s Chio in the Morning and auto dealer Gary Barbera plan to give a pair of Game 3 tickets to Susan Finkelstein, the Bucks County woman accused of trying to trade the promise of sex for Series tickets on Craigslist.
Chio, who got the woman on the air this morning to extend the offer, plans to give the tickets on Friday afternoon at Barbera’s car lot on Roosevelt Boulevard — no strings attached.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/the-insider/Sex-for-Series_tickets_suspect_gets_.html