Re: who's watching

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: who's watching
From: cbay at jeppesen_com (Charlie Bay)
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 07:19:06 -0600 (MDT)
In-Reply-To: <199605181939.PAA22819 at looney_actwin.com> from "Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com" at May 18, 96 03:39:03 pm

> >     Some of the U.S. hydroponics shops are, like, really laid back, dude!
> >     (I think I know who their regular customers are!) ;-)
> 
> Yes, my FedEX driver told me about a kid from his hometown who got popped
> by the DEA. They photographed him outside the Hydroponics shop then started
> looking into what he did. I've also heard that the Postal Office shares the
> names of regular mail order customers with the DEA.

Ditto, I had a co-worker who associates with a rather "colorful" crowd.  Since
he was so taken by my heavily planted tank on my desk at work, he'd regularly
come by and ask questions on how to set up his own.

One thing led to another, we talked about lighting, and I mentioned I was
going to go visit a couple hydroponics shops.  He then rattled off a half-
dozen second-hand stories about how hydroponics shops and the DEA go hand
in hand.  He listed activities as well as sentences.  ;-)

He also mentioned some friends who took their horticultural knowledge, after
fulfilling their debt to society, and now have very large commercial 
greenhouse operations selling tomatos.

His "moral of the story" to me was point-blank:  Don't use your Visa (or
any credit card) at any hydroponics shop, and don't even pay with personal 
check.  Any paper trail to you whatsoever is a bad thing.  Pay cash only, 
and don't be a regular.

--charley

Heard on the street:  "Psssst.  Hey, buddy.  Wanna buy some metal halide?"