DAN'S PAPERS, February 12, 2010 Page 44 www.danshamptons.com
Letters
e-mail Dan at askdan@danspapers.com
Thank you; thank you, for bringing the sunrise into my world this morning. I felt like I was there (and I wish I was!) And thank you, thank you for your paper and your inspirational writing. Sincerely, Maude Epstein Via e-mail
COWBOY DON’T LIKE THE TRASH Dear Dan, I recently moved back to the East End after living in the Midwest for nearly 25 years. I grew up in Remsenburg, NY. I am appalled how disgusting the area has become. All I see on the side of the roads is trash. It wasn’t like this when I moved away. It is embarrassing. How can the Town of Southampton allow this littering? If the Town is in need of revenue, they should crack down on those who litter and pollute. The Town should impose fines for littering. If the police catch someone littering they should ticket that person. They would never let this happen in the Midwest. It’s a shame Long Island has become a large dump. G.H.R. Via e-mail
It was indeed a great sunrise. -DR
People say there’s always been trash in Remsenberg. -DR MO MONEY Dear Dan, I enjoyed your piece on your troubles with Capital One Bank credit cards. I am working on a book I call “The Shell Game Economy” and your story of activation fees for an unactivated account and late fees piled on because you hadn’t paid a fee you didn’t know about that was charged without your knowledge or consent fit the pattern nicely. No bank is more adept at engineering these phony charges than Capital One. I made the mistake of getting a Capital One card for my business five years ago. In that period I have used it to charge $261.45 for various goods and services. About four years ago Capital One started piling on late fees. (My payment date hadn’t changed; maybe they laid off some envelope openers.) Since that time, they have charged me for $989 in late fees and $527 in interest on those late fees. I am embarrassed to admit I have to date paid them $ 1,315 for those $251 of charges. (Yes, that’s more than five times the charges. This is what happens when you don’t pay attention to small
bills). Yet I still get daily calls from somebody in India wanting even more money. I no longer answer them. I no longer care about my credit rating. If credit ratings are based on such absurd, criminal math—I don’t want one. (I also get several calls a week from a recording named Linda who says he has some great deals for me at Capital One. Of course, I’ve never called her back.) You might call your friend John Kanas and ask him how he feels having sold out a thriving, trustworthy local bank to such a bunch of conniving crooks. Best wishes, James Monaco I’m going to start a show called “Banks Gone Wild” -DR
DAWN BREAKING Dear Dan,
THE BIGGEST CHILL Dear Dan, The Big Chill - Not a classic movie of a generation, but the experience you get when you go to the East Hampton Theater. If your on your way to spend a couple of hours escaping your life for a few moments of visually stimulating, action packed or romantic comedy, be prepared for some finger numbing, jaw chattering moments of trying to stay warm. If you miss the small disclaimer at the ticket window while looking for a bill large enough to pay for the show or the refreshments, or possibly you went to Fandango to get your tickets, see a picture that takes place in the tropics, it might help you feel warmer. It is not that they have been attempting to repair the heating system for weeks, they must have been hoping that “Punxsutawney Phil” did not see his shadow and the seasonal crowds would be here and never know of the discomfort suffered by local patrons all winter. Is there a local code for this? What about a code of ethics? Is this within the standards that Regal Entertainment Group expects from its distributors? As much as I like the big screen, do yourself a favor and become a Net Flix member, Use Pay Per View or pay a long overdue visit to Blockbuster and enjoy a picture in the comfort of your home, maybe they will get the message. Keith Cohen Via e-mail There have been construction problems at this building since it was built. -DR
Police Blotter Wait, What? A man in Hampton Bays was upset because another man in a grocery store would not tell him the time. The story was that the man asked another man what time it was and he responded, “Time for you to get a watch.” Not understanding that it was just a joke, the man became angry and threw a pineapple at the other man, which then smashed some spaghetti sauce, which then splattered all over the floor. The joke was explained by the store manager, and after several minutes of thought, the man apologized and agreed to pay for the pineapple and the splattered spaghetti sauce. Two iPhones Two Apple iPhones
were
stolen in East Hampton with an estimated worth way beyond what the cost of a telephone should be. Police are investigating the incident. Shelter Island The big story on Shelter Island last week was a report that came in through the wire that a dog attacked another dog on Shelter Island. The owner of the attacked dog filed a report with police. No charges were filed, but she wanted it on record. In other Shelter Island news a dog chased a car that was driving down the road. No charges or arrests were made regarding the incident. North Fork Wino
A man on the North Fork who had too much wine to drink at a local winery decided that it would be a good idea to run naked through the vineyard. He was tackled to the ground. DWI A man in Southampton was arrested by police after he was pulled over for driving erratically and caught driving while drunk. While being pulled over, the man attempted to fool police by switching into the passenger seat. Police figured out the scam when they didn’t believe the man’s story that a ghost was driving the vehicle after they saw him jump into the passenger seat. Hit and Run A man in East Hampton fell asleep at the wheel and then crashed into a utility pole, then woke up, then made a run for it. Police found the accident and the man later turned himself into police.
By David Lion Rattiner