I go by my initials--have since I was a kid, but my given first name is Robert. I generally only use it for business-related purposes. It's also a nice dodge to ward off unwanted calls--if someone calls wanting "Robert," "Bob," or "Rob" Gibson I know I pretty much don't want to talk to them. And if they ask if they can call me "Bob" or "Rob" I make it pretty clear that no, in fact, they can-friggin'-not. But I digress.
My name being relatively common has lead to little bits of confusion in my daily life: being told at the DMV that I could not have a license because it was suspended (turned out it was another Robert Gibson in the southern part of the state) and most frequently receiving calls, bills, and mail for some other Robert Gibson from my doctor's office. Apparently they don't bother to check files against their databases. Needless to say, it's annoying when these little things happen.
It's another thing entirely to find out that one of my namesakes, one of the 3,544 other Robert Gibsons is a criminal.
I have to admit though, I admire his patience. $40,000.00 one token at a time. From the Boston Globe:
My name being relatively common has lead to little bits of confusion in my daily life: being told at the DMV that I could not have a license because it was suspended (turned out it was another Robert Gibson in the southern part of the state) and most frequently receiving calls, bills, and mail for some other Robert Gibson from my doctor's office. Apparently they don't bother to check files against their databases. Needless to say, it's annoying when these little things happen.
It's another thing entirely to find out that one of my namesakes, one of the 3,544 other Robert Gibsons is a criminal.
(Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
I have to admit though, I admire his patience. $40,000.00 one token at a time. From the Boston Globe:
After working 20 years as an MBTA electrician, retiree Robert Gibson was accused today of spending much of his career slowly stealing from the transit authority, quarter by quarter, token by token -- taking just enough so no one would notice as he repaired fare collection boxes....Gibson drew the attention of investigators when he was spotted on several occasions pumping handfuls of tokens into fare vending machines at Wellington station. He was adding the tokens, each worth $1.25, onto CharlieCards, which hold a value of up to $100. Surveillance cameras filmed him depositing at least $3,500 in tokens onto 45 CharlieCards, they added.
When MBTA police went to Gibson's home Thursday, authorities said he confessed and led police into his basement. Investigators said they found more than $40,000 in coins and tokens wrapped in small paper bags from local coffee shops and stashed in 17 plastic jugs, each large enough to hold 5 gallons.
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