"What a beautiful day/night!" Immediately after having that thought 6 times out of 10 something bizarre happens. And I'm not being pessimistic either. Here are just a few very true instances:

June 2004: A guy COMMITTED SUICIDE at a party I was attending and the police tried to get me to admit to killing him.

March 2005: Witnessed a kidnapping in broad daylight

May 2008: Paid full price to see "Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull"

November 2014: Almost got hit by a car while standing at a bus stop

While driving through Culver City, California I uttered those fateful words during a phone call. I decided it would be safer to continue my conversation while parked so I pulled over only to have another car, a Chevy Cobalt, pull up behind me. Given it was a Sunday afternoon and hardly anyone was on the road I thought it too strange to be a coincidence. I was right. The car held three people, but two got out. An older man wearing dark shades and a potbelly waddled to my driver's side window.

"Ma'am are you okay to drive?" He asked

"Yes. Why do you ask?" My calm answer seemed to upset him and his motions got very exaggerated and he began raising his voice.

"YOU'VE BEEN SWERVING ALL OVER THE ROAD AND YOU HIT MY CAR MA'AM! THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO SEE IF YOU'RE OKAY TO DRIVE! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION FOR....AWHILE. I ALMOST CALLED THE POLICE ON YOU FOR A HIT AND RUN."

"Well there's no need for that. Here, let me get out and take a look at your car." Now, look. I KNEW this guy was full of crap, but I WAS on the phone, maybe I tapped his car. The second person who got out turned out to be his wife, She was on the phone making equally exaggerated movements. Waving her arms wildly and speaking in another language, her dyed blonde hair was unkempt and her bright red lipstick was a harsh contrast against her coffee stained teeth.

"Look what you did!" The man gestured to a teeny tiny scrape under his driver's side headlight. But all I could focus on was the opposite headlight. It was smashed in.

"I think you should be more worried about the other headlight, man." It felt like the calmer I was, the more riled up he got. He seemed really upset that I wasn't as mad as he was. He dug into the pocket of his stained khakis and counted out three one hundred dollar bills.

"Ma'am this is all the cash I have on me right now. My wife and I are on our way to San Francisco to see my Grandmother. She's dying of cancer." he paused. Like we were in a play and it was my line. When I simply nodded, he continued but at a rapid pace. "Wehavetogetbackontheroadhowmuchcanyoupaytomakethisgoaway?!"

"I'm sorry. I don't have any cash on me but--" the wife interrupted, she held the phone between her hands like she was trying to keep something from escaping out of it.

"Zee police vant to know if zey should come." I looked over her small frame into the car and noticed the third passenger; A very pale White man passed out with a 40oz in a bag leaning against his chest. The husband began to tell her we were working out a deal without getting the insurance companies involved. But once I noticed their car had no license plates, I knew without a doubt I was in the middle of a scam. A poorly executed one.

"I'm sorry, what's your name, sir?"

"Ron Zimmerman." He slurred.

"Ron, my name is Nia. So sorry to meet under these circumstances. You think you could take your sunglasses off for me? I'd like to see the whites of your eyes." It was like it took all of this energy to take those sunglasses off. He swayed and it almost threw him off balance. I quickly saw why.

My body wasn't ready.

Ooookay. Yep. I'm being scammed.

"Look I've already got your license plate number, but my uncle owns a body shop up the road. I can follow you home so you can get some cash and then we'll get my car fixed and go our separate ways."

"No. Call the police. That's why we pay for insurance right?" Ron froze. His ping-pong googly eyes began to swirl around in his head like someone pressed a lever. He wasn't used to this reaction. So I kept going.

"In fact, let me grab my phone out the car and let's take pics of the damage, that way when the police get here we can get the police report done faster. I have AAA, who are you with, Ron?" While the wife began frantically asking him questions in their language, I took the opportunity to quickly return to my car to get my phone. Ron yelled at her to get back in the car, calling me "uncooperative". And they attempted to speed off....but not before I snapped a few pics of their car.