I’ve been playing email ping-pong with someone who wanted one of my camera lenses and I arranged to meet him at the Market East station at 11 AM in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts (that’s where the convention center guard is, how apropos).  Leading up to the sale, the buyer asked nearly a dozen questions and I was worried I was dealing with a reseller or someone else who’d rake me over the coals and took the train to Philly to find out.

I met him in his imastudent/hobochick coat and he pulled out the most beat Canon 30D I’d ever seen.  I passed him the lens which he nearly dropped and he commented on how he’d finally have a lens with both caps.  He put the lens on and started taking pictures of the floor.  I asked him if there were any problems and he said “no, but maybe just one.  It doesn’t seem to… focus.”  Normally, I’d be terrified but I’d been so bowled over with is confidence that I politely removed the lens hood covering the focus ring and put the lens into manual focus.  He smiled and passed me the money.  I saw the guard shake his head and it was off to the Reading Terminal to enjoy the fruits of my sale:  five bananas and something unhealthy made by the Amish.