2006-01-15

peterbirks: (Default)
2006-01-15 09:39 am
Entry tags:

A Criminal Tale

In Freakonomics, Levitt & Dubner ask (rhetorically) why drug dealers live with their mothers, noting that the foot soldiers could probably earn more at McDonald's.

One theory might be that a guy at McDonald's doesn't have much to aspire to — he doesn't see his boss wearing 5kg of bling and driving a Terrari Fasterossa. Drug dealing on the street might be very, very dangerous, but it provides a dream and a bit of excitement.

Another theory might be that foot-soldier drug dealers are as thick as shit — too thick, indeed, for a job a McDonald's. Hell, anyone willing to risk their lives for a pittance is hardly going to be in the top 50% when it comes to brains or common sense.

Initially I leaned towards the first theory, but my experience this morning has pushed me at least a little way towards the "thick as shit" theory, soon to be revealed in my forthcoming opus "Birksonomics — how the surprsing continued strength of the dollar is linked to the cocaine trade".

So, what happened to me this morning... )