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Mgatof2
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Posts: 13
(5/23/01 9:49:09
am)
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$75 Reward for
Lynn Harrell's Strad
Listened to 1010 News Radio this morning.
Seems Harrell
recently left his 4 mill Strad cello in the trunk of a NY taxi (ą la
Ma) and the cabbie "went to a great deal of trouble to track him
down and return it." The hack received a check for US$75 and no
thank you. He said he was "crushed" by the reply.
The result?
Harrell's publicist today released a statement explaining his client
had time to rethink the whole situation, and has sent a thank you
note with another check for a "much larger" sum.
Hmmm...
perhaps with a {serious} box of Krispy Kremes this time
around?
Mark
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drcello
Registered
User
Posts: 391
(5/23/01 10:15:39
am)
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How much is
proper?
If someone returned your $4 million dollar Strad to you, how much
money would you give them as a reward? What amount would be fitting?
From the cabbie's view point, wouldn't it be reward enough to know
that you had done the right thing?
Marshall C. St. John
drcello@vei.net
SignalWalden.Com
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G
M Stucka
Registered User
Posts: 578
(5/23/01 10:48:01 am)
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Re: How much is
proper?
From the cabbie's point of view, yes, I suppose knowing one had
done the right thing ought to be reward enough. However, $75 for the
return of $4,000,000 is insulting. Even a simple thank you with no
reward would have been better.
Edited by: G
M Stucka at: 5/23/01 10:48:28 am
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Paul
Tseng ICS Staff 
Administrator
Posts: 1296
(5/23/01 10:58:28 am)
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 |
Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
What do you mean he received $75 and a not thank you???
I
don't get "no thank you"
Did Harrell give him $75 and say "no
thanks, you can keep the Strad?"
Oh wait, did you
mean..
He received $75 BUT no words of Thanks?
I'm not
really a stickler, I just didn't understand the wording (at
first).
Paul Tseng
My Website
Alexander's Photo
Albums
Free Cello
Music!
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DoDahlberg
Moderator
Posts:
59
(5/23/01 10:59:09 am)
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Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
I think Justin's post on the same subject mentioned the time the
cabbie lost getting the cello back to Harrell. When your livelihood
depends on how much time you are at work/on task then the $75 just
doesn't cut it; cabbie's are not salaried workers. If someone can
own a $4 mil. cello as Gary said, right thing or not, it's just
insulting. Too bad Harrell had to rethink it after the bad press.
Dorie |
dennisw
Registered
User
Posts: 186
(5/23/01 11:30:08
am)
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Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
Agreed.
He could have thrown it out of his car trunk and
run over it then turned it in for the same $75.
Or he could
have left it in the trunk from which it was "stolen" (more than
$75).
Or he could have put it on the "Tehran Express" (more
than $75).
Or he could have done what is done so often:
pawned it (for more than $75).
Or he could have sold it on
the street (for more than $75).
Lynn is worse than a
cheapskate. He's an idiot.
|
SW
Registered User
Posts: 38
(5/23/01 12:26:38 pm)
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Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
I've found from being around extremely wealthy family members and
their friends, that many people who are rather well off totally lose
touch with the value of things--and how hard the average person has
to work to earn a living. (I'm sure there are exceptions.) They will
toss a check or money of relatively low monetary value (especially
to them) with the same attitude that someone may toss a scrap of
meat to a dog, and then pat themselves on the back for being ever so
generous. There are many things the great Lynn may have done (with
his manager taking care of it, he wouldn't even have needed to get
involved)...How about a pair of tickets to the B'way show of the
cabbie's choice or a gift certificate to a great dinner or a pair of
box seats for a Yankee game (How thoughtful of you Lynn! What a
guy!)...and on and on...or a larger sum of money. A check that
barely covered the lost revenue for the time it took to return the
instrument is surely an insult, but New York sure would have been
berated in the media by him if he didn't get the Strad back. I'll
remember this the next time I'm inclined to fork over $50+ to see
him perform. By the way, is it his Strad or does it belong to
someone else?
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JanJan2
Registered
User
Posts: 151
(5/23/01 12:30:34
pm)
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|
Before we jump
all over Lynn . . .
The article said the cabbie went to Lynn's agent's office to claim
his reward sans "thank you." Could it be that Harrell, away on tour
somewhere on another, trusted his agent to handle this? I thought I
read somewhere that Lynn couldn't go back to look for the cello
because he was about to leave the country. So he says to his agent
"You take care of this." The agent screws up, and when the cabbie
broadcasts it, the agent claims Lynn is the cheapskate. Couldn't it
have been something like that?
In any case, the amount was
totally insufficient. And the cabbie is due a personal apology and
"thank you" from Harrell. Hopefully both shortcomings will be
rectified ASAP.
Janet |
Patricia2
Registered
User
Posts: 137
(5/23/01 2:42:11
pm)
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|
What could the
cab driver have done with it?
Just curious -
I mean, realistically -- wouldn't it be tough
to
"dispose" of such a hot item?
Aren't pawn shops careful
about instruments?
I thought I heard that somewhere, that here in
NY, anyway,
they're protective of musicians -
But even if
it did end up in a pawn shop,
wouldn't it eventually be found,
and then wouldn't
there be some kind of criminal
charge?
I'm trying to picture someone outside my office
bldg
trying to sell a cello.....
As has been noted often on
these boards, most people
don't even know what a cello
is.
Not that I don't agree with you all --
about the
cheapskate thing - $4 mil or $2000,
$75 is a peculiar choice
-
And yes, there are plenty of other creative ways
to
"reward" the driver -
(though his reaction also seems a
little tacky to me,
I agree with Paul)
What a strange
story.
Edited by: Patricia2
at: 5/23/01 2:59:45 pm
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dennisw
Registered
User
Posts: 187
(5/23/01 2:50:18
pm)
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Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
If he's in NYC taking a cab instead of a limo, he's probably not
all that well off himself. I would say that Lynn is probably "out of
touch" with the common man for other reasons.
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DoDahlberg
Moderator
Posts:
61
(5/23/01 3:15:08 pm)
Reply
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Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
Funny. I think of people in NYC who take a cab as too stuck-up to
take the train. Limos go to airports, big entertainment events, and
Atlantic City. It's a perspective thing.
Dorie |
bridge
Registered User
Posts: 112
(5/23/01 3:21:22 pm)
Reply
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Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
Yes the amount was shameful, but even worse was the lack of a thank
you note.
Also, what was the agent's role in all of this?
Isn't this part of his job? Shouldn't he have made sure it was a
proper amount . . . that there was a thank you note . . . *written*
a thank you note for his client???
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42
Registered
User
Posts: 179
(5/23/01 3:28:48
pm)
Reply
|
1/53333 of the
value seems like a great reward :-P
so.... for my cello I would give a reward of $0.47
now THAT
would be one happy cabbie 
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Victor
Sazer
Registered User
Posts: 87
(5/23/01 3:55:54 pm)
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$75 Reward for
Lynn Harrell's Strad
Here is the whole story:
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/31060.htm
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SW
Registered User
Posts: 39
(5/23/01 3:58:48 pm)
Reply
|
Re: What could
the cab driver have done with it?
There are "people" who could have taken care of it, if you get my
drift...the same way famous artwork seemingly disappears out of
sight after a big heist. There are art thefts that go unsolved for
decades. In NYC the "right people" could have made that cello
disappear into a black hole. Such pros could have left the cabbie
looking like an unknowing, innocent bystander. By the way, I do
agree that the cabbie's remarks were more than a little tacky.
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Paul
Tseng ICS Staff
Administrator
Posts: 1303
(5/23/01 4:26:13 pm)
Reply
|
Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
With all due respect to my esteemed friend Victor,
The fact
that this article appeared in the NY Post says a lot and is
perfectly aligned with the tacky response our unfortunate Cab Driver
made.
If I were the cabbie I think I would have gotten a more
sympathetic response to a neutral statement and letting the public
cry foul on my behalf. At least my own crdibility would still be in
tact.
As for Lynn...
Well, if it were MY cello I think
I would have seen to it that the matter be handled (even if not by
myself) in a better manner. I mean, come on! $75 for thoughtfully
returning a $4 million strad is insulting.
Like my wife
says...thoughtfulness counts a lot more than the amount of money you
spend. I think I would have at least tried to appear more grateful
or at least have my agent make me look really grateful.
If I
were the agent, I would have said...Hey Lynn...we have to do better
than this or else this cabbie is gonna cry bloody murder all over NY
to any newspaper willing to smear your name.
Hmmmm....3
people...each did something silly.... oh well!
What I did (or
didn't do, as it were) that was so silly was not to be a cab driver
for Yo Yo, Kyung Wah and Lynn and drive off into the sunset with my
newfound toys! 
Paul Tseng
My Website
Alexander's Photo
Albums
Free Cello
Music!
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Ryan
Selberg .gif)
Registered User
Posts: 223
(5/23/01 4:29:42 pm)
Reply
|
Re: $75 Reward
for Lynn Harrell's Strad
Just out of curiosity (and by way of comparison), does anyone
remember if Yo Yo sent a thank you note or any form of compensation
to "his" cabbie? If so, how much? It seems like Lynn is getting very
negative press for "imitating" Yo Yo.
Ryan
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SW
Registered User
Posts: 41
(5/23/01 5:02:23 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Yo-Yo's
cello
I don't know about any check. I think the police tracked down the
cab from a receipt and it was found in the trunk, but maybe my poor
memory is failing me. I did see Yo-Yo on the news with the police or
whomever it was that helped to find it. He was thanking everyone
PROFUSELY. He went on about how wonderful New York is and New
Yorkers are and how such a happy ending could only happen in NYC or
something to that effect. It was shown on the local news on all of
the channels, I think. He was quite gracious. Anyone else have a
better memory than I do?
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Patricia2
Registered
User
Posts: 138
(5/23/01 5:44:28
pm)
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|
How much time
did the cab driver actually spend?
Two more newspaper articles, for anyone interested:
nydailynews.com/2001-05-2...112213.asp
nydailynews.com/2001-05-1...111378.asp
Sorry,
without knowing any more facts, I still think yes, cheapskate
--
but shame on cabbie for not just doing the right thing for the
sake
of doing the right thing -- or at least, having a sour
attitude. He could have gotten his story told, same amount of
publicity, and quite possibly the supposed 2nd "re-considered" check
as well, and come out a total
hero -- which I don't think he
does.
Edited by: Patricia2
at: 5/23/01 5:51:10 pm
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MaryK
Registered User
Posts: 593
(5/23/01 5:53:02 pm)
Reply
|
This
Thread
There's something about this thread that kinda turns me off. Here
we are, standing around talking about the Harrell Strad/cabdriver
incident, when we don't really know the full story, tut tut tutting
like a bunch of neighborhood gossips. *sigh* Oh well.
MaryK
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Len
Thompson
Registered User
Posts: 197
(5/23/01 7:40:46 pm)
Reply
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Re: This
Thread
I'm almost positive that my local newspaper mentioned that he sold
his house to purchase the cello. The reward may be low for this day
and age, and for NYC, but I feel sure he must feel thankful for the
return of his cello.
Len
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