I’ve completed more than a few trades here on Zwaggle. All of them have been easy - pop the item in the mail, check in a few days and notice that my zoint level has increased. I’ve yet to redeem my zoints - waiting for just the right item makes the anticipation that much sweeter. Recently, I was contacted by a local woman to complete a trade with the drop off option. Sure, no trouble, I thought to myself. She even lived within five minutes of me. And she wanted to meet with me on my way to Target. Bonus! I’d trade a few of those dvd’s that I’d listed and then I could breeze on to Target for some clothes for Mommy laundry detergent.

We arranged that I’d meet with her at the corner gas station. I pulled in at the arranged time, driving my husbands black work car, which reminds me of a car that The Godfather would drive. It is definitely a fancy, flashy car. I looked around for my buyer. No one. Of course, I’d neglected to determine what she looked like, and mentally, I smacked myself. Was that her, walking towards me with the black handbag? No, she avoided my eyes. Not typical behavior for a mom interested in acquiring a Bob the Builder dvd for her child. Seeing a movement from the corner of my eye, I flipped around. Was that her? No. She chatted on a cell phone, clearly ignoring me. There! Another woman - no, she had groceries from the store. Not her, then.

A car pulled up alongside me and the occupant peered into my car. Was that her? No, it was a POLICE OFFICER. Why was he looking at me? I was just sitting there, minding my business, waiting for my customer…

And then it hit me. I was driving a new, fancy black car,a late model sedan with a shiny, oversized grill. I was sitting on the outer edges of a parking lot, watching the people walk by as I waited for my customer. Scrutinizing each person as they walked by. Oh, NO! He thought I was a DRUG DEALER!

I held up the dvd and smiled lamely. He smiled back and drove off, and almost immediately, I saw two other women approaching me. Certainly one of these? Yes, one was my buyer. A friendly woman, delighted to complete her trade and releasing me from the job of waiting, and sitting, and apparently, looking guilty.

Note to self: Next time you arrange a trade, do so in a less flashy car and be a bit more typical in your choice of rendezvous locations. I don’t think “Blogger arrested for trading videos” is a headline we need to see here at Zwaggle.