"I'M A BOUNTY HUNTER" (recorded in real life)

Hey, it's Lyle here. Just a quick note that this episode was recorded in a real life over at Echo Park in Los Angeles. I went there and set up some chairs and a little sign that says, come talk to a real gecko, and I spoke to a lot of interesting people that came by to chat. I also added a phone call at the very end, so stick around for that. Also. The first guy that came up to me is wearing like tactical gear and stuff, but you can't tell because it's an audio only thing, but

Man?

Oh man, that's awesome. Hey, go ah you doing?

Don't go with your name Spike, Spike nice, that's a fucking cool name.

Well, thank you.

Yeah. So you guys are.

Agents, yeah, well bounty hunters.

Oh you bounty hunters? Yeah, a bounty hunter.

Yeah.

Can you explain what exactly that is?

Sure?

Uh, when somebody is arrested for a crime, I'm supposed to go to trial. They place a bond and that guarantees their appearance. Some people don't follow through. Bloke we're after right now, women by drugging them. Jesus and his girlfriend, his sister and her boyfriend put up one hundred thousand dollars to get him out, Oh my god, and then he skipped. So once we have a piece of paper from the court, I can arrest him the moment I put eyes on him, and I'm not constrained by search warrens.

Hello, Badger can talk, Bads. You want to talk after, well, let's I want to hear it from you first.

Yeah, So we figure this guy is one of two places. It's either being hidden by the girlfriend or he went to Korea. If you went to Korea, it's pretty easy. We got his career ID and you can't flush a toilet there without your ID number. Old made of mine is a retired brigadier general of the Marine Corps. So he'll hit the guys at the US embassy there because the Marines work for the State Department protect through the embassy.

So what are you guys doing at the park?

I scream, Yeah, we just finished the cases in Puente Hills, So we just got I live in Koreatown and so does she, So he came back this way.

So how long have you been spending trying to track this guy down?

We have one hundred and eighty six days to find him, and I would say, we're on about day twenty three.

You have one hundred and six days two hudred and eighty six one hundred and six, you're on day twenty three. Are you confident that you will find him?

Yeah?

So how are you like tracking him down again?

You were just like when he posts bail, the people that put up the surety have to give all kinds

So normally you offer them money to top.

Five thousand cash.

Wow, that could sway a lot of folks.

Yeah, because normally one hundred thousand dollars bond will get you a ten thousand bounty. We negotiated a twenty five thousand bounty on this because we might have to hop over to inshot him back a couple of times.

Oh wow, it's commission only if you will.

So this is it? You say, you only get paid if you.

Honey, bet, if you get it done. Man.

So you so have you seem like you've been doing this for a long time? Yeah, and in that period of time, have you ever sunk a ton of time into a case and just not found the person?

Well, you treat every case the same.

Yeah, and you have a procedure and you follow it and you'll realize two out of three in.

The time window.

Now, sometimes the bail agent, the guy that put up the bounty or put up the both the bounty and the bond, he may get an extension from the court. See California, people don't realize what's happened out here. Okay, for me, it's a money train, but for most people it's terrifying because they've made the compliance requirements for bounty hunters so incredibly difficult. I have one guy that's Allly, does contractor just as paperwork. Almost no bounty hunters that

It's going to be as if it never happened.

And that's going to go down to one year because they change the laws where we can't operate here. There's a few tenacious people, I spike will just get compliant. I have to have a permit for my handcuffs. I have to have a permit from my baton. I have to have a permit for my tear gas. I have to have an open carry permit. I have to have a concealed weapons permit. I have to have a guard card. It's and I even have to do eight hours with

Does this guy know that you're out there?

Absolutely?

And so he's he's actively so he's actively hiding from me. Yes, and so in your in your line of work, tell me, like the moments where you have locked eyes on a person, well physical idea, what is that like? That must be crazy intense.

Yeah, there's a lot of fun.

I'm getting a bit older now, I have some real big blokes that handle some of this for me. Now I've got Greedy, he's six eighty three hundred, and then I got Samson. He looks like NFL running Back, except bigger. It can happen one of two ways. One way you

You go to the sheriff.

Station, you take in your warrant from the court to show that you have the power to arrest this guy. You let him know where you're going to be lowing doors in, and then you go in with six to nine people and you just overpower them.

So once you know where they're at, you're not going in alone. You're going with the whole squad.

No, the only time you end up with something alone is where you just run into him at Ralph's.

That happened, Yeah, what is that like?

Well, that's a ton of fun because people around aren't prepared. You don't have anything in the cops station. You may not have body armor on, so you just well you charge them and you.

Charge at them.

Z time.

Do you have zip tares on you right now? Just a case of that happens.

No, you know, my last pairs in the car and says my body armor. But that'd be all right, Okay, we tie them.

Up with the mic cord.

That would be amazing if he just like just was walking by and.

We caught you.

You get these eyes from them and then you, you know, you give them some love and you try not to hurt them.

Okay, So interesting, we're.

Pretty particular people that hurt children, women Capitol. I had a great one, this guy, lovely fella. He was playing chess with his best friend and the guy beat him the temerity of it, so he shot him in the head and so he was on the FBI's most wanted list,

Yeah, but you got to go where they covi it.

This guy covets his little sister and he's in Mexico right now. And I'm not going to Gable of horror for one hundred grand, thank you.

No.

But when he comes back for her birthday party, then either you guys can go get him after I signed Himcause FBI gets real perstiicty.

They like to get their own callers. They don't want some contractor in the middle.

So you're an independent contract yes, right, And to these organizations like the FBI today, how what's your relationship like with them? Do you? They not like you.

I spent just today one hundred and twenty dollars at California Donuts. Yeah, which Eli Vera, who has the most righteous kills for the Sheriff's Department, swears is the best to them. It's in La Oka, and so when you like, we took it down to the cop shop and point to hills, made sure they had a dozen California Donuts. We got badger and delivering them. She's a lot prettier than I am, and you got to share respect. It's

This big you've gotten shot in.

The police are the biggest danger, not because they're bad blokes, but when you got a large, funny looking fellow like me wrestling somebody in the ground and throwing them in the trunk of the car, they can misinterpret that as a kidnapping. Oh shit, So they killed the chap over here not so long ago because he wasn't That's why we wear all this gear.

Yeah, yeah, just in case if like, like, have you ever been like shot by a con? Not yet, but that's like a part.

Well they got shot at with the twelve Games, but they missed Jesus.

Yeah, man, how long you doing all this for?

Two thousand and eight?

Since two thousand and eight, so math, but.

Yeah, fourteen years.

Fourteen years. Yeah, that's what I was taking fourteen years. Have you always wanted to do this?

No? No, I was a professional soldier before, okay.

And I just thought, well, you know, how do you take these skills and put them into society in a productive way. I don't like evil, so we don't want to get child Muster's rapists and capital murderers out the street.

I like that.

I like that, And these are people that didn't show up for courts. They screwed everybody that loves them. Yeah, and you know, I've had a few ruckuses with the FBI, and I stayed and faced the music and it all went away. Because you're innocent, you don't bold. So, I mean, you know a lot of analysis for my gecko, what's.

Been the most difficult part of your job?

Uh, sometimes you feel sorry for the bloke. Really, That's why I prefer more heinous crimes.

Where I also get to this is that's a super interesting thing. What makes you feel sorry for people even if they've done heinous things.

Well, I mean, I'm born again and I used to be a really evil person, and so I can't judge anybody. Most of the people I arrested probably nicer than I was. But you know, sometimes if somebody got another chance, they might make it.

But that's not my duty.

A guy gives me a contract, somebody basically stole one hundred thousand from him, or two hundred and fifty thousand or a million, and it's my job to go bring them in and then they face the music that they created interesting.

So because you're you're born again and you're sort of reformed from a life in which you yourself were doing things that were not so great, it gives you a greater empathy for people who are also doing things that.

Are Yeah, so that's why I'm not interested in people that haven't committed much in the way of crimes, and the crimes aren't that serious.

Sure, you're going for the real mind.

And you look at the file, right, this guy's got a ten year older girlfriend he's using and then she's going to lose your house now, and then he's brought in and the sister. He's got a boyfriend that's twenty years old that I went to his house and I got his idea, right yeah, And he's like, I.

Don't know this guy.

And I'm like, I'm standing here next to you, but I haven't talked to the police in the area yet. I'm not gonna make a ruckas today.

It's amazing.

Everybody's innocent and they're all the victim.

That's very interesting.

Well, here, where's my phone here? So you know seeing's believing right? Yeah?

Yeah, definitely what you got on that.

Well, you got to keep the stress up on the people that are going to drop the dime, right, Yeah, so here is this is the girlfriend.

Okay, so here's the text you've you've been sending texts. Oh, he's got the guy that you're find, the guy that you're looking for, and he's a text to his girlfriend.

Yeah, yeah, Okay.

So this is a weird case because he could turn himself into the embassy and soul and I got enough hookups from the Marine Corps, I don't have to go. Yeah, and we can make it a lot easier on him because the Orange County DA It's just isn't really a crime in California.

You probably just exonerate him, not extraded him.

Really, it's not a crime in California.

It's not one that'll extradite from a foreign country.

Jesus.

Anyway, we went by.

I was going to put a tracker will not officially you can't do that in California. But let's say that somebody was going to put a tracker. This would be a bad location. So we just took a picture of the car. I said, we were in town. Your attorney hasn't called me tell us this location. Please five thousand in cash.

You won't know how we found him. We'll be back to serve the lean on your house. Be smart, give him up. My attorney'll call you. My attorney will suit you. Yes, this is.

Okay, I mean have him called. It is diurney before you lose your home? Miss, How am I supposed to do this? How am I supposed to?

You know?

How to get him do the right thing? You just keep the same message going.

Oh wow, yeah, that's that's crazy.

I mean, you think she should stay with him?

I don't know. I don't think she should stay with him at all.

All right, so she probably ought to move on. She probably ought to keep her house.

Yeah, I know, she probably give him, give him up.

Yeah, and i'd give her five thousand in cash.

Man, these are wild. So you're you're, you're you must see you know, doing what you do. You must see like sides of humanity that that most people don't get to see.

Oh, that's a probably a fair statement.

We get the true flawtsom which is nice tonight. On an average week, we've cleaned La out of one. Hardened criminals comeback.

And you get a deep sense of pride from doing that.

No, I get a deep of paycheck. So you know, you got to make a living here, and how do you do it honorably?

Yeah?

When all I know how to do is blow things up and shoot at them.

And you, if you're going to blow things up and shoot them, you might as well do it. You're you're like dexter, kind of dexter.

I do personal protection, but I'm not good with the blue eminem set.

What are blue?

You know the stars that you've got to escalades driving up bel air hills backwards, And I've never seen Bill m d m a all over your car, and you gotta explain. I got a deal though, I'm going to Israel. In Israel, well, I'm growing out in my beard, okay, and I'll shave my head so I look like the.

Guy that i'm protecting.

That way, he's got a fifty percent greater chance of living right away because he can shoot the wrong fellow. He wrote a book about Islam that was deemed defensive, so they have a.

Fought kill order on him.

Oh Jesus, So I get to see the Holy Land, and if I can keep him alive, it'll be a bonus.

Well, so you're defending somebody who has a fatwall on them. Yeah, yeah, did he pay you to defend them?

Oh, I'm doing this one pro bono. They just pick up my air fair at Israel and my hotel. I get to see the Holy Land.

What you're doing a pro bonum just to see your the Holy Way.

I'd like to keep him alive because he seems like a nice chap and i'd like to see the Holy Land.

That's awesome. Are you deeply religious?

No, I'm not religious. I'm Christian. It's completely different.

Okay, what is uh sort of keeping you in touch with your Christianity.

God Jesus once you're born again. It's profound.

I live my life for him rather than fit him into my life like a religious person would.

Yeah, we know the guidelines that.

I try to try to do my level best to serve well.

Spike, it's been crazy talking to you, man. Thank you for your time. I mean sitting down and chatting where. Oh I'm on a YouTube thing?

Seriously?

Yeah?

All right?

Well, if this one publishes Spike likes the Gecko, I will endorse you.

I appreciate that.

Man.

If I if I, if anyone ever calls a fatwa on me, I'll give you a call. Beautiful, Can I talk to you badger you guys, busy Okay, no worries, I got it. Thank you very much, man, I appreciate it. Take care of Spike. But that was pretty wild, see you guys. You know what's crazy about doing this show is that sometimes you sit around for forty five minutes, ask a bunch of people if they're down to talk

Crazy though, because like please, I'd listen to you constantly at work and I'll you know, hop in the live streams you. Yeah, I've tried calling in so many times.

Okay, now here now that we're okay, this is perfect.

But this is wild.

This is perfect because now that we're here, what is there a thing that if you called in you would want to talk about that we can do? This is better. We can do it in face to face.

I just wanted to be on the show.

Really okay, but but okay, when you're listening to the podcast though, and I know this because I've done this with podcasts that I've listened to. I imagine what I would say were I on the show. You've never once, as you've listened to all these people's share things, You've never once thought yourself, what would I share if I were on the podcast? Not?

I mean, I don't know. I just know I haven't. I haven't really thought about it.

Like I'm going to get to the fucking bottom of you before this. This is a challenge that I'm accepting.

This is unreal.

What is what is your life like? Because give me a baseline?

All right, So this is my beautiful girlfriend.

That's wonderful. Hello, nice to meet you.

I work, I build closets, Okay, pretty simple life. I do play video games.

Okay, you build closets, you play video games, you live a simple life. What is your relationship with the life you live? Do you ever reevaluate your simple life and wish to make it more complex? Or are you fairly happy where you're at?

And I'm more so striving for more?

Okay?

Ah, fuck more so?

Hold on, No, I'm here, I'm with you. I should brought water. Can you have any water?

No?

We had water.

Okay, We'll be fine. We can swallow our own spit, clear our throws that way throat throats, I said throats, which would be a good plural for the words throat. You live a minimalistic lifestyle, but you were striving for more, that's what you were saying.

No, it's not minimalistic. I spend a lot of money at hobbies.

Okay, and stuff like that. Okay, but you would say simple, simple for the most part.

Yeah.

Okay. Now, when you when you say you're striving for more, could you put towards at all? What that more would be?

Definitely more money, more money, striving for more money.

Okay, you spend a lot of money. You're striving for more money. What do you do now? You build closes? Can you make a lot of money building closets?

Not at the pace that I'm at, okay, but definitely in the future. If I keep going with it, okay, I would be able to get to a certain point where I would be making a lot more money than I am now.

Okay, and this money, you said you spend a lot of money. What do you spend money on?

Do you know what? You know what Funko pops are?

Yes? I do know.

Funk Oh dude, I have. I have quite a few of those. I think I have like ninety.

Five of them with ninety five Funko pops.

But my whole collection value is worth like five grand.

I think these Funko pops? H Do they give you great joy in life?

Yes?

You said that instantly, you didn't have to think about it.

Nope.

And so you said you want more money. Yeah, if you got more money, would you spend it on more Funko pops?

No? No, probably not maybe every once in a while, But I mainly want to start saving up more money to start traveling.

To start traveling, okay, you need to save up money for a gigantic suitcase so that you can bring all the Funko pops with you when you go. Yeah, okay, yeah, you want to start traveling, where do you ian?

I go A couple of places that I have in mind are like Japan, I'm gonna go to Japan. I want to go to Egypt Cairo.

Do they have rare funko pops and that you can only get in Egypt in Cairo? Or am I overestimating the place that funko pops take in your life?

Yeah? Yeah, a little bit of an overestimation. I mainly want to go because of you know how pretty all the spaces are.

Ok Uh these funko pops you without hesitation answered very confidently that they give you great joy in life? Could you explain why.

It's more so? Uh, ship, this is okay because it kinda reaches just pressed the button.

Oh no, there's no way.

He let me.

Let me see that, ruth Like, there we go, beful, there we go.

Yeah, so, I guess it's more so hinting towards like childhood stuff coming from a little bit of a poor family, buying myself things that I couldn't necessarily have as a kid.

M okay, and buying yourself things that you couldn't have as a kid gives you fulfillment? Yes, are you just like stuff from your childhood? In general? Do you have a lot of sort of childhood toys.

Yeah, I have a lot of Legos, a lot of comic books, a lot of funk pops.

Yeah, okay, you want more money to travel? What is between you and making more money?

I'm trying to balance school right now too.

Oh you go to school so well?

Not fully, but I'm trying to get myself back into the groove.

What do you do at school?

Ship?

Right now? I'm just trying to build up enough credits at my community college so I can transfer into like a regular state school.

Okay, And then you want to does that like lead you to a major that you want to do that gets you into career?

You want to do business?

Uh? Business and business management?

Business and business management? What what do you want to do in business business?

I definitely want to open up my own store sometime some day.

What kind of store is it related? Really?

Okay?

I want a comic book store.

Yeah, Like I want to build or not build, but I want to make like a safe space for a lot of people that are into stuff like that. So I wanted to kind of I want to sell comics collectibles, and I want like the store to open up during certain hours and then after after hours. It would be like a place where people can go and play games like dragons, like card games and shit like that.

Now you said you mentioned safe space. Now you you seem like you are more interested in the community aspect of this than just the you know, the toys tell me growing up or just even now in your regular life. These things you identify with comic books, funkal pops. Have you found yourself? I guess at the subject of scrutiny for your your liking of them, and that is propelling you to want to make a place where people who

I don't know, not entirely sure if what that word means, but.

Like shit, you know, like like you said, a safe space, space where I guess that implies people won't get made fun of when they're doing you know.

Yeah, no, well yeah, because I know that a lot of people like look upon people who are really into that and are like, oh, your fucking nerd, and like, go do that in like a private space, like we don't want to see you. Sure, because like if you like, most of the people that like walk into like a coffee show or something like that. They're they're just like if you see someone playing a game like that and they're like, why the fuck are you doing this here?

Yeah?

Yeah, have you often felt ashamed for doing things that you like?

Sometimes? Sometimes if I'm like in a bookstore, if I'm in like the comic book section, shit like that, I feel like people have wondering judged the eyes.

Hmmm. It's interesting to hear you say that, because I'm the My favorite part of this interaction has been you answered. You answered the question of if these funkl PROCs bring these Funkle pops, if they bring Jordan your live you answer immediately, You're like yes, and there's no has I can tell that they really do. And that's a happiness that I think a lot of the people that are ashamed that you know what might be giving you those those eyes that maybe you feel used to. They they're

I mean too.

It's probably gonna cost a lot of money. Probably you don't have to sell the Funko pops. Probably, but you would rather die, wouldn't you.

Yeah?

What's your name?

Drew?

Thank you for talking about echo, Drew. I appreciate you, man, appreciate you too. I liked that guy. I could sense some nervousness from him, some apprehension from him, but I really want to get I really wanted to get to the core of his emotions, his views, his feelings. And I think we did. And I think he showed up not having anything to say, and then subconsciously reveal things that he wanted to say, and then we tried to get him to say more about the things. I have

My brother is a big fan of you.

Oh?

Hell yeah.

I send him a picture of you right now, and he's like, you gotta go talk to him, like he's super cool.

Fucky. All right, let's do it. Let's let's have a little chat for your brother. Augustine.

Augustine, Yeah, what's your life life?

Huh?

My name is Lyle Lyle nice meets man too.

What's your life like?

Uh like, what do you mean like in general general?

Yeah?

Pretty good?

Pretty good.

Yeah, I'm pretty young.

It could be better, you know, like I'm still looking for a career and whatnot. But yeah, pretty good so far.

Okay, So there's a lot of like you said, you're yeah, how old are you? I'm twenty two two? And there's a question marks, yes, out in the distance, a lot of question marks. How are you feeling when you see those questions marks on the distance?

Pretty worrisome? But I'm pretty optimistic about it. You know, I'm still pretty young, so I feel that I have a lot of time to figure things out and to experiment with a few career options and whatnot. Right now, I'm actually into photography, so I'm hoping to start a photography business, maybe getting to wedding photography.

You know what I mean?

Is that what's in there?

Yeah, it's what's in here here? Yeah?

Okay, what's been what's been uh exciting to you about photographing things?

I just like it's just a passion of mine.

I like editing photos specifically, I like wedding photography.

That's my thing, you.

Know, And why wedding. Is there any aside from the fact that it's probably the most lucrative form of photography. Is there anything that you enjoy about it? Do you? Are you like captivated by love?

Uh?

Yeah, i'd say so. I just like the events, wedding events. I just like the atmosphere, you know, like everyone's always happy, everyone's smiling, and uh yeah, and it's.

Just it's just a fun time.

I actually shot a few wedding photography gigs here and there, and yeah, it was.

The time of my life.

When it's been about four hours, they're slowly packing things up. You've gotten all the footage that you need. Do you sneak any food? Yeah? Of course, Okay you have to. What's the best thing you've eaten in one of these weddings? Best thing I've only been to like his fanic weddings, So the best thing. It's probably just like tacos or like some kindness out that's some steak, you know what I mean, some stuff like that. But yeah, I haven't tried any cakes though from weddings. I like hearing you

Yeah, of course, I think of course I say that now, but probably not for like the next ten years or so.

Okay, yeah, what about you, man, Man, I have I have a complicated relationship with relationships in general, you know, I don't. I don't know, man, I like, I love I have great friends and I love them, and I have great family and I love them. And then think about like romantic relationships, is that like they're just they're tricky,

Yeah, yeah, no, for sure, especially just finding trust in someone you know.

Just like, yeah, if you think about it.

It's a stranger that you're meeting totally and you're slowly getting to know each other.

It's it's very it's anxious. It's all anxiety.

Right.

Do you how trusting of a person are you? Just in general?

I'm pretty trusting, probably too good for my own Like, has.

There been a time where you have been very trusting and it is backfired on you?

That's a yes, I forgive more than you know, I forgive more than I should.

I guess really yeah, and you don't. You don't have to tell me if you can't think of anything or don't want to share. But has there been a time where you feel like you forgave and you shouldn't?

It's more Yeah, this is I don't want to share it too much. But yeah, there's been situations where yeah, sure it's been like that, But I don't think it's more about like me forgiving the person. That's just like trying to forgive myself. A communicating with a person. Sometimes someone doesn't want to be have that conversation with you, you know what I mean. Let's say like you do

Sure yea.

And the way I approach it is like, I'm not trying to get your forgiveness. I need to forgive myself. I want to apologize, I'm in the wrong, YadA, YadA YadA. Yeah, but I have to figure myself at the end of the day. And if you can accept my forgiveness, then I'm okay for that.

You know. That's uh. I like. I like that way of thinking because you can't control whatever. But you can't you you have no control you are I like that because your brain is operating solely within the things that you can control. You can control, You apologize, you do the best you can to make, you know, to make amends with a person, and then from there it's you know, you can't make them forgive you, but you can forgive yourself.

Yeah.

I like that because it's uh. Again, it's it's dealing heavily with the things that are within your control.

Yeah, it's like a It's like stoicism.

It's very much.

Yeah. Yeah.

Do you are you into stock philosophy?

I'm into it, but I think that following it, like heart to heart, like you know, like hardcore hardcore is like too extreme and you're basically a psychopath at that point.

Like I don't know, I like part of me wants to get there, man, Like well not even just I think stoicism in the form of like I have no emotions or I don't connect with people is like I don't. I don't think that that's what stoicism is necessarily, but like little things like that, like being a master at worrying about things that are within my control and not

He's been walking around for a minute.

Oh yeah, I know I'm gonna find him because he's got this freaking bugs bunny flavored thing that I'm I got my eye on. Have you in the past been drawn to any of these more negative philosophies. Have you been nihilistic in the past.

Especially after a breakup or something, you know what I mean? Okay, like what else can you do? You just have to be hating the world, like, oh, I hate I hate this, you know, like nothing's gonna change.

How did you get yourself out of that nihilistic point? Unto you seem I don't know you very well, but you seem like you're you don't seem very nihilistic to me. Yeah, no, how did you get yourself out of that?

Yeah?

Thank you? I don't know you just you know, do things that you like to do.

For me, what really helped me with just communicating with friends, with family, really spending time by yourself and getting to know yourself, what your faults are when you could be better at you know. Yeah, you're just like doing things that you can enjoy. Yeah, that's my thing.

And so these let's go back to these question marks. You're experimenting with photography. What else you're you experimenting with right now?

I'm experimenting with CSI crime scene investigations.

Crime scene investigation, Yes, sir, that's the I guess that's sort of in a in a similar ish realm of photography. I was about to say that they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

But there's forends of photography, you know, like when you go to crime scenes and they take the photos of the dead bodies and stuff.

Would that be like your ship?

I tried it and it's pretty interesting.

I like it.

What do you mean you tried it? Where do you go to try out photograph?

And just like internships, you know, courses and whatnot.

I don't know if you're like going to get training the police.

Not like a vigilanta or nothing like that.

Okay, what is inspiring to you about crime scene investigation?

I just like the service.

I like the idea of going to a place, looking at all the evidence and using it to someday collect enough evidence to like convict the bad guy, you know what I mean. And it's a it's a very it's a very humbling position too. So it's a very humbling position too, because you know, you're surrounded by hard things, you're surrounded by negative things all the time, and somehow you have to get the job done and do what you have to do to like comfort a victim or

In the meantime.

Interesting, you're again like doing everything that's in your control, right, some of these question marks, there are things that aren't in your control. They're like, oh, this field is hard to get into these it's hard to get clients for photogets, this and that. But everything that's within your control you're doing. Yeah, you know, I love that that way of approaching thing.

Thank you?

Does that make you less anxious at all? Just knowing like, okay, at least I am giving all I've got to this question, mink.

It's a work in progress.

I don't think anyone just jumps into like all right, I'm going to control my emotions today. Like you know, there's feelings of anxiety for sure of on sureness, but you know we'll exposure.

You know, it'll go away. You know, that's that's my thing.

Are you Are you at the park just walking around by yourself?

Yeah, I'm actually not from here, from a long beach. It's like thirty minutes away from here?

What are you doing here?

I went over to apply for a photography position at a Harley Davison.

Dude, you're a hustler. Maybe fine this question mark, sir, what's what's a question mark? There needs to be a new symbol for like a question mark that will eventual like like a cocoon mark. You know what I'm saying. It's like there's a question, and it's a question right now, but it is inevitable that the question mark will turn into a beautiful exclamation point butterfly. Right, we need a new symbol for whatever you got going on because you're inevitable. Yeah, from how I s thank you?

Thank you?

Of course you're right.

Yeah, like it's like a cocoon. It's there, but yeah, not there yet. Yeah, not for sure for sure, but thank you, man. I appreciate that. I'm just trying, you know, trying my hardest out here. I think we're all trying, you know, to be who we want to be and whatnot. But yeah, what got you into this? Like we always like this when you're young? Did you want to talk to people? Like did you have that urge?

I was looking through my old journals. Yes, I don't I don't journal as much as I did in the past, but I was looking through a journal from four years ago. I started this two years ago, and at the end of my journal, I wrote, I want to get better at talking to people. And this was before I had the idea to do this, and so I think it's been a it's been a warm in my mind for a while, you know, to be doing this.

That's awesome.

That's awesome.

Yeah, thanks man, that's hard for so.

I don't know, I'm for me. It was kind of you started.

I was gonna say, you started this off like you looked very nervous, and now you look very chill.

Thank you think, which is.

Something I love seeing that too. And this has to see it people all the time, like the start off. I see it myself all the time where I start off. I walked up here with my fucking thing. I was like, is this a stupid idea to come to I've done this a billion times. Every time I do it, I'm like, this is a stupid idea. And then I'm a little nervous and now I'm here in the moment, so and it's trained me. It's interesting because now when I recognize

Uh No, just have a great one and do what you gotta do. You know what I mean, and stay strong. That's utiful.

Thanks for talking to a sure man. Good luck with your photography. Man, I fucked to that guy. He was cool. I love I love seeing it and other people and in myself situations where you start nervous and then you just breeze through it.

It.

I think that happens enough times you start to recognize the familiar journey of that and h keeps you calm as you navigate it. But I like that guy. He was a good homa and I wish him luck in uh photography, and I wish him luck in his dead people photography business.

How's it going?

It's going good man. What's your name?

Sandro?

Sandro? Yours Lyle, mister Lyle Gecko, mister Lyle Gecko.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

Man.

What's what's your life like?

That's fine? I guess, okay, how about yours?

What would make it better?

You want to make it better?

I would make it better.

I guess.

Yeah.

Okay, he just just made my day.

That's awesome.

What are you are you?

What's bringing you here to this park?

Actually? I just want to enjoy him on Saturday, okay, and learning some texts.

Learning some text yeah, I memorize what kind of text?

It's for a script?

Oh?

Are you an actor?

Yeah?

Oh? What kind of What kind of acting do you do? Dramatic acting, comedic acting.

Whatever you want? I know I'm not that good in comedian. Well, actually I would like to act as a get coal.

Yeah, okay, I should have brought an extra suit.

If you had another one, I would definitely word it and I would take a swim, I promise I do.

Kind of it's getting a little high. Do you kind of want to dive into the lake at some point?

Maybe I should wear swan like the boats?

Did you move to La to become a star.

No, not really, just to to live that life. I like to act. It's not the goal actually to be a star. But I just I feel so many emotions when I act. What kind of emotions the whole bunch, from happy to said. I can feel that if I act in like in front of a camera, but I can't feel it in my personal life, like if I'm just talking to a normal person's average persons. I never get those emotions which I get when I do acting.

Really, yeah, tell me, okay, give me a Let's start with just any emotion that comes to your mind that you get when you're acting that you don't get in your real life.

Really, sadness, deeply sadness with tears. I can't have tears.

Really, you don't get deeply sad in your own life?

Yeah, I get said, of course, I guess everyone gets. But I never can. I never can cry. I mean once in two years I can maybe have two or three tears. But I like to have tears. I think it's kind of a nice feeling, but I don't get it often. But when I act, the tears are coming.

Well, when you're acting and you're giving these tears, do you think that those tears, although they are product if you're acting, come from a real place.

I guess they're come from a real place. Yeah, I'm pretty sure of that because I'm thinking about real moments in my life which made me almost had tears in my real life. But now when I act, the tears are coming. When I think back, it's like, I don't know, something psychic.

What kinds of things make you sad?

What kind of things make me sad? Yeah, that's a good question. It makes me sad if people don't treat the nature right, if they like throw away waste or just throw cigarettes into the lake, or I don't know, kick animals. Some things make me really sad. Or if people don't help each other, if they are honking at each other on the streets, I hate that. I would never do that because I think it's very rude. What do you think?

I also I think it's very weird too, when people hawk on the street. I think that honking, like cars don't really need horns, because honking is less of a thing that provides solutions to problems and more of just an expression of anger for the sake of that expression. Right, So car horns make you cry people being meant to animals makes you.

I agree, definitely.

And when you are acting and you're crying, you're thinking about these things.

Not about the car honking, but yes, about all Yeah.

What what's another emotion that you channel for reacting.

Like real?

I would say, real, honest happiness, because I don't get these feelings a lot, a lot. I'm not one of the sunshine persons which can walk like this the whole day. I mean, I of course I'm happy sometimes, but not not all the day. And it's not that it's not the same. You get it.

You're not a very happy person just in general, or like I.

Would say that, I'm just average, I guess happy, not just.

Do you wait? Okay, So when you're acting and you're channeling happiness, what are you thinking about when you're channeling that?

Oh, just very little things in life which made me sometimes really happy, Like if I see someone picking on waste and throw it into the garbage can or something like that, that can make me really happy. It's just a few seconds of a day, or like if I talk to you right now, that makes me happy.

To be honest, I'm glad that talking to me. It has made you happy. That's very sweet.

Have you say, I.

Hope it's the same for you.

Yeah, talking to you has made me happy as well.

Actually it should make you happy, otherwise you probably not do it.

Yeah, now I feel similar, and I.

Like costumes also.

Well have you ever do you think wearing a costume would make you feel happy?

Oh?

Yeah, definitely. I got a tiger, which I were every year at Carnival.

Now I'm what what emotion? What about anger? Do you feel? Anger?

Not that often. Actually, it's more sadness than anger, which I feel because I do a lot of sports. It's maybe because of my workouts. I'm just calming down every day so I never get on a high level or it's never it never gets big.

What's your dream role?

Dream role? To be a GETU? That would be cool.

I think that would be cool too. It's fun being a get go I guess.

So.

Isn't it hot?

It is hot, but I'm kind of getting used to it. It's been chill talking to you. I've you're calming me down a little bit. I feel like I've been out here for about two hours.

Yeah, something like that in here too.

You know you've been here for two hours? What have you been doing.

Yeah, I was just memorizing texts.

Can you recite what you memorized at all?

You want to hear it?

Yeah?

Can I do.

It's like I'll have a bowl of your raising brand. You want to share this? That was the first two lines, and if you want to get the script, I can give you and you can read a part.

I think I'll wait until the final product is out on TV. Is a Raisin brand commercial?

Almost? No, it's about that's from a script from Silver Linings. Do you know the movie Say.

A Linings Playbook?

Yeah?

Okay, I thought it was a Raisin brand commercial.

No, it's not that there. It's a long story. Okay, put it away, did you?

Hmm?

What are you feeling right now?

Column? I'm looking forward to to go to Panda Express after.

That's why I go after this really Yeah.

I love Panda I like Pan Express too.

That's just the.

Best fast food. I don't like to call it fast food because there's rice and vegetables and vegetables.

Yeah.

Yes, I'm looking forward for this and I'm going out.

Thank you, meet you man, Thank you for talking to a gecko. Hello is Ashley? Yes? How are you doing? Ashley? I'm good. How are you get Ashley? It says here that you're thirty three years old, you're from Texas. It says you're having trouble dating on because it's hard to get guys to actually meet up with you. Tell me more about about this this issue that you were having on Tender.

Well, I feel like it's not really the meeting up. It's more like the communication and stuff. So like right now, I have probably like sixty matches right, and none of those sixty, I only have like five active conversations, like five people that have actually messaged me or I've messaged them first and they responded right, and it's like we'll get to the point where we exchange numbers and then

This is a lot?

This is a lot going on? Here is going on here? It's a lot, Ashley's a lot. There's a lot going on here. Okay, So listen, first of all, the like you off the gate, you started out with this roommate thing about how he's got roomates. So you've got roommates. So I mean, are you just looking to like are you just like looking to like meet somebody off tin Tinder and just like hook up with them? Are you looking to like go out on dates?

Like?

What do you what do you actually like desire out of your out of this experience?

Well, I mean, I'm open to both, but it's like neither as you really have at the moment. I've only been on tender for probably like three months, four months, and I've actually met.

Up with.

Uh three guys.

Three guys was horrible? Yeah, well okay, all right, so you've been up with three guys already. Okay, so so why were they horrible?

Okay, the guy that I actually messed around it, I think that's It's also like I now I may be in maybe in my dream because the guy who actually met up with he doesn't want to do the date stuff and that's cool, but also the sex is fucking horrible. And I was like, I'm the sucking open person, Like I'm like, okay, we can try this, so we can try that, and it's still just really worth it.

Okay.

The first guy, the sex was just bad. Yeah, what about the other two guys?

Yeah, the other guy he was into like the kink lifestyle and that he was into some stuff that I just wasn't comfortable with basically like restraining me and doing all this other kind of stuff like I do we don't have to give the miller, but like that was just beyond my comfort field. So that didn't work out.

Okay, difference in and sexual preference stuff. The third guy.

The third guy was fucking married. After we met, like on the date, we met about this really nice little restaurant and it was everything was going so great, Like there was chemistry, the conversational, he was handsome. I was like, yeah, it's a bit and then he's like yoh, so my wife. I'm like, wait what you never what? Like, oh my god? So that obviously didn't work.

Oh well, I mean listen, did he not? So he didn't he didn't have included in his profile that he was married, not at.

All, because why would I waste my time?

It's true? Okay, So not there these three guys worked out. Uh listen, Ashley, it might just take you a little bit of time to find the situation that you're looking for. It might just be a numbers game for you, you know what I'm saying. Okay, So I mean I would just would I just wouldn't give up. And by the way, let me tell you something. You're talking about how it's it's hard to get guys to meet up with you.

Okay.

So I mean, look, if you want to take that initiative to you know, say hey, let's meet up, everyone you talk to about that will be you know, receptive to it. If if my if my my predictions about uh, you know, guys on Tinder are correct, h they'll they'll

That's really some of the risk. I really appreciate that because I'm kind of waiting for them to come to me, you know, like, oh, they'll message to me first, or if they want to, they'll let me know. But I think it's solid advice.

For yeah, fuck that, fuck all. Whatever the gender roles, the guys gotta do the fucking just. If that's what you want, just take the initiative for it.

Gotcha, good?

Good? What's your what's your name again?

Ashley?

Ashley?

Ashley? Good luck to you. Don't get in it where a condom? They're female condoms, right, how does that work? You just like put it in your.

I imagine it might be similar to way you know they have those clips your period maybe something like that, but it's like goes up in your eye. Honestly, I don't know.

Well I'm not so sure. You know, have fun, don't get pregnant, or do if that's what you want, do whatever you want. Uh? Mary is your name again?

Mary?

Actually back?

Ashley? Oh sorry, I'm bad.

You can stay you just stay awesome, stay sext back. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Have a good rest of the night.

Never think.

It goes on the line, Think of your phone calls every night.

Never think and goes to on his hide.

You're teaching you a cloud in the middle of your life, but he's not ready.

An expert