T-Bone’s Flowers & Gifts
Sorry if it’s been a little quiet this week, I’m in the midst of a big apartment move. Ha, while I was cleaning out some old college boxes, I found this card that someone gave me the first night I was in New York. I was 18 and still scared to be out in the city at night, and all of a sudden, this really sketchy thug-looking guy is coming in my direction. He reaches in his pocket, and I’m expecting a knife or gun…
But then he hands me this card. “You need flowers? Anytime. We deliver. [wink]” And I remember being like, “wow, isn’t that nice, all night flower delivery.”
And then I thought, “wait a minute….”
I wonder if ol’ T-Bone is still delivering “flowers” to Columbia students?
-SCOUT
That’s a class little story!
Reminds me of when I first moved to the city. I was walking on East 14th St and a guy comes up to me and hands me a postcard. It had a black and white drawing of a snow man with the text “In your home 3PM-??” and an 800 number. The reverse had a picture of a pot leaf with the same copy on the back.
My first time in NYC, I got a card from a modeling agent (supposedly). I was 18.
Was it really a flower shop or was that a front for a marijuana delivery operation?
That’s a very simple but charming story. Thanks for sharing!
I love his “business” name, T-Bone flowers / LOL!
@Jeremy In Kansas: how many flower shops do you know that are open until 12 on the weekends?
In Kansas? None, but New York City has a LOT of things that we don’t have. If it is pot delivery, I’m just amazed that they were bold enough to print cards advertising their delivery business. Seems like they’d get busted pretty quick, but maybe NYC cops have better things to do (Kansas cops don’t).
I love how he put his ” business ” hours on the card. Classy. You should call and find out if he’s still in business .
All that shows up on a Google search are links to this article. Why not call the number and see if it’s still in service?
I’m pretty sure T-Bone’s been supplanted for CU students:
http://bwog.com/2010/12/07/five-students-arrested-in-drug-bust/
Haven’t seen one of those in years! In my neighborhood there are lots of ‘flower’ delivery cards handed out every day. However now a days, the cards have lost their hidden charm and are just advertising more openly with pictures of naked women advertising services. I guess at some point they thought more direct marketing would be better, I miss the days of those simple cards though.
Wow, that is classic. Remember “Cartoon network” They may as well have based the movie “Half-Baked” of those guys.
When growing up on the west side there was this flower shop on 82nd street where I would go buy weed. But you also needed to buy a flower too and so I’d give that to my mom and that made her happy. The shop was a block away from the police precinct and so I was pretty sure the police were paid off.
There was also 1-800-WeDeliver that offered the same service.