I recently had reason to visit a local attorney's office. Granted, this was not a happy visit (no details here), but when I walked in and saw what they were using for a coffee table in the lobby, it was all I could do not to "lose it."
This poor creature was encased in Plexiglas and was positioned between the chairs where the public was asked to wait for appointments. The plaque under the cayman reads, "Every Real Estate Project is a Potential."
When I asked about it, I was given a long, drawn-out explanation about how the founding attorney worked in real estate and used to have it in his office. I was proudly told "alligator" is a real estate term meaning a property with a negative cash flow, or one that "eats money" -- the opposite of a "cash cow."
As I sat there pondering how this animal had ended up as a piece of every-day furniture, I had to wonder why in the world they are STILL using it. My guess is they consider it an intimidation technique for opposing parties; a show of machismo. Or maybe it's just a bad case of ignorance. Regardless, I found it disgusting and highly unprofessional....and just plain SICK.
