In the 90s after a night out at the bars in SLO…TA’s (Tio Alberto’s) Burrito and 7-11 next door on Marsh st were a late night hang out. I had picked up my burrito and went next door to get a soda. I walk in and the kid (who I know from coming out to the Flats 80s nights) was working the counter and he had a look of despair on his face and a HUGE and I mean HUGE roll of lottery scratchers all over the counter.
I was like what’s up and what have you got yourself into? He explained he had 20 bucks and bought lottery tickets…didn’t win. Figured if he just “took” a few more lottery tickets he would get his money back and the money back from the ones he took (see where this is going)…it didn’t pay back so he “took” more and more and more to this mountain of tickets was all over the counter. He was like I am all in now…I can’t stop.
Now that I think about it I don’t think I ever saw that kid again. Either way he probably got a holiday out of it…either in jail or I like to think he hit it big and took off to Mexico for lobster and beer on the beach!