By Cameron Kobara
At Westmont High School, most people who know me see me as a quiet and self-reserved kid, who’d rather keep to himself, but unbeknownst to them, I’ve been living a double life that would have Walter White’s timbers shiver. Read along as I go through my fall into the criminal underworld, where I rank just some of the questionable life decisions I have made, ranging from small-time activities to things that would make me seem like Al-Capone by the end of this article.
- Jaywalking (2/10)
Everyone has done it at one point in their life. Most of the time, it’s to shave off a couple of valuable seconds on their trip. I give it a 2/10 because it’s pretty low risk and was thankfully “decriminalized” in 2023 with the “Freedom to Walk Act.”
2. Setting off fireworks illegally (5/10)
Unfortunately for those who live in Santa Clara County, all fireworks are illegal, even if labeled as “safe and sane.” But did that stop the younger me from blowing stuff up on the Fourth of July? Absolutely not! I give this activity a 5/10 because, although still low risk, it was my first encounter with the police. One year on July fourth, police approached me in a black unmarked pickup truck, where they began asking questions. Unfortunately for the younger me, I – underestimating the level of authority I had in front of me— accidentally snitched on my dad for providing the fireworks. This wasn’t the first time my neighbors had called the police on my family on the fourth of July, and most certainly wasn’t the last.
3. Piracy (7/10)
One of the more fun activities I found myself in when I was younger was ‘burning’ unreleased movies onto DVD discs with the help of my older brother. Was a movie still in theatres? Pirated. A movie that hasn’t even reached its theatrical release? Pirated. Was my family too lazy to drive to Rasputin? Pirated. I give this one a 7/10 because, although minimal risk in our circumstances, I still got to watch some of my favorite childhood movies.
4. Sports betting (9/10)
As someone who’s in love with sports, it’s probably one of the easiest ways to make money. Y’know besides actually getting a j*b. Through apps like Prizepicks, you can bet on players across any sport to obtain a set amount of points in order to earn some cash. I give this a 9/10 simply because of the HUGE amounts of money I have won.
5. Selling counterfeit goods (6.5/10)
Thanks to some great people, I found yet another great and lucrative way to make money (besides being employed). By buying replica products and reselling them at three times the original price, I have made a substantial amount of money. I give it a 6.5 because, although it’s profitable, it was short-lived.
6. Redacted (10/10)
Last but not least, the worst thing I have ever done. Unfortunately, I am unable to specify exactly what happened, but it ended with interrogations by the police, forced to do community service, and charged with a misdemeanor. This incident was years ago, thankfully, now that I’m 18, my record is sealed. I just wish I had Mr Buran’s street law class to prepare for such an event. I give it a 10/10 because the punishment itself wasn’t all that bad, would do again.
What you just read was only a small glimpse into my descent into criminality. Thankfully as of 2026, I am completely reformed and hope to keep my record (mostly) clean from here on out.