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July 3rd, 2007
08:35 am - cash/credit only, no personal checks
It is patently embarrassing to stand in a long convenience store line with your daily caffeine, juice and breakfast in hands, only to reach the counter, place everything up, check your wallet and find no cash and no credit card. It's a reasonable bet the card is up on my computer keyboard, as I was making a purchase last night (hel-lo sci-fi pulp cover prints) and still can't remember the new number after a full year of having it in my possession, so every time I have to make an online order, I have to trot the card out and stare at it. And apparently, remembering to put it back in my wallet afterwards is a patently impossible task because it involves the rare gift of thinking.
It's incredibly humiliating to look up and say "I'm sorry, but I just realized I can't pay for this today." I've never had to endure this before. Sometimes I've been 75 cents short, you know, an experience which, while slightly embarrassing, is one that can be easily fixed by putting an item back (or by having the regular cashier take pity on you and say "Go ahead, take it, I know you'll pay us back tomorrow.") But for an entire Breakfast of Champeens order, which involves milk and tea and juice and oatmeal, well, I don't expect anybody to pony up that kind of cash for me. I slunk out of the place, dejected and defeated and -- most importantly -- without any form of beverage-related stimulant for the day.
Now I've got to find a covered cup so I can make free tea in the office, at least, and drink it in the bay. Half the reason why I purchase the large sized tea in the morning is just for the cup.
Oh, hell. I've mentioned this already to someone regarding an entirely different problem, but the way this day has been going, you might as well just place me in the Sheriff J.T. Dawg mascot suit and parade me around the amusement park all day. That's all I'd ask for, besides water breaks every 10 minutes.
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don't most of these Kwik-E-Marts also take ATM cards? I only have a credit/debit card. That card is currently living the good life on my computer keyboard. When I say I had no way to pay for a purchase, I had no way to pay for the purchase other than busking outside, but A. that'd have required two spoons and a chair, and B. I had to be at work in 5 minutes. About three weeks ago I had filled a basket with an entire week's shopping and got to the queue when I reached for my purse, found it absent from my bag, remembered it was at home, swore out loud and then had to replace every item around the shop while trying to look as nonchalant as possible about my reverse shopping trip. Did they actually make you put all the stuff back?! Holy cats! I actually still keep a copy of my mother's credit card in my wallet, just for situations like this. It's the same card I had in high school "for emergencies", and it came in handy just last weekend when I was in the checkout lane with a full grocery cart, about half the cash needed to pay for it, and my own credit/debit/ATM card sitting on my desk at home. (Which reminds me: I still need to write her a check for that...) When I first read that, I was thinking, "I lost my credit card, but wait! Here's a Xerox copy. Can I use this instead?" You ok? I am booked from 7-8 but if you need a ride home or something, let me know. |
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