The Vent and Rant Thread

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

hello everyone

i hope you're all doing well.

Nothing to vent or rant about down here.

Although I had an interesting experience at the petrol station this morning. When I went to pay, the credit card machine said to CALL THE BANK. I thought it was my PIN so I tried again. Same response. I had another card which refused my transaction as well.

This was really confusing because I had done some Internet banking the night before and I knew there was cash in both accounts.

So here I am standing at the head of a queue with no cash, a full tank and a couple of other drivers tapping their feet and checking their watches.

Fortunately, living in a small town has its advantages and I said I'd pop back in and fix them up this evening after I sorted it out.

They didn't bat an eyelid. I wonder how others drivers handle that situation in a big city?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by wannabee

the credit card machine said to CALL THE BANK. [...]
Fortunately, living in a small town has its advantages and I said I'd pop back in and fix them up this evening after I sorted it out.

They didn't bat an eyelid. I wonder how others drivers handle that situation in a big city?

The business calls the bank, and then the bank asks you additional security questions.

[wannabee]

Yeah OK. I deserve that.
Back when you had to call the bank every time a purchase was over the floor limit (a million years ago) I was asked, is the customer there? I said yes. Can he see you. I said no. They said go over where he can see you and cut the card up in front of him. I took the card over and told him what the bank said. He shrugged his shoulders and walked out.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by wannabee

Nothing to vent or rant about down here.

Although I had an interesting experience at the petrol station this morning. When I went to pay, the credit card machine said to CALL THE BANK. I thought it was my PIN so I tried again. Same response. I had another card which refused my transaction as well.

This was really confusing because I had done some Internet banking the night before and I knew there was cash in both accounts.

So here I am standing at the head of a queue with no cash, a full tank and a couple of other drivers tapping their feet and checking their watches.

Fortunately, living in a small town has its advantages and I said I'd pop back in and fix them up this evening after I sorted it out.

They didn't bat an eyelid. I wonder how others drivers handle that situation in a big city?

I can only speak for my own big city, but around here all gasoline purchases have to be prepaid, either by debit/credit card or by cash. So if the card doesn't work, no gas. Too many drive-offs, I guess.

So do deer every decide to commit suicide? It is my opinion that there is no reason to think that deer are capable of the sort of thinking that would suggest that, but after today I wonder. I live in a very small town in Northern Wisconsin and occasionally I must drive about 50 miles to a larger city to purchase items not available at home. Almost all of that driving is through woods, much of that in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Accidents involving deer crossing the highway are not uncommon on that highway. Today a deer trotted from the forest to the right and stopped completely in my lane. Fortunately I spotted it soon enough to brake sharply from about 60 mph, stopping about 10 feet short of the deer which remained immobile the whole time. The deer then turned it head to glance at me briefly before trotting off into the woods to the left. The start of deer hunting season is only 15 days away and I'm thinking that over that period that deer will be nowhere to be found.

[badgoodDeb]

I wonder if he was spooked --- or daring you??

[Rumpelteazer]

My Logitech internet radio hasn't been working for over 24 hours now; Logitech's European servers in the US are down.

My main use for the radio is to listen to Classic FM UK when I'm going to sleep, especially on Friday and Saturday when I use it to drown out the sounds of the neighbouring cafés and restaurants. FM doesn't work due to the thick walls of our house and the close proximity of other, thick-walled, buildings (plus I hate the snobbishness of the Dutch classical radio stations).

Considering the problems Logitech's servers had recently and that they are rumoured to have stopped with their internet radios I'm looking for a new internet radio, preferably one that isn't reliable on the server of the manufacturer (or which has the option of adding radio stations manually). I wanted another one for on my desk anyway. I'm now looking at Terratec's Noxon series.

[dreams]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

I can only speak for my own big city, but around here all gasoline purchases have to be prepaid, either by debit/credit card or by cash. So if the card doesn't work, no gas. Too many drive-offs, I guess.

This is true in my area also. Guess how much gas you will need, pay the clerk, go out and pump gas that has been set to stop at the amount you gave the clerk, go back in to get change if needed, then drive off.

I do miss the days when someone pumped the gas for you plus washed your windshields and checked your oil while waiting for the tank to fill.

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I wonder if he was spooked --- or daring you??

Could be. I am just glad I was able to stop in time. Also that none one was behind me that might have rear ended me. Hitting a deer is at best extensive damage to the vehicle and at worst injury or death.

Originally Posted by dreams

This is true in my area also. Guess how much gas you will need, pay the clerk, go out and pump gas that has been set to stop at the amount you gave the clerk, go back in to get change if needed, then drive off.

I do miss the days when someone pumped the gas for you plus washed your windshields and checked your oil while waiting for the tank to fill.

I was so used to that business of having to prepay for a set amount [I always pay cash for everything I can do] from living in or near large cities. Then I moved to the small town I live in now. The first time I went to get gas at a local station I went in first money in hand to ask for $40 dollars worth. The clerk just gave me a strange look and said something like “Sure go ahead. Isn't the pump working?” Small pleasures of small town life.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by dreams

I do miss the days when someone pumped the gas for you plus washed your windshields and checked your oil while waiting for the tank to fill.

Until just recently (within the past three years or so) it was illegal to pump your own gas in Japan. You had to be a licensed 'hazardous substance handler' to do so, or be an 'apprentice' to one (so they could hire high school kids to do the actual pumping as long as there was one licensed person on the premises.) Today, 80% of the stations are self service, with pre-payment directly at the pump via cash or credit card. But as every station has a different system, I still have to call the attendant over to help me through the process.

I try to only get gas at the places where they do NOT have self service. It is more expensive, but only runs about $0.50 USD per tank more for my bike. Worth it to me. Virtually all the Esso and Shell stations are self serve now, but there are two major Japanese chains that are full service, and enough of them around so I usually don't have to go looking. And as all the companies use gas that comes out of a common tank, the brand of the station doesn't mean anything. As long as it's a major dealer, with high daily turnover, I don't worry about being brand-loyal.


Stitchawl

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by dreams

I do miss the days when someone pumped the gas for you plus washed your windshields and checked your oil while waiting for the tank to fill.

come and live here then

[dreams]

I had a friend that moved back to the Philippines because she just couldn't get use to not having servants do everything for her. She didn't like that a daily housekeeper cost as much as all her servants together in the Philippines. She was use to a groundskeeper, gardener, handyman/general errand, chauffeur, maid, housekeeper, cook, laundress, seamstress, and general house servants. I couldn't believe she had no idea how to do anything or wanted to learn. She did love to read.

[wyndslash]

Yeah, having house helpers here is pretty common. We have two, but we know how to do stuff ourselves too

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by dreams

I had a friend that moved back to the Philippines because she just couldn't get use to not having servants do everything for her. She didn't like that a daily housekeeper cost as much as all her servants together in the Philippines. She was use to a groundskeeper, gardener, handyman/general errand, chauffeur, maid, housekeeper, cook, laundress, seamstress, and general house servants. I couldn't believe she had no idea how to do anything or wanted to learn. She did love to read.

We had the same ... at first... when we lived in Thailand. Lasted about 3-4 months. But we couldn't stand having so many people around all the time! Our housekeeper had her own apartment on the grounds, but we let go all the others. Then the gardener would come in twice a week, and I preferred to do the cooking myself, except for lunch. Our housekeeper was a fantastic cook and would make our lunches for us, each day a different Thai meal.


Stitchawl

[wyndslash]

our housekeepers are live-in