Sh*t.Bad luck? Bad karma?
Whatever it is, I think I’m getting more than my share.
Big day today. Felt good enough to finally tackle a grocery shopping on my own.
Should have stayed home.
Stopped for cash in the entranceway to the store.
The freakin’ ABM machine ate my debit card. Totally swallowed it. As the man on the Help Line said, “It’s in the vault. Don’t worry. No one can get it.”
Small comfort. No one includes me.
On the plus side, I got some cash. And the receipt. Immediately following that normal course of events, the machine registered “Temporarily Out Of Order.”
Wait! Nooo! My card is still in there!
Panic. Mini-anxiety attack. I’ve got to be one of the few people in the world without a cell phone. Do I stay and guard the machine in case it spits out my card? Or do I enter the store and phone the bloody hell 1-800 number shown on the machine?
I chose the latter. Waiting for my card to spew out did not seem like a take charge kind of thing to do. Plus, I looked like an idiot just standing there staring at an Out of Order machine.
(“Help” guy.) “Are you near the machine?”
“No, I’m in the store.”
“Can you see the machine?”
“Uh, no. I said I wasn’t near it.”
“Well, I’m going to reboot it. (That dreaded word – “reboot.”) Go back to the machine and see what happens.”
“Will my card come out?”
“Maybe.”
Trudged back to the machine. Watched as it rebooted. Microsoft Windows NT appeared on the screen. My heart sank. My card was as good as dead.
Yup, no card. The next phone call was the one where the guy informed me my card was safely in the vault. Never to be in my hands again.
Right. Okay.
Did the grocery shopping - although I debated going home. I’d already used up about 20 minutes of my “feeling good” time.
Came home and phoned my bank. Must now go the nearest branch of the bank and get a new debit card.
I’m conserving my energy for this next outing. Who knows what the hell might happen? I'm going tomorrow.
Not so keen on the unexpected these days.
19 comments:
Gah. Sometimes it is those unexpected inconveniences that are the last straw and will get me down faster than a more substantial interpersonal event!
Stupid ATM. Want me to take care of it for you? I'm willing to buy a baseball bat ... But then I'd have to go to Canada, I suppose.
I'm all about taking baseball bats to poorly operating technology. It's my one-size-fits-all solution to gadget problems.
Ow that bites! My wife used to be a banker and that happens more than people realize! My sympathies.
I break into a sweat everytime I feed my card into the machine for that very reason. So far I've been lucky but it if ever were to eat my card I would p.a.n.i.c.
princess pointful:
Definitely one of those straw that broke the camel's back moments.
dorky dad:
On your next (?) visit to Canada, stop in here. We have lots of baseball bats and hockey sticks. I'll stock you up and let you loose!
david:
I discovered it happens frequently at this particular machine AFTER it happened to me.
(Thanks for stopping by.)
trish:
So, I've kind of done you a favour. If the machine does eat your card, now you know it ain't coming back!
Oh my God - you are turning into me!
lynn:
OMG - Noooo!
Go back and stick some selotape over the card slot. Go on, I dare you!
AMC
Damn those ATM machines!
They're the devils work :-)
anonymous;
Not such a bad idea. I'm more likely to put up a little sign that says:
"THIS MACHINE EATS DEBIT CARDS - USE AT OWN RISK."
philip:
And every time I use one, I am aiding the devil in his work...
look at it this way (if and when you can) - life sometimes hands us unexpected joy as well...hopefully, you'll get a huge dose of that SOON!
hang in there - and all the best,
I've actually seen people tape notes to ATM's along those lines...
That is terrible!
I'd rather lose my driver's license than my debit card.
The Microsoft screen gave it away. Bill gates has your card.
So that is how he made all his money! Stealing ATM cards!
Great posting. I feel your frustration, yet also laugh!
'Specially at the, "No one includes me" part.
Now..... to make you feel better --> Once, a machine ate my card. too! In Regina. Saskatchewan.
Truth is, my car was warped all to hell. Like from being left in the sun. It was all bent-y.
Shoved it in there.
A big window came down.... like on that old show "Get Smart"? The secret phone-dome at his desk there?
CARD WAS GONE!
I can't rememeber what happened, even.
BUT....... worse story. I was going to Calgary. Was passing through Cranbrook, B.C.
Withdrew $100 and LEFT IT THERE!
And then drove away!
I was in Calgary before I realized.... umm... no money.
The lucky "you-know-what" that was the next to come to that machine after me got a free $100!
So..... be happy Beth!
All you lost was a card.
Things were much worse on my end of the fence!
lyn:
You're an inspiration - and although a "huge dose of joy" has yet to arrive, I am so appreciating every little bit of joy that comes my way. And it does...every day.
princess:
Actually, getting a new card turned out to be a breeze. Trust me, better to lose a debit card than a driver's licence. (A new picture? Yuck.)
mike:
Right - as I mentioned, my heart sank when I saw Microsoft on the screen.
cip:
Ah, to be rich and just walk away from your cash...
And then there's the old ATM trick of giving you back your card and a receipt but NO cash!
The alternative? Standing in line at the bank. A no win situation.
Well, that is strange and crappy...why would it give you money and then swallow your card? Weird and yucky, and now you have to use up more feel good time doing stupid banking chores.
Sorry.
oreneta:
Blessedly, getting a new card took about two minutes. But going to the bank was definitely not on my list of fun things to do as I venture back into the world!
(Of course, grocery shopping wasn't exactly high on the list either.)
Going into Banks is no easy thing for me either! Glad it wasn't too bad.
My ATM experience was at a drug store, in the lobby. It gave me my card back, and a receipt that said I took out $200.00, but no money ever came out. Manager of the store said, "yeah, that machine has been acting up, I meant to put a sign on it." In the mean time I am watching another person about to use it, thinking he is going to get my cash and his, but the manager got there and put up his sign. He told me it was independent from the store and to call the number on the machine. The lady who I talked to from the machine place, told me to call my bank. In the end, it worked out, but WAAAAAY to much stress for me.
eileen:
You're like me. These kind of experiences are no big deal to so many people. I find them stressful and a pain in the a**. They weren't in my plans!!
(Obviously, I don't do too well with the unexpected.)
Post a Comment