I have felt this little rant coming on for a long long time now. I am forced to travel a good deal throughout my day. I don't like to carry any large quantity of cash with me on the road. I always figured that was the reason for my atm credit/debit card. Why else would they give me the damn thing unless they wanted me to use it like cash?

I dropped into the local mom and pop gas station/mini mart/video rental/post office/cafe/ you get the idea. I just wanted a damn snack. A couple of chimichangas and some potato wedges. Not much to ask right? I get to the counter and the pleasant woman behind the counter takes my atm card and asks credit or debit?
I ask her if there is a difference. She says they charge for debit. I tell her then I want credit. So I get my receipt to sign and sure enough there is a charge for credit use. I asked her about this charge, and she told me that it was for using the credit card. "But you said there was a charge for debit." I reminded her. "Yes but I never said there wasn't a charge for credit." she reminded me.
I almost stuffed the Styrofoam container down her pudgy throat.
Instead I walked out and left my items on the counter and tore up the receipt (which I might have thrown on the ground while leaving).

WTF!! Why would somebody go through the trouble of asking me if I want one or the other if they BOTH get charged the exact same amount. This got me to thinking about other items that I'm paying this surcharge for. I got gas and noticed a different price for cash and debit. I brought this up to the young man behind the counter and immediately he was defensive with me. He explained that it cost money to use those machines and they were merely recovering their costs. Funny thing about that was the old man that owns the store came out and told me that it would be the same price as cash for me, because they always charge cash prices if the customer asks. That got me to thinking that maybe this isn't the most legal of propositions. I'm now on a mission to find out.

We have been suckered. All these years we are told to carry this damn piece of plastic because it will make everything so much easier. All the while we are getting charged up the Ass for the very thing that is supposedly making things easier. Not just easier for us, but easier for the establishment we shop at. They are able to push us through much faster when we use plastic supposedly. It's like a big friggin line of cattle getting led to slaughter. We are just waiting our turn to get the little pneumatic rod stuck through our freakin head.

So I went to the bank and took out $100. I figured that from now on cash is just good enough for me. I will take the dirty looks from the cashiers when I give them cash. I know that most of these dumb asses don't know how to count back change to me without the aid of the cash register, so they are ticked off that they have to attempt it. We have been dumbed down by this "progress". Cash is almost a dirty word in most department stores. They are trying to get us away from the debit card and into bed with THEIR credit card. Regardless they still want us to use plastic. Because if we are using cash they can't track us very well can they.

I'll end this little tirade with a comical little story of the most satanic of all department stores Macy's. I went in their one day about a year ago. I was going to get a shirt. Just a plain ol' long sleeve button up shirt for my suit. I had cash (imagine that). The gal at the register asked for my phone number and address. I inquired as to why she could possibly need that for a cash purchase. She informed me that it so they could call me with any offers they might have from time to time. I told her I didn't want any offers, and that I just wanted my shirt. She would not ring up my purchase until I gave her my number. Needless to say I went home that day without a shirt, but they went without a sale. I wonder now how many people just give the information because it's asked. They probably figure it's a no harm no foul kinda thing. I disagree...I'll give you my freakin number when I feel like it. I'm the customer, and you should tell me please and thank you and take my money. End of story....


So buyer beware...We have been suckered in for a long long time. The quicker we get them to realize that we are gonna have it our way, the sooner things will come to at least resemble sane.

*Step down from soapbox*
BTW B of A YOU SUCK!!! (charged me $5.00 for using an atm from another bank and the other bank charged me $2.00)