Coffee Table Declarations
Friday, May 30, 2003
As I was sitting in my car at the lake today eating lunch, a car pulled up nearby and parked haphazardly. I looked over and saw a girl staring straight out at the lake with her engine still running and music blaring. Several minutes later, as the loud music continued to play and the engine continued to run, I wondered what she was doing there and I looked over. The girl in the car was crying and wiping her eyes with a napkin. It was very sad and I wanted to ask her what was wrong. I felt especially sympathetic because I myself have spent a few lunch breaks at that very same lake dealing with emotions of my own. I wanted to tell her, hey, I've been there. Haven't we all?
My next stop was the bank. I wanted to go to the ATM which, at most banks in my experience, is straight through the front door. This one was strangely absent however, so I walked around the building searching for it. In the back of the building I came upon a drive-thru ATM with a car pulled up to it. I felt a little silly as I stood waiting my turn behind the car and another one pulled up behind me.
Last of all, I went to get gas. I knew I had money since I had just walked through the drive-thru ATM, but as my gas was pumping I got to thinking what would happen if I didn't. What if someone got gas and then went to pay but their credit card was declined and they didn't have any cash? It's not like being at the grocery store or something where you can simply leave without your purchases. I mean, you can't take the gas back out of the car. So what happens? I once went through a toll that cost $1.25 and realized I had absolutely no money, not even change at the bottom of my pocketbook. I think the guy wrote down my license plate number and gave me a little form to fill out and send in to some address with a check for the $1.25. It was something ridiculous like that and it was a long time ago. There's a gas station in my town that only accepts cash and a bunch of really shady guys work there. I hate to imagine what kind of "deal" they'd work out if I were to find myself there without cash.
My next stop was the bank. I wanted to go to the ATM which, at most banks in my experience, is straight through the front door. This one was strangely absent however, so I walked around the building searching for it. In the back of the building I came upon a drive-thru ATM with a car pulled up to it. I felt a little silly as I stood waiting my turn behind the car and another one pulled up behind me.
Last of all, I went to get gas. I knew I had money since I had just walked through the drive-thru ATM, but as my gas was pumping I got to thinking what would happen if I didn't. What if someone got gas and then went to pay but their credit card was declined and they didn't have any cash? It's not like being at the grocery store or something where you can simply leave without your purchases. I mean, you can't take the gas back out of the car. So what happens? I once went through a toll that cost $1.25 and realized I had absolutely no money, not even change at the bottom of my pocketbook. I think the guy wrote down my license plate number and gave me a little form to fill out and send in to some address with a check for the $1.25. It was something ridiculous like that and it was a long time ago. There's a gas station in my town that only accepts cash and a bunch of really shady guys work there. I hate to imagine what kind of "deal" they'd work out if I were to find myself there without cash.
