Agreeing with number 8. Thanks to low-flow toilets we have taken to telling young family members to "send things down in batches".
Yes, we are monitoring and moderating toilet paper use in case that is causing the problem. But that doesn't seem to be the issue, so for now the double-flush will continue at our house.
The closer to Christmas, the more demanding and douchier the customer. I still remember the guy who was livid that my store (Nature Company, RIP) wasn't open passed 11pm on xmas eve and how dare we not have everything he wanted. My reply was: "Well, we also have families that we'd like to see once in a while during the season." When he asked for my manager, I pointed to her as she was standing next to me. She told him where the door was and to kindly walk through it.
Your coworkers will save your sanity time and time again. Be it with a surprise Happy Meal, an impromptu hug, or a funny story about a crop-duster that just buzzed the store, your coworkers will save you when you really want to go postal.
Christmas music makes me stabby. This might be a personal one for just me, but having worked several retail xmas seasons where it was xmas music only from October on, I now abhore christmas music with every single atom of my make up.
I also have a personal policy since working retail: I will not set foot in a mall between Thanksgiving and February 1. I hate the mobs, but moreover, I refuse to be another asshole customer that retail workers have to deal with. I will shop online but ideally, I'm finished by Thanksgiving every year.
I think every human should be forced to work a retail christmas season and at least 6 months waiting tables. It might cut down significantly on assholery.
When I courtesy flush, it's not because I'm concerned with smells or noises or anything along those lines, it's simply because I don't want the toilet to stop up. I would much rather "waste" a gallon of water than deal with an overflowing toilet.
In Japan (although I haven't seen it), apparently some toilets come with a complicated panel, one of the features of which is a button you can press that makes a flushing sound to mask the sounds of those explosive or gas-promted moments...better than a flush any day in my books! (Too bad about the power consumption though...)
@AJ - Here's another way to look at it: instead of canceling your personal insurance and taking out mortgage life insurance, why not either increase your personal insurance or take out a new policy to cover off your mortgage? In keeping with the points in this article, if you can swing it this will provide you (and your kids) with the greatest security and ease of estate planning overall.
We use rain barrels for most all of our outside watering needs (including some of the livestock) and we are very careful to conserve. The way I see it, I've done my part, and a "courtesy flush" or two -- whatever is needed -- is in no way over the top. We also have a septic system, and with 4 boys in the house, we need to baby our waste plumbing a bit. This may involve a few practice flushes to be sure we don't end up with a backup.
You have to do what you have to do, in my opinion.
I am digging the forum here....and getting lots of great water saving ideas. I'm especially jazzed about commenter #16's bathtub trick. Any recommendations for somebody with a stand-up shower?
Keep the great ideas and your water-saving methodologies coming!
well, apparently washing your hands when you are done in the stall is also a no-no now at my work place.
i was in the ladies room at work today and i saw one of my co-workers exit the bathroom stall and leave the bathroom without washing her hands. probably the grossest thing i've witnessed all week.
Last week, I did well with my area Kmart's double coupon getting Gillette body wash(4) for free and buying my wife a lot of OLAY body wash for about 1 dollar per bottle. But it pays to compare as you are correct, Kmart's prices are usually a bit higher that Walmart. My Kmart was also a bit understocked for that sale also
Last week at Acme, I had purchased the following things for less than $5:
6 bags of Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
6 bags of Chex Mix
6 Boxes of Lucky Charms Cereals Of course I had coupons for all of the above
Those bags went right to the food basket. I don't really have the money this year to donate money, but I can certainly spend a few minutes and donate free (or close enough to free) items I recieve by couponing
I am someone who may not be retiring for close to 30 years, believes the market will turn around, and at this point would not mind to have a extra aggressive portfolio. For me, would you say it's a smart move to have a portfolio of 100% stocks?
"it's smart giving to want to know that your gift is practical and useful."
By your values, Andrea. Not by everyone's. Do you insist that your own children are only allowed to ask Santa for that which is practical and useful?
Somehow, I don't think so.
As far as "misunderstanding the outrage," that's quite possible. Let me take a closer look and see if I see what you see:
Number of times (as of this comment) that the author or commenter suggests that, if a poor kid wants a name-brand present that any other middle-class or upper-class kid might ask for like a Wii, it must be because someone else put him up to it, or it must be a con artist at work: 11
Number of times that these same parents were accused of hoping to sell the child's angel tree gift in order to fund a bad habit or vice: 2
Number of times the sentiment "Poor people should get what they are given and be grateful for whatever it is" has been explicitly expressed: 6
Number of times the sentiment "A poor child should 'know better' than to ask for [Thing X] for Christmas" or "Children who ask for gifts that cost over [the dollar amount that meets my own value system as acceptable for a poor child] therefore has entitlement issues" has been explicitly expressed: 13
Number of times the sentiment "I wouldn't buy it for my kid, so this other kid is somehow wrong for asking for it" has been explicitly expressed: 8
Number of times the author or commenter has explicitly assumed that the needy child making the angel tree request knows exactly the value of the item he or she is requesting, and/or knows that the gifts are coming from charitable donations -- ergo, is hoping to blatantly abuse the goodwill of others: 8
Number of times that a commenter has stated that he or she plans to reduce or otherwise change her charitable giving this holiday, based on Margaret's post and the ensuing discussion: 2
If anyone wants to feel outrage over the fact that Margaret's bank didn't do a very good job of organizing their giving tree, well, that's understandable. But that's not what she said, is it? She blamed the needy people, for being so entitled. In fact, she wanted to slap them, remember?
If the point were that the bank's Christmas tree didn't work for her, and so she's off to find somewhere else to donate... well, that's understandable. Those who give to others should do so in a way that fits their own values.
But that's not what she said, is it? Oh, sure, she came back much later and said in a comment, "Yes, we gave somewhere else." But that's too little, too late. The original screed from her blog post is that she's not giving to anyone -- the entitled "needy" children just touched too much of a nerve, you see.
If the point were about how commercial and advertising-driven the holidays have become, and how sad it is that all kids want iPods and XBoxes instead of books and clothes and candy and simple, inexpensive toys... regardless of their parents' socioeconomic status... well, that's understandable.
But that's not what is being said here, is it? Instead it's all about the disgusting entitlement of needy people.
(Oh, excuse me... I mean, "needy" people. Mustn't forget those little quotation marks that passive-aggressively insure that every reader knows that you don't really believe they're needy, after all.)
So, yes, I'm pretty sure I do understand the outrage that I'm seeing, from both the original blog post and a lot of the "me too" comments. And I think it comes from a sense of paternalistic insecurity, and a need to judge others in order to elevate oneself. If that's the spirit that gets you all through the holidays, then do whatever you need to.
Frankly, there were kernels of some positive conversation to be had here. Too bad that's not the direction that Margaret chose to go when she vented her spleen about the "needy" children.
take it easy there bub, you are by no means joan of arc becaue you pay have paid you little mortgage for 7 years on time EVERY TIME, wow. rednecks like yourself whom wear levi jeans and ugly shirts, flip the bird on a blog and feel as if they are obligated because THEY are bailing everyone else out - because they are paying on time for their little house? also, you are such a smart barterer, you EVEN got the builder to pay the closing costs?? wow, you truly are a businessman like no other - considering builders always do this today-- country, they usually always pay your closing costs - beause they build it into the price of the home.. please, your little mortgage is such a small peice of the puzzle that you would not even qualify to sit in peanut heaven at the super bowl of the bail out kings, you would not even be able to stand across the street at the waffle house parking lot and watch the big screen at the stadium - because so many others are in front of you at such a higher rate.. Look dude, you are no saint or no better then anyone else out there... Yes, I do know people who have stopped paying there mortgage for over a year now and are still in there home!! // Now taking more trips to Disney and going to the movies and eating out - yes, what pathetic people they are.. and now, they look to be getting bailed.. But dont point the finger so quick..
myself, i own 3 homes, all of which are a total of $750,000 upside down. yes, according to you i am an "idiot" because i bought all of these in the 2004-2006 mortagge boom - where we ALL would be able to buy (interest only/subprime) and then flip them in 3-5 years.. however, as you know, this is not likely, unless you want to short sell, which is a pain in itself. now i am faced with the question of "walking" from all.. why should i even pay the payment anymore to watch the balance stay the same or go up, and then to watch the market continue to fall? you Paul, by paying for your trailer have by no menas helped me. and the few dollars you pay a year in taxes from your job as a sidewalk cleaner have not helped me at all - nor really anyone else.. continue to pay for your house, like you should. some made bad decisions, like my self, by you do not have the right to look down on me because I may walk.. because i wont get that 700 billion, i am just out..
// I have never been late on my $10,000 in mortagges either, EVER, wow, .. just figured i would stop in and straighten you up a bit..
Agreed, Paul. Mind you, the women in my office building barely flush, much less courtesy-flush. I didn't realize that men were so diligent about it.
I hate auto-flush toilets! The public bathroom at the mall flush when I close the stall door, take off my coat, and sit down, then again when I sit up. And they flush quite violently, too, probably using more than two gallons per flush.
What's up with the automatic flushing toilets? Sometimes it goes off 3 or 4 times in one sitting. Nothing like wasting water AND electricity. Then there's the splashback....
Retail workers should be replaced by machines; but people are happy to work for change. This leads to inefficiency caused by workers' inherent stupidity and their resentment of their dehumanizing work. I hated working retail, and I hate dealing with retail workers even more. I am ashamed at this disparity, since it indicates I took some pleasure in occasionally almost living up to the machine-ideal.
I went to Britain in Sept and before we left I called the Credit Card companies and my bank. I knew I'd want to use the ATMs to get pounds (I'd heard it was cheaper than other methods) and use the cards a lot to charge things.
There were all "no problem; it's recorded on your account." I get over there and none of my cards are working. Two credit cards and an ATM card and all I have is a little bit of money I had converted before I left. They called my home and left messages (which family picked up two days later when checking in on my home). It took days to get it all straightened and I have difficulties with the ATM card for most of the trip.
I've had my card flagged before for suspicious activity for the oddest things and while I appreciate the concern, I went out of my way to avoid the problem this time and it caused major headaches.
Beware--definitely call the companies before the trip--but have backup plans and phone numbers with you, in case they are as incompetent as my bank was.
I really feel that you're misunderstanding the outrage people are feeling over this issue. It's not a matter of believing that the poor should be grateful for whatever they get - honestly, it's smart giving to want to know that your gift is practical and useful. Blithely handing over whatever a stranger anonymously requests doesn't necessarily make you a great person.
#12 - Limit slashing is becoming common - it has nothing to do with your credit history and everything to do with the fact that banks can't borrow money like they used to (and with that bailout money being used to pay huge bonuses to the heads of companies like AIG, it should be no surprise that the bailout isn't working), so banks are trying to make sure that you don't borrow any more from them. They borrow money to give you money, and now they can't borrow, so they want to prevent you from borrowing.
Linsey, my bank card was denied at the checkout at REI yesterday. I had used the same card the day before at the same store. My bank didn't call me or issue and alert, just denied the card, even though I know that I have thousands of dollars in the account. It was SO embarrassing to have someone say "Wow, this is being denied. Do you have another card?". Thank goodness I did.
There are all kinds of triggers that set off fraud alerts - keep in mind that the triggers are recorded and set off by software algorithms that analyze fraud. Buying stuff at the same store two days in a row after not using an account for a while is a trigger. So is filling up at a gas station and then going to an electronics store and making a major purchase. Frustrating, but true. Sorry you had to go through that.
We bought appliances at Sears in the spring, and the purchase was flagged. Not only did the salesperson have to call American Express, but American Express called our cell phone at the same time(!) to verify the purchase. We did the initial purchase, realized we didn't get the discount we expected, and the salesperson voided and re-ran the transaction, which caused the confusion and the calls. I was pleasantly surprised that they called us.
In 1999 I did a cross country road trip with a buddy, and Citicard called my house to verify the activity. If I hadn't called them back, they would have cut off the credit. Fortunately I was living at my parents' house, and they could relay the message, plus Citicard gave me a few days of leeway to call back. I didn't have enough cash to drive home if my credit had been cut off right then.
Last month we went on our honeymoon to Europe, and didn't call American Express to warn them we would be out of the country. Amazingly, the account wasn't flagged. I'm not sure if that was because a) we bought the flights on that card, b) we only made 3 or 4 purchases, or c) we buy a lot of stuff online, so our transactions are frequently outside our home region. I am a little surprised they didn't try to contact us or flag the transactions.
The refusal by Kmart's check company to take your check is pretty surprising. I can see that they wouldn't want to take too many risks, and $350 is a lot of money, but this time of year, with the Christmas shopping, it seems like a common enough amount.
What's funny to me about retail and food service is that people feel so snobby about them - the idea that they aren't real jobs. I know that lots of people work in retail or food service in order to earn extra money, but some people actually do work in retail as a career. And these people aren't dumb - they are smart, sassy, have great people skills, and generally are great at multitasking. I have none of these skills, and would be a wreck at dealing with thieves, irate customers, and irresponsible underlings.
To be fair, I understand that impatient customers are generally not trying to be complete assholes. Some are inherently nasty people, sure, but others are just normal people having a really bad day. So whenever someone is impatient or nasty to me, I try to remember that a bad day at work, a lousy relationship, or a family illness can turn normally kind people into raging maniacs.
I worked at Godiva at Westlake Center in Seattle a few years ago. I honestly can't remember a single decent customer. I am cynical tho and not made for retail. I do remember my swishy manager was a nazi about me tying the bows on the chocolate boxes "just right". I had nightmares about tying bows on boxes, not cool. I don't know that I have any wisdom or advice to give. However, my feet would get crazy swollen from standing all day so someone told me that I need to lie on my bed and prop my legs/feet against a wall so that I form an "L" shape. It does help.
Agreeing with number 8. Thanks to low-flow toilets we have taken to telling young family members to "send things down in batches".
Yes, we are monitoring and moderating toilet paper use in case that is causing the problem. But that doesn't seem to be the issue, so for now the double-flush will continue at our house.
The closer to Christmas, the more demanding and douchier the customer. I still remember the guy who was livid that my store (Nature Company, RIP) wasn't open passed 11pm on xmas eve and how dare we not have everything he wanted. My reply was: "Well, we also have families that we'd like to see once in a while during the season." When he asked for my manager, I pointed to her as she was standing next to me. She told him where the door was and to kindly walk through it.
Your coworkers will save your sanity time and time again. Be it with a surprise Happy Meal, an impromptu hug, or a funny story about a crop-duster that just buzzed the store, your coworkers will save you when you really want to go postal.
Christmas music makes me stabby. This might be a personal one for just me, but having worked several retail xmas seasons where it was xmas music only from October on, I now abhore christmas music with every single atom of my make up.
I also have a personal policy since working retail: I will not set foot in a mall between Thanksgiving and February 1. I hate the mobs, but moreover, I refuse to be another asshole customer that retail workers have to deal with. I will shop online but ideally, I'm finished by Thanksgiving every year.
I think every human should be forced to work a retail christmas season and at least 6 months waiting tables. It might cut down significantly on assholery.
When I courtesy flush, it's not because I'm concerned with smells or noises or anything along those lines, it's simply because I don't want the toilet to stop up. I would much rather "waste" a gallon of water than deal with an overflowing toilet.
In Japan (although I haven't seen it), apparently some toilets come with a complicated panel, one of the features of which is a button you can press that makes a flushing sound to mask the sounds of those explosive or gas-promted moments...better than a flush any day in my books! (Too bad about the power consumption though...)
@AJ - Here's another way to look at it: instead of canceling your personal insurance and taking out mortgage life insurance, why not either increase your personal insurance or take out a new policy to cover off your mortgage? In keeping with the points in this article, if you can swing it this will provide you (and your kids) with the greatest security and ease of estate planning overall.
We use rain barrels for most all of our outside watering needs (including some of the livestock) and we are very careful to conserve. The way I see it, I've done my part, and a "courtesy flush" or two -- whatever is needed -- is in no way over the top. We also have a septic system, and with 4 boys in the house, we need to baby our waste plumbing a bit. This may involve a few practice flushes to be sure we don't end up with a backup.
You have to do what you have to do, in my opinion.
Linsey Knerl
Andrea - I love you. You rock!
I am digging the forum here....and getting lots of great water saving ideas. I'm especially jazzed about commenter #16's bathtub trick. Any recommendations for somebody with a stand-up shower?
Keep the great ideas and your water-saving methodologies coming!
We have watering restrictions and fines, Wilson. Where do you live?
well, apparently washing your hands when you are done in the stall is also a no-no now at my work place.
i was in the ladies room at work today and i saw one of my co-workers exit the bathroom stall and leave the bathroom without washing her hands. probably the grossest thing i've witnessed all week.
Last week, I did well with my area Kmart's double coupon getting Gillette body wash(4) for free and buying my wife a lot of OLAY body wash for about 1 dollar per bottle. But it pays to compare as you are correct, Kmart's prices are usually a bit higher that Walmart. My Kmart was also a bit understocked for that sale also
Last week at Acme, I had purchased the following things for less than $5:
6 bags of Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
6 bags of Chex Mix
6 Boxes of Lucky Charms Cereals Of course I had coupons for all of the above
Those bags went right to the food basket. I don't really have the money this year to donate money, but I can certainly spend a few minutes and donate free (or close enough to free) items I recieve by couponing
Water is a renewable resource. And how does flushing a toilet in North America diminish the supply in Africa? Butterfly Effect? Antimatter toilets?
the year I spent working at Pottery Barn? The customer is not always right.
I am someone who may not be retiring for close to 30 years, believes the market will turn around, and at this point would not mind to have a extra aggressive portfolio. For me, would you say it's a smart move to have a portfolio of 100% stocks?
"it's smart giving to want to know that your gift is practical and useful."
By your values, Andrea. Not by everyone's. Do you insist that your own children are only allowed to ask Santa for that which is practical and useful?
Somehow, I don't think so.
As far as "misunderstanding the outrage," that's quite possible. Let me take a closer look and see if I see what you see:
Number of times (as of this comment) that the author or commenter suggests that, if a poor kid wants a name-brand present that any other middle-class or upper-class kid might ask for like a Wii, it must be because someone else put him up to it, or it must be a con artist at work: 11
Number of times that these same parents were accused of hoping to sell the child's angel tree gift in order to fund a bad habit or vice: 2
Number of times the sentiment "Poor people should get what they are given and be grateful for whatever it is" has been explicitly expressed: 6
Number of times the sentiment "A poor child should 'know better' than to ask for [Thing X] for Christmas" or "Children who ask for gifts that cost over [the dollar amount that meets my own value system as acceptable for a poor child] therefore has entitlement issues" has been explicitly expressed: 13
Number of times the sentiment "I wouldn't buy it for my kid, so this other kid is somehow wrong for asking for it" has been explicitly expressed: 8
Number of times the author or commenter has explicitly assumed that the needy child making the angel tree request knows exactly the value of the item he or she is requesting, and/or knows that the gifts are coming from charitable donations -- ergo, is hoping to blatantly abuse the goodwill of others: 8
Number of times that a commenter has stated that he or she plans to reduce or otherwise change her charitable giving this holiday, based on Margaret's post and the ensuing discussion: 2
If anyone wants to feel outrage over the fact that Margaret's bank didn't do a very good job of organizing their giving tree, well, that's understandable. But that's not what she said, is it? She blamed the needy people, for being so entitled. In fact, she wanted to slap them, remember?
If the point were that the bank's Christmas tree didn't work for her, and so she's off to find somewhere else to donate... well, that's understandable. Those who give to others should do so in a way that fits their own values.
But that's not what she said, is it? Oh, sure, she came back much later and said in a comment, "Yes, we gave somewhere else." But that's too little, too late. The original screed from her blog post is that she's not giving to anyone -- the entitled "needy" children just touched too much of a nerve, you see.
If the point were about how commercial and advertising-driven the holidays have become, and how sad it is that all kids want iPods and XBoxes instead of books and clothes and candy and simple, inexpensive toys... regardless of their parents' socioeconomic status... well, that's understandable.
But that's not what is being said here, is it? Instead it's all about the disgusting entitlement of needy people.
(Oh, excuse me... I mean, "needy" people. Mustn't forget those little quotation marks that passive-aggressively insure that every reader knows that you don't really believe they're needy, after all.)
So, yes, I'm pretty sure I do understand the outrage that I'm seeing, from both the original blog post and a lot of the "me too" comments. And I think it comes from a sense of paternalistic insecurity, and a need to judge others in order to elevate oneself. If that's the spirit that gets you all through the holidays, then do whatever you need to.
Frankly, there were kernels of some positive conversation to be had here. Too bad that's not the direction that Margaret chose to go when she vented her spleen about the "needy" children.
ha - he tthought i was a man five times!
Paul,
take it easy there bub, you are by no means joan of arc becaue you pay have paid you little mortgage for 7 years on time EVERY TIME, wow. rednecks like yourself whom wear levi jeans and ugly shirts, flip the bird on a blog and feel as if they are obligated because THEY are bailing everyone else out - because they are paying on time for their little house? also, you are such a smart barterer, you EVEN got the builder to pay the closing costs?? wow, you truly are a businessman like no other - considering builders always do this today-- country, they usually always pay your closing costs - beause they build it into the price of the home.. please, your little mortgage is such a small peice of the puzzle that you would not even qualify to sit in peanut heaven at the super bowl of the bail out kings, you would not even be able to stand across the street at the waffle house parking lot and watch the big screen at the stadium - because so many others are in front of you at such a higher rate.. Look dude, you are no saint or no better then anyone else out there... Yes, I do know people who have stopped paying there mortgage for over a year now and are still in there home!! // Now taking more trips to Disney and going to the movies and eating out - yes, what pathetic people they are.. and now, they look to be getting bailed.. But dont point the finger so quick..
myself, i own 3 homes, all of which are a total of $750,000 upside down. yes, according to you i am an "idiot" because i bought all of these in the 2004-2006 mortagge boom - where we ALL would be able to buy (interest only/subprime) and then flip them in 3-5 years.. however, as you know, this is not likely, unless you want to short sell, which is a pain in itself. now i am faced with the question of "walking" from all.. why should i even pay the payment anymore to watch the balance stay the same or go up, and then to watch the market continue to fall? you Paul, by paying for your trailer have by no menas helped me. and the few dollars you pay a year in taxes from your job as a sidewalk cleaner have not helped me at all - nor really anyone else.. continue to pay for your house, like you should. some made bad decisions, like my self, by you do not have the right to look down on me because I may walk.. because i wont get that 700 billion, i am just out..
// I have never been late on my $10,000 in mortagges either, EVER, wow, .. just figured i would stop in and straighten you up a bit..
Agreed, Paul. Mind you, the women in my office building barely flush, much less courtesy-flush. I didn't realize that men were so diligent about it.
I hate auto-flush toilets! The public bathroom at the mall flush when I close the stall door, take off my coat, and sit down, then again when I sit up. And they flush quite violently, too, probably using more than two gallons per flush.
What's up with the automatic flushing toilets? Sometimes it goes off 3 or 4 times in one sitting. Nothing like wasting water AND electricity. Then there's the splashback....
Retail workers should be replaced by machines; but people are happy to work for change. This leads to inefficiency caused by workers' inherent stupidity and their resentment of their dehumanizing work. I hated working retail, and I hate dealing with retail workers even more. I am ashamed at this disparity, since it indicates I took some pleasure in occasionally almost living up to the machine-ideal.
I went to Britain in Sept and before we left I called the Credit Card companies and my bank. I knew I'd want to use the ATMs to get pounds (I'd heard it was cheaper than other methods) and use the cards a lot to charge things.
There were all "no problem; it's recorded on your account." I get over there and none of my cards are working. Two credit cards and an ATM card and all I have is a little bit of money I had converted before I left. They called my home and left messages (which family picked up two days later when checking in on my home). It took days to get it all straightened and I have difficulties with the ATM card for most of the trip.
I've had my card flagged before for suspicious activity for the oddest things and while I appreciate the concern, I went out of my way to avoid the problem this time and it caused major headaches.
Beware--definitely call the companies before the trip--but have backup plans and phone numbers with you, in case they are as incompetent as my bank was.
I really feel that you're misunderstanding the outrage people are feeling over this issue. It's not a matter of believing that the poor should be grateful for whatever they get - honestly, it's smart giving to want to know that your gift is practical and useful. Blithely handing over whatever a stranger anonymously requests doesn't necessarily make you a great person.
#12 - Limit slashing is becoming common - it has nothing to do with your credit history and everything to do with the fact that banks can't borrow money like they used to (and with that bailout money being used to pay huge bonuses to the heads of companies like AIG, it should be no surprise that the bailout isn't working), so banks are trying to make sure that you don't borrow any more from them. They borrow money to give you money, and now they can't borrow, so they want to prevent you from borrowing.
Linsey, my bank card was denied at the checkout at REI yesterday. I had used the same card the day before at the same store. My bank didn't call me or issue and alert, just denied the card, even though I know that I have thousands of dollars in the account. It was SO embarrassing to have someone say "Wow, this is being denied. Do you have another card?". Thank goodness I did.
There are all kinds of triggers that set off fraud alerts - keep in mind that the triggers are recorded and set off by software algorithms that analyze fraud. Buying stuff at the same store two days in a row after not using an account for a while is a trigger. So is filling up at a gas station and then going to an electronics store and making a major purchase. Frustrating, but true. Sorry you had to go through that.
We bought appliances at Sears in the spring, and the purchase was flagged. Not only did the salesperson have to call American Express, but American Express called our cell phone at the same time(!) to verify the purchase. We did the initial purchase, realized we didn't get the discount we expected, and the salesperson voided and re-ran the transaction, which caused the confusion and the calls. I was pleasantly surprised that they called us.
In 1999 I did a cross country road trip with a buddy, and Citicard called my house to verify the activity. If I hadn't called them back, they would have cut off the credit. Fortunately I was living at my parents' house, and they could relay the message, plus Citicard gave me a few days of leeway to call back. I didn't have enough cash to drive home if my credit had been cut off right then.
Last month we went on our honeymoon to Europe, and didn't call American Express to warn them we would be out of the country. Amazingly, the account wasn't flagged. I'm not sure if that was because a) we bought the flights on that card, b) we only made 3 or 4 purchases, or c) we buy a lot of stuff online, so our transactions are frequently outside our home region. I am a little surprised they didn't try to contact us or flag the transactions.
The refusal by Kmart's check company to take your check is pretty surprising. I can see that they wouldn't want to take too many risks, and $350 is a lot of money, but this time of year, with the Christmas shopping, it seems like a common enough amount.
What's funny to me about retail and food service is that people feel so snobby about them - the idea that they aren't real jobs. I know that lots of people work in retail or food service in order to earn extra money, but some people actually do work in retail as a career. And these people aren't dumb - they are smart, sassy, have great people skills, and generally are great at multitasking. I have none of these skills, and would be a wreck at dealing with thieves, irate customers, and irresponsible underlings.
To be fair, I understand that impatient customers are generally not trying to be complete assholes. Some are inherently nasty people, sure, but others are just normal people having a really bad day. So whenever someone is impatient or nasty to me, I try to remember that a bad day at work, a lousy relationship, or a family illness can turn normally kind people into raging maniacs.
I worked at Godiva at Westlake Center in Seattle a few years ago. I honestly can't remember a single decent customer. I am cynical tho and not made for retail. I do remember my swishy manager was a nazi about me tying the bows on the chocolate boxes "just right". I had nightmares about tying bows on boxes, not cool. I don't know that I have any wisdom or advice to give. However, my feet would get crazy swollen from standing all day so someone told me that I need to lie on my bed and prop my legs/feet against a wall so that I form an "L" shape. It does help.