Step Into the Gap

I got my bank card. I REPEAT: I GOT MY BANK CARD. I could barely believe it. While they sent it to the wrong branch and I had to walk 20 minutes in pouring rain to find it - when i finally wrapped my cold, wet fingers around the card, I felt tears of joy filling my eyes.

I immediately headed to get a phone contract which I have been waiting to do for a month.

After a glorious hour searching for the perfect plan, I had made a decision. The phone man proceeded to do a credit check. And then my card could not be read. Argh. So I called HSBC and they informed me that I needed to use the card at an ATM to activate it. So Phone Man tells me to go ahead as he finished some paperwork. I leave. I put my card in the machine, enter my new pin and......

"YOUR CARD HAS BEEN RETAINED"

I pushed all the buttons and banged on the screen. Nothing. No card would come back out. I frantically ran around for a banker, but it was just a stand-alone ATM. I once again felt tears in my eyes - tears of disbelieving horror and insurmountable frustration. WHY?!

So I ran back to Phone Man. He politely informed me that without my card I couldn't get a plan. So, completely void of emotion, I dragged myself away from the phone I was sooooo close to.

Back to the bank.
Where everybody knows my name.

Posted by S on Friday, November 24, 2006 at 4:28 AM | Permalink