C'est La Vie!

Anyone following my journal may remember on 21 April, I lost my bank card, or at least first noticed it missing. Now by my calculations, that's 16 days...or is it 15. I've never claimed to be the best mathematician ever born, but I think my calculation is based on counting today and the day it went missing....and therefore reported it.

It's a bit like that brain teaser you had as a kid, ten stumps in the ground, each one yard apart, how far between the first and last stump? Well of course the answer is nine yards, we all know that, but in my book, there was always ten stumps...right!?

Anyhow, based on that theory, I'm going for 16 days, and come to that, even if it arrives tomorrow, that'll be the 17th day, when they promised it would be 7 days and then veiled that promise with a qualification...10 days maximum!

So, I called them today. I got, in a rather sexy french accent:
"Royal Wedding"
"Bank Holidays"
"Post Office"
"Not one but of course two 3-day weeks"
"These things take time"...and the classic...
"We have to make sure it's you sir!".

I don't really get that last one. and my response was one of complete confusion:
"Of course it's me, I'm talking to you, have gone through all the security checks, it was me that phoned you to report it missing, it's been cancelled on my request, Do you not believe that I am me?"

"Of course sir" came the answer.

"So, what is it that you are doing that requires over two weeks to confirm that I am who I am...and that I requested this new card - have you any idea how difficult it is to live without your debit card?" I quized the woman who would have had no idea my credit cards are near maxed out!!

"You can always use credit cards sir, or go to a branch and withdraw up to £500 per day" she advised.

I knew I shouldn't have asked more than one question in one sentence for it allowed her to avoid answering the first part of the question, focusing on providing completely useless suggestions on how i could easily travel 4 miles, queue up at the bank and carry a pocketful of cash so that I could travel all the way back with £4.40 less in my pocket and now in Transport for London's coffers just to buy my Saturday morning newspaper and milk 100 yards from my house!

"If I lost My American Express card, they'd have it delivered to my house the next morning!" I said, in an effort to embarrass her about her bank's service. That didn't work! Bank cards are allegedly different..."....sir"...which sounded like it should have had "...didn't you know that?" tacked on the end.

So, I gave up realising I had to give it a few more days as she had suggested and decided to make my trip out today worthwhile, with camera in hand. I had no idea what to shoot, but just wandered, snapping what ever took my fancy. A few things worked for me, including a very smart looking Matt silver Lamborghini, but as I waited to cross a road, this English speaking French lady came into my mind, partly annoyed but partly enchanted by recalling her accent and, as I looked down this road, I thought is looked a bit French, Parisian maybe. None too sure if it was the accent swimming in my mind that made me jump to this conclusion, you may judge for yourself.

As for my cash? I needed better identification than I was carrying to withdraw cash from a branch. The lady behind the counter said,

"Do you have your debit card with you sir?" Ah well, that's life!

PS - After posting this entry, I then noticed something seriously amiss with my EXIF data! Maybe Blipfoto should look into that one!