Apologies to the driver of the silver (or was it light gold? blue?) Honda Accord (or whatever it was, but I know it was a light-colored sedan and about that size).
I noticed as I pulled up to the cashier in the parking ramp that the driver of the car in front of you was having some kind of difficulties – talking to the cashier, opening and shutting his/her door, waving arms out the window, forcing the cashier to lean way out the window with instructions of some kind – so I was relieved when, after about 15 minutes, that car finally went on its way.
When you pulled up to the cashier window, I naturally pulled up right behind you. I thought I saw you hand something to the cashier (like money, maybe?), and the gate went up. I then saw your back-up lights come on, and you started to roll backward towards my vehicle. I tapped the horn. When you continued to roll backwards, I hit the horn a little more solidly – figuring maybe you didn’t realize you were in R instead of D (hey, it happens).
But then you shouted out your window for ME to back up so you could “get to the machine.” (You may have added a not-very-nice salutation – or that might have been my overly-stressed imagination.)
Only then did I notice that this particular parking ramp had a newly installed credit card reader, which was conveniently placed approximately 6 feet before the cashier’s window, thereby forcing drivers to back up to insert their cards.
At which point I lost it. I was already behind schedule, had already sat waiting for that first driver to futz around with that machine, and now you were yelling at me to get out of the way so you could get to the machine.
Perhaps it wasn’t my most enlightened moment when I screamed back, “Why don’t you just use cash – like the rest of us!”
Possibly you are from out of town and were unaware that previously only cash was accepted at this parking ramp and so could not understand my confusion and frustration at watching drivers play around with the credit card machine, while the line behind them grew longer and longer. Possibly you will now no longer think of Buffalo, NY as the City of Good Neighbors. For that I apologize.
You finally got your credit card accepted, and went on your way. As I pulled up beside the cashier and handed him my cash, I couldn’t help but comment, “I’m so glad they installed that credit card machine.” The cashier made some non-committal sound of agreement – apparently, he was getting annoyed, too.
In closing, Mr. I-Really-Want-the-Points-on-the-Card-for-the-$2.00-Parking-Charge: Let me wish you a happy visit to my hometown. Should we by chance meet again during your visit, I promise to keep my horn to myself. I might even offer to pay your parking charge, just to keep the line moving already!
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Image by Cordelia’s Mom
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Progress????
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For sure. The maximum charge per day is $6 at that ramp – are credit cards really necessary?
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OMG. That made me crazy just reading about it! 🙂
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Normally, that type of thing doesn’t bother me, but today was not a good day.
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Today wouldn’t be a good day for me to get stuck behind that either. 😉
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sigh….It’s like waiting for someone to consider which bank card to use to pay for their can of Pepsi. Then they use the wrong passcode. Our new world. ☺
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True. I can understand wanting to get credit card points – I get those, too – but really, for a $1 or $2 purchase?
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I understand your impatience.
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Thanks. Been there, done that, right?
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Mmm, at least similar. Like when people are at the register for a good 10 minutes and then seem surprised that it’s time to pay, as if they didn’t see it comin. I get huffy. Mmhm.
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Hopefully the learning curve for this new addition doesn’t last forever. It certainly sounds frustrating!
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I haven’t been downtown in awhile, so I don’t really know when the reader was installed, but apparently it was new enough to be confusing people. If nothing else, at least I learned that next time I’m there, I should allow enough space so that the car in front of me can back up if necessary.
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This strangely-shaped, parti-colored car/sedan/van didn’t have Ontario plates on it though, did it??! 😆
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No, they were NYS plates. That much I did notice. I wondered later if it might have been a rental car – so the driver could very well have been Canadian. Although I doubt that a Canadian would shout at me, would he?
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We’ve had the use of credit card machines in car parks for years, but here you park first, get your ticket, and then display it on your dashboard. reading the small print though for card payments, the charges for using it are more than the car park fee.
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We have those, too, mostly for on-street parking and for open-air parking lots. This was the first I’ve seen one of these machines in a parking ramp.
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I can see why you would be frustrated. How much easier it would have been if he had said “I’m sorry, but I have to use that machine.”
I’ve been in parking garages without enough money before. I know the feeling but the last thing I would do is yell at the people whose help I need.
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It’s possible he had to shout to be heard over my honking. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. I wasn’t being my most polite self, either.
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You’re a good person.
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Ha! Here in Ontario we have a sort of “tap-and-go” process whereby credit cards and such can be used without any PIN or signature, etc. Just flash the card, chip down,on a reader plate and the transaction is complete. This works under some magical number like $100. but does require occasional random PIN or signature application.
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I’m pretty sure this particular reader required a PIN number because both the first driver and the driver in front of me had to punch some buttons – which, of course, takes even more time. It looked like the first driver couldn’t remember his PIN and had to look in his wallet to find it – although at that point I didn’t realize what all the futzing around was about.
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That would be the garage’s fault for installing the wrong type of reader.
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I’ll be sure to tell them that the next time I’m there. I’m sure they’ll appreciate the insight.
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I hate stuff like that, especially if I am the dumbo.
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I think I’m glad it wasn’t you in front of me. It could have gotten nasty. Either that, or we would have just said the heck with it and gone out for drinks.
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That sounds like a plan.
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LoL, this is funny considering I work in the credit card industry. People really do care about those points though!
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Aha, so you’re one of those people I speak with when I have problems with my card? I’ll pay more attention to who’s handling the call next time.
Yes, points are important, but really – for a $2 charge?
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I’m more the guy that sees when your card gets denied lol.
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In that case, you’ve probably seen my name a lot. I’m surprised you didn’t recognize it!
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