Have you noticed Credit Card Company notices flying at you
in the mail? They innocuously are titled; “Changes to
your account.” If you ever read them, the changes are
outrageous. The government chastised the card companies and
told them there were several things they could not do. When
you read the fine print contained in your “Notice of
Change” you will discover two things. One, they are doing
other things no one told them they couldn’t. Two, they
are still doing the things they were forbidden to do, but calling
it something different.
Is there no end to the phone company rip-offs? When I wanted
to shut my phone down in Michigan and forward calls to Florida
I was offered such a deal. For only $19.20 a month, all of
my calls would be forwarded to my cell phone so I could get
them anywhere. Boy I thought that was just great — until
my first bill arrived and reality set in. The monthly charge
was $22.19 (not so bad), then there was the one-time charge
$23.60 detailed as a Minimum Usage Commitment Charge (no kidding).
Next came a per call fee of $.08 for each forwarded call (I
would also be paying charges on my cell phone bill for each
incoming call, most of which are solicitors). So my $19.20
deal, after additions and of course, National Access Fee, Universal
Service Fund Surcharge, federal and state taxes, totaled out
at a mere $54.57.
And another thing, As I see it foreign car makers are finally
getting their share of bad press headlines. Don’t misunderstand
me; I’m not saying I am glad those that own foreign cars
are having problems. Nor am I happy their lives are endangered.
It just seems the American car maker’s recalls always
made such a big splash whereas foreign manufacturers were fortunate
for years in sidestepping the inspectors.
A real surprise was that the Japanese manufacturer (Toyota)
did not want to accept responsibility for the problems
their cars were having. They actually tried to blame
others. I
remember when U.S. automakers had to do massive recalls
due to faulty
tires that were actually supplied by a separate manufacturer.
It is good to see that all car makers must admit their
mistakes and recall automobiles or trucks to correct
safety problems.
I really wanted to let you in on this recent event.
I happened to be riding along with my daughter, Lu,
when
she stopped
in Lake Orion at a gas station located on M-24. Lu
put her credit
card in the pump, and all of a sudden all the pumps
stopped. When she went to inquire at the window,
the attendant
held up a note that said, “changing shifts.” Lu asked
the person what had happened to her card she had placed in
the machine, had it registered. At this point there were several
people lining up wanting to know the same thing, but the woman
screamed at Lu saying she had to leave the station or she was
calling the cops. When Lu inquired about who she was, first
she said, “the manager,” then elevated her position
to being the owner.
My daughter saw I was standing outside the car, (it
was bitterly cold) and she didn’t want me to wait so she reluctantly
came back to the car. Evidently not fast enough, because as
she pulled into another gas station just down the street, a
police car drove in behind her. A sheriff’s deputy got
out and came over and demanded she give him her license. After
he returned it and my daughter explained what had happened
at the station up the road, he left. When Lu went to pay for
her gas, the clerk said the screaming attendant from the other
station sent new customers to her frequently.
Later that day Lu called the Lake Orion police
station to inquire about the occurrence and learned
no report
had been
filed by
the deputy, just an incident notation.
So my final words to you today are; remember
if you’re
traveling on M-24 through Lake Orion there is an abusive, screaming
attendant at one of the gas stations. If you forget, or get
drawn in with a cheap price and she tells you she is the owner,
it’s not true, we checked that out when we reported the
encounter to the company.
Capt. Fred Davis is a retired charter captain
and nationally published author of boating
articles. His “As I See It” column
appears weekly in the Tribune. His Boat Smart articles are
published in each edition of the Thumb Resorter and on-line
at www.captainfredsboattips.com.