You Don’t Take What Now?
After coming across this story on a local news site, it reminded me of an experience I had while planning for our upcoming trip to Cozumel.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit in the local passport office for 45 minutes to get my passport processed. One of the things my keen, “always-on” mind noticed while waiting was a sign taped to the top of each teller stating, very clearly, “We do not take credit cards”.
No problem, I had just gone to the ATM machine in anticipation of this beating and had 10 crisp $20 bills on hand. After waiting patiently, my number was called and I strutted up to the window, ready to get my passport on.
The passport helper person(?) quickly shuffled through my paperwork and gave me an accepting nod, as if to say “what an organized, confident and attractive person you are” . . . or at least that’s what I took from it.
“Do you have a check for $173.50?”, she said. “Nope, cash.” Then she said the words I swore I’d never hear. “We don’t accept cash.”
“MMmmmmscuse me? You don’t take what now?”
“We only accept checks.”
“Yeah, no, I get that. You don’t take credit cards, but I have cash! You don’t take cash?”
At this point I slowly start to reach for my wallet and pull out my cash, because I realize that she doesn’t understand what I’m talking about. I have cash. U.S dollars. You take cash. EVERYone takes cash. It’s cash for Christ’s sake.
“Nope, we only accept checks.”
Ok, you have just drawn me into some altered state of existence. You have to take cash.
“You of course realize that my check is just a representation of the cash, right? I mean, the cash is the final product, it’s what you really want. The check is simply an IOU stating that, at a later date, we will finalize this transaction and you will end up with my cash.”
At this point she seems to be thrown off at the fact that I’m confused that they don’t take cash. This discussion is going nowhere. So my next steps are to leave, drive home to get my checkbook, come back and write this poor soul a check . . . for the money that is currently waving in front of her face.
Amazingly I was able to do so, and without even muttering the word “communists” at anyone behind those windows. My question is, on the sign that hangs above EVERY window . . . clearly stating that they don’t take credit cards, why didn’t they add “cash” to that list?
Scratch that. That’s clearly a subplot here. My real question is why the hell would anyone not take cash?
Communists.