Sunday March 26, 2012
Lithia Springs Site #38
I know you will be shocked that this is a no picture post given my history. I actually am SO sorry I didn’t get out my camera and take a picture of our nose to nose encounter with a totally inconsiderate driver but I was so amazed at his arrogance that I forgot.
We were on our way back from Manatee Springs to Lithia Springs yesterday and needed gas. We found a Pilot with $3.789 a gallon and with our $.02 a gallon Pilot card discount that was nearly $.13 a gallon cheaper than most of what we’d been seeing. So we got off of I-75 in Wildwood Florida. TONS of other folks were also wanting to get gas so we got in line. One of the real advantages of Pilot I think is for the diesel users. They have big pumps and not all the little cars in the way. :-)
We were behind two cars. While the first one pumped, the second one realized she was in the wrong lane for the side of her gas tank so she stuck her nose into the lane to our left and her butt was still in ours. Car #1 finishes but we can’t get to the pump without running over Miss Butt In Our Lane.
Just as she moves a white haired dude in a panama hat zips his car from the line next to us which has a non working pump that he obviously didn’t notice. He drives between the gas pumps and pulls up nose to nose with us going the wrong way and blocking our use of the pump we were moving into place to use. I could NOT believe it. Cutting in a gas line with a car by driving between pumps from one lane to another??? What nerve!! David pulled up right to his hood and I peered down on him and his wife while he tried to hustle to put gas in his car. How I wished I could have just driven right over him and his car and flattened them both.
What is it with people who think somehow they shouldn’t have to wait their turn??
Finally he is finished, we get to the pump and David types the zip code incorrectly. So he cancels the purchase and goes to do it again. BINGO – fraud alert. Those of you who have been with us for a while know from last spring about our long saga of credit card denials due to our bank not being able to understand that full timers don’t “go back home”. They are home. Home on the road and it could be anywhere. Every time we would go into a new state, there would be a fraud alert and we’d have to stand at the register and call the bank to get them to ok the purchase and release the card. Happened again yesterday but this time it wasn’t really their fault.
I am happy they are so careful. Although I realize it’s only because they get stuck with the fraud charges. If it were just me that was getting stuck, they wouldn’t care a fig.
We did finally did get our gas tying up the pump for probably 30 minutes. We did make it to Lithia where we are happily camped.
That will be the next post.
Do others of you have to let your credit card companies know when you go on vacation? Do you full timers have problems with the fraud protection on your credit cards as you travel around the country?
Oh and while you are at it, are you, like me, sick of having to carry around a card for every grocery and gas station in order to get their
”discounts”????
Fraud?? In my haste, all I did was hit the "6" instead of the "3" - they couldn't be closer together. Haste made waste, but I'll be extra careful with the zip code now that I know mistyping is 'fraud'.
ReplyDeleteI have used the same credit union for all my banking for most of my life. Several years ago they called me to verify that I was in a certain location, and I explained that I traveled pretty much of the time. No problem since. I wouldn't use a regular bank to save my life!
ReplyDeleteI didn't tell our Credit Union when we were going to Mazatlan and they put a hold on all our accounts when I tried to use the ATM machine the 2nd time.... Good thing we had cash and pesos and were going home the next day.... It took an "act of congress" to get that hold off and an good scolding too. I too am glad that they take such good care of our account. Shame on me. :) Thank you Rivermark Credit Union
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me all the problems you've had with your credit card company. I agree that it is good they monitor but they treat you guys like Bonnie and Clyde!
ReplyDeleteWe have 3 major credit cards. We have never notified any of the 3 that we were traveling. On only 2 occasions, we received a phone call to verify that we had indeed authorized a recent charge, but it was after the fact by about 10-15 minutes.
I don't know why we are treated differently than you. I do monitor our accounts online daily so I'd know if there were unauthorized charges quickly. Maybe they know that? Doubtful. Wish I had the answer for you.
I always alert my credit card carrier when I am going on vacation. It makes life easier.
ReplyDeleteLeanne (George and Laurie's Mom
Ps. I am keeping David on my prayer list and pray for him and you each night.
Interested in your fraud alert. We are Canadians and every time we want to fill up with fuel, we have to go inside. The pumps do not accept a Canadian postal code. So frustrating!
ReplyDeleteI get phone calls, too, and I'm at home not traveling. I have to verify the past three purchases.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you managed not to get out of your vehicle and deck that guy at the gas station.
I find people are very impatient at gas stations. Maybe it's because they are buying something they don't want. I need diesel so I have to drive about 4 miles to fill up, but invariably there are people jockeying for the best position at the pump, cutting other people off, or just plain blocking the way to the pump. Patience is not my virtue--you might have guessed.
You and David seem to handle EVERYTHING with such grace and dignity.
Use my credit union, Visa & debit card thru them. I fill out a travel itinerary for them prior to leaving, haven't had a problem. YES i get tired of all the cards i have to carry!! Sometimes i just refuse them, so i have to pay more for the infrequent times i go in, sometimes they just give me the discount, afterall i am a poor, grey-haired senior citizen!!
ReplyDeleteI always alert all credit card companies that we are leaving town, and tell them for how long..and also each state we will be visiting (I always add extra states too)...of all our banks there is only one that requires I recall 'collect' as they can only flag my card for us for 90 days...I called them the end of Feb and bingo they just renewed all the previous stuff for us...so we're good with that one for another 90 days...the main cards we use are flagged for the whole time we're away so its never a problem with them as long as we call before we leave for our travel...hope you both are doing well...your still in my prayer basket...
ReplyDeleteI'm still back on the white haired dude that cut the gas line. Can't get much ruder than that!!
ReplyDeleteNever a problem with American Express ... since it was the one card we used, they could verify that we were using it in Turkey, from the airline tickets we had purchased using the same card. We always alerted Bank of America so that we wouldn't have a problem. Now, we've switched to Capital One ... we've had a couple of instances of fraud alerts ... just because of bad timing when an automatic charge from the UK hit the card within moments of us using it in a mall in Virginia. The problem was quickly resolved with a phone call, but to have to make the phone call and take the time to clear the issue was irritating. I am wondering what is going to happen when we're on the road fulltime.
ReplyDeleteI've pared our credit cards down to 3. I never call ahead and let them know that we are traveling (even pre-RV days). Only once did one of them call me when I was visiting my parents in CA and were at the Pebble Beach club pro shop buying things. I guess they know I don't golf and were suspicious :)
ReplyDeleteI do check my card online everyday though too. Oh, and YES, I hate all the discount cards..sheesh!
Having work as a cashier in RETAIL I have met more than my share of RUDE people. Just let it go, because even if you try to explain to them how rude they are... they won't get it and they don't care!! They only one that gets upset is you:o((
ReplyDeleteAs for plastic "Discount" cards, I don't carry them. Most cashiers will have a card that you can use if you ask. If they don't, the amount save is never enough to change my life;o))
Don't have an opinion yet about Credit Card Fraud stuff as we are just beginning to move around.
Hope to see you soon:o)))
We've never had a problem with our debit card...but then we've stayed in the same state!
ReplyDeleteYep..have to call a certain big bank that is all over the country every once in awhile to tell them where I am or I email them attention "fraud department", and give them a rough itinerary. My other bank has a "vacation" tab on the accounts page and I have to keep it current about once a month to let them know I am moving around. Just this past month I got declined (forgot to update) and within a few minutes, verified by punching buttons that I really did make those transactions. I'm just glad to know they are paying attention to where I'm using my card, although it took them two years of me traveling all over the country before they started wondering if it really was me using the card! Two years before they flagged the account for fraud and asked me to explain! I don't mind carrying discount cards, we save quite a bit on gas and groceries. Most of the time they have those little ones that can be attached to your key chain.
ReplyDeleteBeing that we still have a home base before we leave on any trips we notify the card companies ahead and never have a problem. A couple that we travel with periodically don't make notifications and always have that problem.
ReplyDeleteWe have been notified and had our cards replaced twice because of our numbers being used in other parts of the continent that we are not in,. So we're happy that doesn't cost us.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
We always used to notify the cc companies, if we were traveling. Now both our credit card companies have a note in our file that we "travel for business" it seems to work. Our only call was for a truly fraudulent charge and we had to get new cards.
ReplyDeleteI carry one grocery discount card, for Safeway, which we use often enough to get a gas discount, too.
ReplyDeleteIn other stores, as I approach the checker, I ask if they have a courtesy card they can use for my purchases since we are "not from here". In 1 out of about 100 times, the answer was no. I said "so I can't get the sale price on these items?" and looked annoyed/amused. The clerk turned to the person behind me and said "do you have a loyalty card we can use?" The shopper was thrilled to get my big bill applied to her card. :)
I understand why stores like the cards, but if the sale prices were denied to me, I'd ask them to return to the shelves all the impulse buys that were due to a good sale price. I doubt very much that they would be willing to lose the sale.
Oh, your credit card story! What a pain! I think credit unions must be much easier to deal with on stuff like this.
And the gas station jerk? Oh, yes, it would have been GREAT if you had hauled out the camera and taken a few shots through your windshield, then jumped out and photographed the two cars nose to nose. I doubt he ever would have done THAT again!
But let's imagine that he and his wife just heard that their son and grandchild rushed to the hospital because... some emergency. They don't have enough fuel to make it there... they are in a rush. They don't notice the non-functional pump and when they do...! By a stroke of luck (for them), you can't get to the pump at the moment, so they rush over to fill up, thinking how wrong, wrong, wrong it is but they can't help themselves.
You didn't confront or yell at them, for which they are so grateful. Their gratitude, unbeknownst to you, washes over you and David in a big wave. Good job, you two! :)
Safe travels,
Laurie
I set travel alerts on my cc (very easy to do online) and don't get calls regarding possible fraud. Glad you guys made it back to Lithia Springs safe and sound....rude people = yucky people and I don't let them get to me. However, they really really irk Dan;-)
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember all the trouble you had last year with your credit card while traveling. We had a spot of trouble in December while staying in Murrell's Inlet. It was nice to have a new card sent to Bill and Nancy's house while they still had a stix and brix.
ReplyDeleteAs for the discount grocery cards, we just tell the clerk that we don't have one because we are traveling and that grocery chain is not in our "neighborhood". They always use a courtesy card so I can save a buck.
There is no courtesy however in a gas line.
Syl
David guilty of fraud???!!! I didn't think he has an evil bone in his body. You, however... ;c)
ReplyDeleteWe had to verify all of our bank and credit card accounts when we hit the road. Since then, they made notes on our acounts that we are traveling all over the country and we haven't had any problems.
As to rude drivers, what can you say, hopefully he gets a taste of his own medicine down the road.
LOL! Bravo, Laurie & Odel. Love the idea of telling the cashier to return the items to the shelves. That sounds exactly like what I would do.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked in retail at the register for a few years, I can say most stores have a courtesy card that the cashier has dangling from a lanyard around her neck, and yes, most shoppers will offer to let you use their card since you're an out-o'-towner.
My former mother-in-law used to drive 10 to 20 miles, shopping store to store just to save a few pennies - literally - on basic items. She never seemed to understand how she was actually losing money in the scheme of things.
Same thing as driving miles to gas up, just for a couple of cents per gallon savings. Sometimes you have to pay a little extra for convenience.
I'm still Googling for military tank tracks that can be fitted to your RV so you can "get-off" next time you're faced with a butt-insky at the pump. I'll let you know if I find something. In the interim, bite the bullet.
We did take our cards out of the regular bank fraud system because the bank always asking for a verification call. In exchange for that, we check our accounts online nearly everyday.
ReplyDeleteOver the holidays, our credit card was refused at Wally World. We never carry a balance so I called to see what was going on. I was told that there was "an irregular " charge for $8.48 that was posted. When I looked online at the account,it was the auto pay used for our local newspaper. It happened again the following month and that time I threatened to close the account if it continued. Since then, no problem.
ReplyDeleteThat post sounded just like you :) BUT, if I was a tiny car, i would NOT want to have to wait behind Winnona for 30 minutes...however, I do think you should have flattened them both and then claimed you didn't see them in their tiny little car. PS -that is not legal advice that you should rely if this situation should occur in the future ;)
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI have been out of state a lot and BOA has shut me down twice, causing a lot of hassle. It was for my own good, I was told.
Now they have my future travel plans and have been very good about calling me and asking if I am really shopping at Kmart. They do this instead of killing the card. It is working out great. You might try this with your card company.