'Terribly sorry you've had such a problem and hope you've recovered and well on your way by now. 'Reminds me of a trip my older son took from Raleigh to Ontario, CA, nearly 20 years ago, though your ordeal was much worse than his. He was going to his 10th year high school class reunion at Victorville, CA. He had used my credit card to buy the round-trip plane ticket. He arrived at Ontario coupla hours or so before the reunion and had plenty of cash for a rental car plus a significant deposit, but they would not let him have a car without a credit card, which he did not have. After 2 or 3 hours or more wandering around the terminal and talking to the car rental agent trying to find a way to get a car, he finally realized that my credit card # was on the airline ticket. They used that for the car, and he was finally on his way; 'got to the reunion as they were "finishing up." I think the problem getting the car scared him so badly he drove back to the airport after the reunion and waited the rest of the night and morning for his return flight the next day.
Wilton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill R" <billr32...@comcast.net> To: "'Banned List'" <ban...@okiebenz.com>; "'Mercedes Discussion List'" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Cc: "'Lora Stayton'" <st...@comcast.net>; "'Ringgold,Sue'" <sue.ringg...@bcbsfl.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 4:48 PM Subject: [MBZ] Sometimes I am too dumb to be let out alone > > It's a bit after 9:00 PM on 1/1 here at George Bush Intercontinental Airport > in Houston. I have lots of time to write as I have proved too dumb to be > let out alone. It was a confluence of happenstance that has given me all > these free hours [about six so far and many more to go]. Three weeks ago I > bought round trip tickets to Houston and paid for five days of rental car to > use to get me the 120 miles from GB airport to my friends house and back. I > had not bothered to arrange extra money for my debit account because I > always get a payment into it on the first of the month, and if the first is > a holiday I get it the day before. No problems anticipated there, and I > always carry a paid off credit card so no worries there [some of you might > get a hint of what my current problem is.] My flight arrived a bit early, > and apparently my luggage went on an earlier flight than I did as it was > waiting for me in baggage pickup before our plane was even unloaded. I'm > off to the car rental building, and hand my paid reservation to the > attendant - who sends me over to the automated check in. Still no worries, > except that it won't let me finish registration for some reason. The > attendant tries it on her machine [all the same questions once more], and > determines my CC is not allowing the $200 amount to be held. They let me > use their office and phone to call the CC company, whose automated voices > tell me that no balance is due and no payments have been received, and do I > need anything else...I talk to a rep just in case, and am told that due to > inactivity on the card for several months the account was closed, and she > has no way to reopen it on 1/1. OK, so I'll do some transfers into my debit > account, which they will accept, but I only had @$50 in it because I always > get paid on the first of the month, and earlier if it is a holiday. EXCEPT > IF IT IS NEW YEARS. To pay us early would mess up everyone's annual income > statements and tax returns. My wife and I have separate accounts at > separate credit unions, and I have never set mine up for phone activity, > even if there had been a credit union employee working on 1/1. Having her > put a deposit into my account will not work as she doesn't have that card, > and even if she did it would not be credited immediately. Finally I get a > brilliant idea. I called my son in DC [whom I visited with in the Atlanta > airport a few hours earlier, hoping he was home]. He sent $400 into my > paypal account, to discover that not only did it cost me $12 for that, but > it will take three or four days to be credited, even from a direct debit > from his account. There is simply no way to get funds into my debit account > today, and sending me the cash [which my wife wanted to do] wouldn't help as > I must have a CC in my name, and in my possession, to take the car. Cash in > hand is not enough. Even for a car I have already paid for. My friend > would drive over and pick me up, but then he would have to drive back over > in the morning for me to get the already paid for car - 7 to 8 hours for him > to save me what I hope is only a few more hours until my funds arrive in my > account, and he is getting married on Sat., so he has a few other things to > think about. So here I sit in GB airport hoping that at the stroke of > midnight my funds will magically appear [they didn't]. If the pension folks > couldn't authorize the payment until after 1/1 to keep things in the right > year it won't happen until after the work day starts in Indianapolis > tomorrow. Unless they gave the staff Friday off. They wouldn't do that, > would they? What's an extra eight or nine more hours in the ticketing area > of an airport, anyway? I can ride the uncomfortable inter-terminal trains, > take my pick of uncomfortable chairs, people watch late at night on 1/1 > [some really odd folks, so I feel right at home], wander the terminals > [baggage in tow], write emails about how dumb I am... > At least I found the one of the four terminals [and I checked them all, > and the hotel in the airport] that has a restaurant [the concourses have > plenty, but not the terminals] so I got dinner [and they closed 5 minutes > after I was done] and they will be open for breakfast - I won't starve, even > if I won't get much - or any - sleep tonight. Sometimes I am too dumb to be > let out alone, but they keep letting me do it. For now. Maybe Lt. Don can > help me... > > It's 2:45 AM now, and I know how GB airport saves money - they turn the heat > way down about 2:00 AM. That or the AC is on. One the positive side they > keep the music and inane announcements going 24/7. I will never, ever accept > a package from a stranger who wants me to take it on an airplane for him. > Especially if it is ticking or if he is wearing a "DEATH TO AMERICA" > T-shirt. > > The airport started to come alive at 4 AM and further attempts at sleep > seemed useless. An ATM check at 4:05 showed my funds were in so I'm off. > I do home the kids are not taking notes for when it is time for them to have > me committed. > BillR > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
