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April 10, 2004
Saturday at Café Café
As you remember, I lost my wallet last week. Actually, someone found my wallet and I retrieved it on Monday – with all the credit cards, my drivers license and cash. BUT, I had already cancelled everything, gotten a new license and replaced the wallet. I ordered new cards, but none of them have arrived. I did get a temporary ATM card to get cash. But, I have no credit cards.
I hate to admit it, but credit cards are almost essential to life. Without a credit card, you have to prepay at the gas station and go back in for the return change. Without credit cards, I can’t “spontaneously” take a trip. I had thought about going to the ocean this weekend, but I can’t get a hotel without a credit card. (I could, but it’s harder to arrange for.) Most certainly, I couldn’t rent a car if I wanted to fly somewhere. Also, using cash causes salespeople and other shoppers in line look at you like you’re weird, or perhaps a criminal! Come to think of it, it seems wrong to NOT use credit cards.
On the “up” side, it sure is cheaper not having credit cards around. I use cash, which means that I know how much money I’m spending and there won’t be any “surprises” when the bills come in next month.
I think that not having credit cards fits in with the temporary life I’m living right now. I’ve sold my home and I have two more months before I move to California. I’m living in a temporary rental apartment with stuff that came with the place. I don’t have a landline telephone or at-home Internet.
I wanted to get by with using “free” Internet, at CyberCafe near DuPont or at the T Street house. That could work out except that people smoke at CyberCafe, and I don’t want to spend all that time at T Street, for the sake of my friends who live there. I had dropped my T-Mobile Hot Spot account a few months back and I didn’t want to start it up again because of the high cost and year-long contract. I decided to open a Boingo wireless account because it’s a lot cheaper than T-Mobile, and it doesn’t require a contract. I think that I also like that they partner with other companies and are often located in small, locally owned shops. (I’m not Starbuck’s bashing, but it is nice to be sitting in a small, out of the way, coffee and tea house right now to use the Internet.)
I'm at Café Café, near Chevy Chase off of Wisconsin Avenue.
Posted by roland at April 10, 2004 03:08 PMPosted to General | Observed | Personal
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Comments
you're getting pretty spiffy with this movable type stuff. looks good.
Posted by: jason at April 10, 2004 05:22 PM