So...this is the scenario:

You're in a store. Any store. Doesn't matter. You're checking out. You swipe your card. The machine says "Enter your PIN." You don't want to enter your PIN, because they charge for that. You want to do a VISA debit, or a MasterCard debit, or whatever. So you tell the chick. If you're in a really nice store, the machine tells you what to do, but you're not in a really nice store, so you have to tell the chick. "I want to do a credit."

Her response? The machine's instructions for doing a credit? "Press CANCEL for Credit."

WTF?

Since when does "Cancel" mean "Credit"? Why doesn't EVERYONE just put in a "Credit" button?

The reason they default to EBT probably has something to do with them being charged by VISA for processing debit transactions, but there has GOT to be some measurable value to making things easier for the customer. By extension, this would also make less work for the employees.

Why is it so often the case that things that make perfect sense (to me) are so contrary to the way things are generally done?

Why do people throw their trash on the ground when there is a trash can FOUR FEET AWAY?!?! Maybe just keep it in your car until you home?

You can hear the music MUCH better when it's about half that loud, nimrod. As an added incentive, maybe you won't go deaf at the age of 50. And MAYBE your newborn or toddler's ears aren't are still a little fragile.

When you cross a 5 lane street in the middle of the block...at night...wearing all black - I CAN'T SEE YOU! I'm probably trying to get home after a long day at work, and I'm probably speeding. You might be dressed like a ninja, but you don't have the reflexes of one, so you might want to move A BIT faster if you don't want me to take out your kneecap with my bumper. Oh yeah, and if you get halfway across and have to ask yourself "Is that black car speeding up?" I probably am. Move your ass.

I don't want a bean pie, or a car wash, and I'm not going to put my money in that boot that you're carrying around. I'm willing to bet cash money that if I went to the store and bought a nice nutritious bunch of bananas and a salad instead of just giving you the cash, you'd look at me like I was crazy. GET OUT OF THE STREET.

That's a great segue to something else that has been on my chest for a while - panhandling. It's an issue in Downtown Atlanta. The way I see it, it works. If it didn't work...if you couldn't make a certain amount of money doing it, nobody would do it. My personal issue is with the panhandlers that don't speak to you. They just shake that damn cup at you. Listen. The biggest thing that sets us apart from animals is spoken communication. What do you do? You shake a damn cup at me. That's disrespectful. I'm a grown man. Speak to me. Babies play with rattles.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. Repeat. Where's my drink? Happy Memorial Day.

Know What I'm Sayin'??