America - Day 7
Yesterday I had a scare. I had tried to use my debit card and it would't work, no surprises there. No my bank do NOT want me to tell them when I am travelling abroad - or so they say on their telephone banking service. So I call my bank and speak to a customer service advisor who tells me that my previous transactions have been flagged up for a security check. Ok, I'm happy with that. At least they're keeping an eye on who is spending my money. Then he says that security are available from 9am the next day to look into my account and unblock it, "is that ok Mr Wardle? we'll look into this and call you back in the morning" NO it isn't I say.I'm in America and I have three dollars, I'm using Skype to call you, I have 1.35 minutes of credit left and I don't have any other number you can get me on. I can't top up my Skype credit because my card is blocked. "Ok Mr Wardle, I'll have a look into this and see what I can do, I just need to put you on hold". So I'm on hold, looking at my Skype credit going down; 1m 25secs.......1m 20 secs. I'm not panicking, I'm just waiting. He comes back on and it's sorted, I can use my card in five minutes. The five minutes were anxious, but my card did work.
I realised how easy it is to become homeless. I have been asked for money in the street many times here, and I have always up to now said no - I'm sorry. I have heard stories and read stories on pieces of cardboard about why people need the money, how they need to get somewhere or buy something. None of it has caused me to give money.
Yesterday I could have needed to borrow some money to buy phone credit, so that I could talk to my bank, to unlock my account, to get at my money, to have somewhere to stay the night. A ten dollar note could have been the difference between me sleeping with my rucsac in a doorway - and staying in a hotel. I can very easily look homeless - I have a beard, a slightly unkept look, a big pack and I look pretty gormless and lost half the time. But I have money in my bank, and a job, and people who love me, and I feel ok about myself - usually. But that could all change very quickly - I had just over a minute.
Yesterday I had a scare. I had tried to use my debit card and it would't work, no surprises there. No my bank do NOT want me to tell them when I am travelling abroad - or so they say on their telephone banking service. So I call my bank and speak to a customer service advisor who tells me that my previous transactions have been flagged up for a security check. Ok, I'm happy with that. At least they're keeping an eye on who is spending my money. Then he says that security are available from 9am the next day to look into my account and unblock it, "is that ok Mr Wardle? we'll look into this and call you back in the morning" NO it isn't I say.I'm in America and I have three dollars, I'm using Skype to call you, I have 1.35 minutes of credit left and I don't have any other number you can get me on. I can't top up my Skype credit because my card is blocked. "Ok Mr Wardle, I'll have a look into this and see what I can do, I just need to put you on hold". So I'm on hold, looking at my Skype credit going down; 1m 25secs.......1m 20 secs. I'm not panicking, I'm just waiting. He comes back on and it's sorted, I can use my card in five minutes. The five minutes were anxious, but my card did work.
I realised how easy it is to become homeless. I have been asked for money in the street many times here, and I have always up to now said no - I'm sorry. I have heard stories and read stories on pieces of cardboard about why people need the money, how they need to get somewhere or buy something. None of it has caused me to give money.
Yesterday I could have needed to borrow some money to buy phone credit, so that I could talk to my bank, to unlock my account, to get at my money, to have somewhere to stay the night. A ten dollar note could have been the difference between me sleeping with my rucsac in a doorway - and staying in a hotel. I can very easily look homeless - I have a beard, a slightly unkept look, a big pack and I look pretty gormless and lost half the time. But I have money in my bank, and a job, and people who love me, and I feel ok about myself - usually. But that could all change very quickly - I had just over a minute.