Cash

I'm typing this on May 18, 2022 with the intent to publish it as my letter C post for A - Z 2023. So I guess this is an early kick-off, but hey - for once, I really, really want to have each and every post pre-written and scheduled before April 2023.

So here goes.

I messed up. And since this seems to happen on a regular basis, I am confident I will be able to create content for another 25 episodes.

I went to the post office. 

So far, so good.

I had two packages to ship, one of them internationally. In order to do so, the rules keep changing, and you have to do online research before you even take your package to the post office. You see, you need a customs declaration label that comes with a barcode. I will speculate and say, give it a few month, and it'll change again, you will need a QR code. 

Anyway. In hopes to have filled in the correct form, I was waiting my turn at the post office. 

My label seemed to meet the clerks standards, and I told him I was gonna need some 200 bucks cash back.

"Sure".

He scanned my packages and went

"That'll be CHF 14.40".

As I was saying, I'd like to withdraw 200.

"Oh, right. Sorry. 214.40 in that case."

I entered my pin code, put back the card into my purse, and right at this moment a notification popped up on my phone, and I proceeded to check it.

The guy handed me the receipt, and I left. looking at my the phone. I was in a bit of a hurry because the game was going to start soon. Mid-May is Ice Hockey World Championship time, and Switzerland was going to play against Kazakhstan. 

I went to my car, drove to Freiruum, where I typically spend my time while Colin trains, got my beloved poké bowl, found myself a table and went online with my notebook. 

Phew, just in time.

My team played a bit unconvincing. Even though they dominated the game, and they had a couple shots on goal, they didn't manage to score. After the first period I had to pack up my things and drive to the gym where Colin and his teammates do their summer training: skills, endurance, strength. 

This is what it looks like in the neighborhood of his practice, isn't it gorgeous? It's actually in the museum district. 

On our way home he ate the pasta salad I had packed for him, and we talked about the following day. I had scheduled a hair appointment for the both of us, which was the reason I had to get cash. 

Wait a minute. 

Did I put the money in my wallet? Did I even get the money?

I wanted to make a full stop and turn around right there on the freeway. Except that's a really bad idea, plus the post office was closed by this time.

I couldn't believe I was so careless.

Or did I get it and put it away mindlessly, just like I do so many things without remembering later? Locking the door, starting the washing machine, hooking up the phone to the charger?

At home I checked the wallet. 

I did not have the money.

Oh.My.God.

It has come to this. I threw away 200 bucks, just because I am too lazy to pay attention.

The next morning I called the contact center number that was printed on the receipt. 

"Welcome to Swiss Post. Willkommen bei der Schweizer Post. Bienvenue chez la Poste Suisse. Benvenuti alla Posta Svizzera. For German, press 1. We'd like to train our voice activated computer, and we invite you to help us. Press 1 or stay on the line."

There was no way I was gonna let a  computer know I was too stupid to take the money that was debited from my account.

I stayed on the line for a very long time, until a person listened to my story and told me to hold, they were going to connect me to the customer service department.

"All of our agents are busy. Please hold, your call is important."

I listened to music, and I listened some more, until the music fell silent. 

What now? 

I held for another minute or two, then I hung up and called again.

Rinse and repeat two more times.

A person answered, and all she could tell me was

"You have to go  back to that counter and deal with the people directly. I cannot help you over the phone."

Excuse me, aren't you with the customer service dept? Shouldn't you actually be helping instead of dismissing people? I am at work. 40 miles away. I need somebody to check if this specific counter had a cash difference of CHF 200 and tell them, it's my money!!!

"As I was saying, I can't help you. If you can't go there in person, you need to call them."

Lady, isn't this what I am doing, I am calling the number on the receipt. What else can I do? This isn't the olden days where every post office had a landline number that was listed in the phone book, and you could actually call them.

"You have to call this number again and ask to be transferred."

Can't you do it?

"I'm afraid I can't."

But...

She hung up. 

And I had no choice but to call again, press 1 a couple of times, listen to music, see above.

Until, finally, after almost 30 minutes of not being helped whatsoever, I got to talk to a person who said

"Indeed we detected we had too much money in our cash drawer. I'll make a note, and you may come to the counter, bring a piece of identification, sign a form, and you'll get your money."

Thank goodness!

That's what I did today. 

Of course I had to talk to three different clerks and repeat the embarrassing story to them. In the meantime I couldn't help but wonder, why did the guy from last night not react? Did he forget to give me the money? Did he have it in his hands, but I left, focussing on my phone, not hearing he was calling after me? Was he hoping I would not return so he could keep the money?

Ultimately I walked out of there with my cash. I asked the guy who helped me if something like this happened often? He smiled awkwardly. "Fortunately not."

What have I learned from this experience?

It's not only "don't drink and drive" or "don't text and drive" it's also "don't withdraw cash and check your phone".

Has something like this happened to you? Could you confidently say it would never happen to you?

PS: In case you were wondering about the hockey game: