flemmings | (no subject)

I won't say that the successful conclusion to the 'data roaming that wouldn't' problem was due to me getting the female employee while her male counterpart was on lunch break, but oh I shall be thinking it hard. In any case it seems I've had data all along, just very very slow. So she switched me to another of Rogers The Octopus's many many tentacles (from chatr to Fido, basically) with many more gigabytes of data and a grand reduction of a dollar less a month. I might have been able to switch from billing my credit card to deducting from my debit, which I would prefer, but she wanted a three-digit CVV number for it which as far as I know debit cards don't have. However. Set for the future. Though it did take the male employee to figure out how to switch the SIM card on my idiosyncratic phone ie you take the back off. Which beats breaking fingernails to get the usual ports out, but is also, well, idiosyncratic.

Because it was a lovely day I thought to go down to the Royal Bank outlet at Harbord and Spadina, since they closed the ATM by the Bedford subway exit. Takes you through a flowery part of town, all tulips and daphne and little blue flowers that might be lupins but probably aren't. It's also on the way past Bakka and being as chuffed as I was, I decided to get the latest Murderbot in hardcover, since ebook Murderbot won't stick in the head. So did that, and went to the corner of Harbord and Spadina and-- that bank branch was closed. Ohh Royal, how I wish I knew how to quit you. If I'd consulted my newly revived data I'd have seen that there's an ATM across the street in the grad residence, but disgruntled reviewers complain that that part of the building isn't always open. So instead I walked up to the Scotia at Bloor and got money there.

And then walked home for a total of over 8,000 steps. Knees and back behaved very well in the newly returned dry semi-warmth, and I might try doing this again if body and weather cooperate.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm glad you got the data roaming sorted out. Our UK debit cards definitely have the three digit CVV number on the back, though I generally use my credit card for online or phone payments.

The one I use for this and online stuff has a very limited amount on it so no one can make large purchases if it gets compromised. Like the guy who tried to buy $5000 of gas fireplace with it. But I'd still like to limit the automatic debits in case I do need it for something major. Not to mention the ruinous interest rates.

I pay no interest on my credit card because I always pay the balance off completely each month. In a way that's unfair because it means that people who are less well off and who can only make partial payments are subsidising my free account.

Of course banks hate people who pay off their balances, but sucks to the banks. I don't feel like I'm subsidising someone else's account, though. The bank is giving me money, of course they charge interest. What does annoy me is user fees for every bloody transaction on savings accounts, which aren't anything of the sort.