Modern Technology

Yesterday was the day Son and I had set aside to do some school shopping. Nothing stressful or anything. We asked my mom to come along, too.

After Son picked out a couple of shirts and a pair of shorts, (I even talked him into stripes this time! Small victory) we only had one thing left on our list: a backpack.

Now, one of Son's many charms is that he's not one of those teens who is contantly asking for something new, in the way of clothes or anything else. Don't get me wrong, he's a teenager, people. He likes clothes, (actually has very expensive taste, by the way), is very involved at church and school, cha-ching, and loves Starbucks. You get the picture. But, he is a pretty grateful kid, and seems happy with what he is. And, he has used the same backpack now for at least five years, his choice. So, this year, when he asked for a new backpack, I was perfectly happy to oblige.

Off we go to ya da, ya da office supplies store to look for a backpack, which we found pretty easily. It's classic black (if you know Son, that's no surprise), very sturdy, with lots and lots of room. My guess is that it will last through the three years of high school he has left, (Insert quiet sob here.)

By this point, I'm feeling great about the day. The only thing left on our agenda before dropping Son off at band, was to pick out his new glasses, and we had two-and-a-half hours left to do that. As we walked to the check-out counter, I smiled smugly to myself, wondering how many other moms had had it this easy.

When it was my turn at the counter, I handed the clerk the backpack and other supplies we'd picked up and took out my debit card to pay. This is where the day took a turn for the worse.

After swiping my card twice, the clerk hands it back to me, shaking her head, saying in a loud voice, "Everyone, our computer system is down. We can only accept cash payments."

The line of customers, including myself, gasp in horror. "What?" we all ask, looking at each other as if someone had just announced that the world would end in fifteen minutes. "What about a check?" I ask. "Nope," answers the clerk, "our checks are electronic, so we can't accept them, either."

Now all the groans begin. One lady even asked to speak to a manager. Oh yeah, I thought, that should help. What's the manager supposed to do, twinkle her nose like Samantha on "Bewitched?" The clerks were all scurrying around, obviously stressed. One poor lady was on the phone, apparently with their IT department, while trying to get the manager to come talk to the "I won't take no for an answer" lady. I think the manager was hiding.

So, I had enough cash to buy the school supplies, but reluctantly handed the backpack to the clerk. And, it was the only one left of its kind, of course. Now, what are we going to do, I wondered?

This experience really started me thinking. When we were preparing to go to New Zealand, we asked our friends how much cash we should bring with us for the trip. Her response was, "Not much, just a credit card. We're pretty much a cashless society over here." And, you know, so are we. Not very many years ago, the big crisis in the office supplies store would have been if people had to pay with a credit or debit card, because many people didn't have them. But now, I'd say the opposite is true. Huh.

The other thing I realized is different people react to stressful situations in very different ways. Most of us were shocked, and a little bit irritated, but just accepted it. All except for the "I want to speak to a manager" lady, who, in the end, just ended up looking kinda pathetic. Her response to the situation didn't help her make her purchase, nor did it fix the computer system. Now don't get me wrong. I've definitely been known to get upset and assertive in some situations where a mistake has been made at my expense or when I feel that I've been treated unfairly. However, some things happen that are beyond anyone's control, right? Like, computer systems going down. The whole "honey vs vinegar" comparison comes to mind...

So, here's the end of the story: I ran back into the store one last time before we left the strip center to check on the computer system. The clerk informed that the system was still down, but since the backpack cost less than $100, I could write a check and they would "run it later." Backpack purchased.

Then, this morning, I checked my bank account before going to lunch, and what do you think I found? The $80+ check for the backpack cleared, they accepted my $40+ in cash, AND the $130+ debit charge is "pending." So, basically, I was charged twice for the whole thing. Uh-huh. Of course. So I called the store and my bank and was told "We'll just have to wait and see." Yeah.

Here's my take: Technology - take it, leave it, throw it out the window, and always carry cash? I don't know...

What's your take?