Today was supposed to be very simple.
Debbie and i had planned to go see The Dark Knight at 3:00 this afternoon. We got to Byres Road at about 2:00, and we went to the closest ATMs (the two at Lloyds Bank). I pushed my Barclays card into the slot of the one on the left, and the machine merrily took it. Unfortunately, the ATM didn't seem to think a card had been put in, since after displaying a 'Temporarily out of service message' for a few moments it went back to asking me to 'Please insert your card'. We tried pressing the cancel button to no avail.
The homeless man that hangs out at those ATMs told us the same thing had happened to another woman earlier. Indeed, he had tried to warn me before i put my card in, but a slurry shouting Glaswegian homeless man is not the type of person i usually turn to for applicable advice (lesson learned, i suppose).
I phoned the number that occasionally displayed on the screen, and a nice man told me i needed to speak to someone at Barclays rather than someone at Lloyds, despite the fact that it was a Lloyds machine that had eaten my card. Frustrated, i hung up and proceeded to use the other ATM to withdraw £20 from another account.
This being dealt with (as far as possible at the time), Debbie and i walked down to the cinema. We asked for tickets for the 3:00 show, and the man behind the counter told us there were only front seats left available. We looked at each other and decided to buy tickets for a matinee later this week.
Now at a loose end, we thought i needed a drink (Debbie was driving, so no drinking for her). The rest of the afternoon passed quite nicely, sitting outside, drinking white wine, and chatting about people. This evening, however, i looked at my calendar to find a rather mysterious notation on it for tomorrow: 'Holiday (Scotland)'. Monday, it turns out, is a bank holiday in Scotland, so the banks are closed. This means i cannot get any money or browbeat the Lloyds employees about their defective ATM. Arrrrrgh.
Add to this the fact that i am leaving Scotland (possibly forever) a week on Tuesday, and things start to look a little tight. I phoned Barclays tonight, and the woman i spoke with assured me i would receive my new card before i leave. We'll see. First thing this Tuesday morning, though, i will be at Barclays with my checkbook in hand to get some cash.
I just wanted to see a movie.
