American Express Travelers Cheques

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this would kinda suck:



Life, January 1971



 

Comments

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

The author, Bill Bryson, swears by American Express to this day. Interesting!

[adrienneee.livejournal.com]

Fun fact: Last time I tried to use a traveler's checks nobody would take it. NOBODY. People looked at me like I was trying to pay for gas with Euros.

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

see now, that doesn't sound fun at all. shocking level on ignorance on their part though.

[adrienneee.livejournal.com]

I know, right? When we got married, my husband and I had a two day road trip on either side of the actual getting married and we thought "hey! we should use traveler's checks instead of carrying cash! That's responsible!" Terrible idea. I think we eventually found a branch of our bank and cashed them in because everybody between Indiana and south Texas thought we were trying to scam them.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

I guess it just depends. After I returned from a trip overseas in the 80s, I had a bunch of traveler's checks leftover and I thought for sure there was no way the IGA in Bridgeport, TX (a town of about 5,000 at the time) would take them, but I decided to give it a shot. The cashier had to get the manager to help her, but they took them to pay for my groceries. I was shocked!

[adrienneee.livejournal.com]

This was 2008, though.

[mschilepepper.livejournal.com]

How do you know it was Bill Bryson? I adore him!

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

From his memoir, Neither Here Nor There, when every last one is taken by gypsy children no less. I don't agree with all he has to say, but that moment was distinctly memorable, as well as his reaction to the two banks from which the traveler's checks orginated.

[glass-houses.livejournal.com]

Real life scenario, at best? Checking pockets with increased ferocity at least four times in a row because clearly it'll be in there that last time, chanting "I've got it, it's gotta be here somewhere," a slew of swears, etc.

[whoseline_wlsc]

Yikes, that would suck!

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

What I don't understand is the way the groom says it. "Darling, I have lost our money" sounds like he did it intentionally (as in gambled it away) or was just very careless, which he probably was, but why put the blame on yourself? Why not just say, "some asshole stole our money!"?

[cinnamonbite.livejournal.com]

Maybe because it fell out of his pocket? He's irresponsible, has utterly ruined their honeymoon, and some dumb broad wants to breed with him and make more of his ilk, but he's honest.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

You do have to give him credit for that, but based on the look on the wife's face, I think the breeding process is going to be delayed for a bit!

[beetle-breath.livejournal.com]

dumb broad. nice.

[murakozi.livejournal.com]

I'll bet a vicious dog stole it. If only he'd had a flash light!

[marchenland.livejournal.com]

I can remember having to use traveler's checks when I was a teenager. ATM and debit cards, whatever else is true of them, have really changed some things. (They also make it much easier to overspend on trips.)

[meezergal.livejournal.com]

Yep. Not to mention the little fact you generally get a better exchange rate when traveling abroad if you use debit/credit cards.

[gildedcentury.livejournal.com]

CURSE YOU MAGIC BEANS!

It sort of happened to me.

[laplor.livejournal.com]

The year was 1987. We were on our honeymoon two provinces from home.

The money wasn't lost, but the ATM said he had to see his local branch manager to reset his PIN. I had not yet been added to the accounts.

We had a total of about $23 and a half tank of gas in his Mom's Mustang. It was Saturday and the campsite was paid until Monday.

We filled the gas tank, bought two steaks, a couple of potatoes and a bundle of firewood. We already had a bottle of wine, and luckily at that time museums were free on Sundays in that city.

We ended up having a lovely steak dinner cooked and eaten by Coleman flashlight.

On Monday, the manager of a local branch was kind enough to reset the PIN and give us access to some more money.

Re: It sort of happened to me.

[meezergal.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm glad the dinner was kinda-sorta romantic, but wow... otherwise, not good!

Re: It sort of happened to me.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

I agree that it sounds romantic to me. My thinking is that if you need to spend a lot on your honeymoon, you're not doing it right or you're not doing it enough! ;)