More on Dutch Life

The credit card hassle

Way back when, perhaps in July or so, I blogged about how my bank kept losing my credit card application. Well, after the last one, they never got back to me about my application. After calling them I found out that they had denied my credit card application. Gee, thanks for telling me guys. So naturally, I ask them why. They said they will send me something in the mail. After receiving nothing in the mail, I made couple more similar phone calls. Finally, I received something in the mail that told me I was denied a credit card, but with no explanation. I politely made my local branch's service rep aware of how mad I was and threatened to change banks (there was no reason that I could think of of why I should be denied a credit card, particularly when it's included in the service that I am paying for). Then I get a call later in the day saying that the credit card company thought I was working somewhere else (but that bank knew damn well where I was working) and I was indeed eligible for a credit card. A card arrived a week later. Idiots.

The closing gym

Last night a friend went to his usual gym - a very nice one with a relatively high membership fee. He had about 3-4 months left on it but yesterday he found out his gym was closing in about a week's time. So naturally he tried to find out how he could get his money back for the remaining time on his membership. They had no phone #s to where he could call, no address to which he could write, and no forms which he could fill out to make claim. He was fuming... and understandably so.

The trash pickers

Another friend was telling me last night how one day he put his trash next to the large trash receptacle because it was full. Apparently some time later, he received a fine from the city. In the fine, there were pictures of his trash and the contents of his trash. They had literally grabbed the trash bag, openned it up, and rummaged through it to find the owner!! You know, yesterday morning was trash day and I noticed one of my trash bags was missing. I had clearly put out 2 the night before and there was only 1 when I left for work the next morning. Perhaps they didn't like the fact that I use a white trash bag as opposed to the black one everyone else is using. Or maybe I am not allowed to put out trash the night before (though I've seen others do it). Whatever the case, I need to invest in a shredder.