Across the pond

Down to the village to buy one or two papers, but when I fish in my pocket and look in my wallet, I find I don’t even have a penny. I leave my papers on the counter and go to the Post Office. It is closed untill 2 PM. I try the cash machine in the supermarket, but it wants to charge me £1.65.

Back to the newsagent, who is sympathetic. I can have the papers on tick. My name is written down on a scrap of paper and put in a red box behind the counter. Down to the pub to have some lunch. No, I can’t do it in my card, but I am welcome to use their cash machine.

That machine wants £1.95. But at least the publican accepted a cheque for my fish and chips.

Got my money at the Post Office afterwards but I have to queue at the counter because they don’t have a machine.

So that makes two big companies, banks and pubs, fishing the money out of my pocket to swell thteir bank accunts, another big company providing service with a smile, but at a cost presumably on their profits. And one small shopkeeper providing the kind of service small shopkeepers always used to provide. And don’t forget they charge exactly the same for newspapers as do W. H. Smith, so they are not making serious money out of me.