A year and a half ago, I had what seemed like the most humiliating night of my life. It was my dad's birthday, and we took him to his favorite casual restaurant. "We" means my live-in boyfriend Chuck, my mom, my sister Teresa and me. To make things simpler, I was going to put it all on my Visa, and Teresa would pay me cash for her share. I handed the waiter my card, and he brought it back. It had been rejected.
My mom tried to cover for us. "I'll pay for my own and Teresa's," she said.
"No, Mom, it's Dad's night," Teresa said. "I can cover the two of you and myself. Daisy can pay for herself and Chuck."
I was mortified. I was 23, and this would have been my first time treating Mom and Dad, and it was all going to hell. I told them, "Thanks, but I've got another card." I handed the waiter my Discover. That was declined too.
"I'll take care of it," Dad insisted. "You can pay me back when everything's straightened out."
"Not ours," I insisted. "I'll find a way to pay for it." Dad relented and paid for everyone but us, and they left me and Chuck alone. Meanwhile, I called up my Visa statement on my smart phone. Apparently the payment I'd made the night before hadn't posted. Awkward, but only my fault if you figure I shouldn't have taken for granted that it was there. Then I did the same with the Discover card. It was a new card, so it didn't have a large line of credit, but it should have been enough. It would have been, but there was a $700 purchase from an auto shop. I knew the date and the name. Chuck had used my card to pay for the stereo he'd put in his car. When I looked up, I realized that Chuck had left! When the waiter came back, I asked, "Can I leave my other card here while I go get some cash? I know there's money in my checking account."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. If you don't come back, I have to pay for your food. Well, the part that your dad didn't already cover."
"Do people wash dishes any more? I'm running out of options."
"Our dishwashers are automatic. Let me get my supervisor."
This just got worse. I didn't know what the consequences would really be, but I pictured myself being led away in cuffs. A guy who looked about 30 came to my booth and sat opposite me. "I'm Tom, the head of the wait staff. Ed tells me your cards were both declined?"