Some not-so-bad folks out there

Local columnist

link Grant McGee

“When did you slip over to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and buy 50 bucks worth of stuff at the Quickie Mart?”

The Lady of the House was talking to me. She was at her desk looking at her computer monitor over the top of her glasses.

I walked over to her computer to see what she was looking at.

“Somebody is using our credit card,” she said.

Sure enough, a couple of hours before someone had used our credit card account to buy some stuff at some store near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

After talking to the credit card folks I called The Quickie Mart in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. I didn’t have to but I just felt like it.

“Quickie Mart,” said the voice on the other end.

“Hey, how’re you doing? Listen, I’m out here in New Mexico, you know, that big square-ish state between Texas and Arizona? Just a little bit ago someone used my credit card account to buy some stuff there.”

“Oh,” said the guy. “We’re sorry. If you give me your name and the last four digits of your credit card that’ll help us. You’ve called your credit card company haven’t you?”

“Yes,” I said. “Hey, did they buy any beer?”

Silence hung in the air for a moment.

“Well sir, we have a lot of customers here, I’d have no way of knowing,” he said.

“I was just wondering what kind of beer I’d drink if I was living in Wilkes-Barre.”

“We have good beer here,” he said.

“Well maybe I’ll make it to Wilkes-Barre someday,” I said.

“And maybe one day I’ll see New Mexico,” he responded.

After our conversation I thought about how helpful the dude was. I got to thinking that there are some jerks out there, like the ones who steal your credit stuff, but it’s good to know there are a lot of decent folk out there, too.

Grant McGee is a long-time broadcaster and former truck driver who rides bicycles and likes to talk about his many adventures on the road of life. Contact him at: [email protected]