PROFILE!
I've been profiled......i'm not sure for good or bad yet!
Before i leave Detroit, i change US dollars for Taiwan Dollars...and then on the way back i change back to US dollars. It just saves a lot of hassle, and besides, i get a guaranteed buy back rate with no second service charge. (always the frugal one!) Normally, i change less than $1,000 US. For this transaction they want to see your passport and boarding pass. No big deal.
Well, this time, the counter person says for $1,020, i could get a nice round number of NT$. So, i say sure! What the heck! Well a big heck! It seems that for transactions over $1,000 US, there is a whole nother set of forms to fill out including your SS#. I filled out the paperwork but left the SS# blank. oh no! - so sorry! must have! or no money! Next time, i'll make it $999. i'll show them!
It seems that it is the same the world over! I've been trying for 2 days now to get a local cell phone or SIM card! unless i am in the hotel room, i am really out of contact from home or here! On the Tsunami trip, Mike was able to track me down at the plant. but not for many hours later than they wanted to! So, i thought i would get a prepaid phone or sim card to at least carry with me. it seems the rest of the world has adopted a standard that the US won't. Oh well. so my cell phone is no good over here. usually i shut it off when i leave detroit and turn it back on when i get back. heaven forbid a person of evil intent, i don't want to say the "t" word, a little paranoia perhaps, should want to buy a single cell phone. well obviously, they've watched the tv shows like the sopranos and the wire, because only criminals want to buy prepaid cell phones! i went across the street from the hotel to the motorola store because i have a motorola phone. Well, i could buy a new phone for sure BUT! i could not buy a service plan! I do not have the "proper documentation"! Such as a National Health Insurance Card, Drivers License, Alien Resident Certificate Number, or Work Permit Number! (All Taiwanese documents!) So, what to do! why keep shopping of course. later i found a myphone store and they took a copy of my passport, and ohio drivers license. (These were faxed to the "main office"). they needed a local address and contact number. HA! at least they filled the form out with the address and phone number of the hotel i'm staying at. i paid my money and bought an extra fillup on the minutes. Bare boned service, no caller id, no voice mail, but i could call international! they said the service would be turned on in 2 hours. well, 2 hours later, there is a message displayed on my phone to contact my service provider. This morning i hoofed back to the store and the "main office" sent my paperwork back because my passport has michael james so my application had to have the same. after a lot of whiteout, i resigned as michael james and we faxed the docs back to the "main office". in 2 hours the service should be activated. Well, it's 8 hours later and still no service. WTF! In the morning i'll have F call and try and help me out! If i get this straightened out, i'll make sure you have the phone number!
I guess this has been a small taste of just how the world is changing that we do not normally see in our insulated world!
Before i leave Detroit, i change US dollars for Taiwan Dollars...and then on the way back i change back to US dollars. It just saves a lot of hassle, and besides, i get a guaranteed buy back rate with no second service charge. (always the frugal one!) Normally, i change less than $1,000 US. For this transaction they want to see your passport and boarding pass. No big deal.
Well, this time, the counter person says for $1,020, i could get a nice round number of NT$. So, i say sure! What the heck! Well a big heck! It seems that for transactions over $1,000 US, there is a whole nother set of forms to fill out including your SS#. I filled out the paperwork but left the SS# blank. oh no! - so sorry! must have! or no money! Next time, i'll make it $999. i'll show them!
It seems that it is the same the world over! I've been trying for 2 days now to get a local cell phone or SIM card! unless i am in the hotel room, i am really out of contact from home or here! On the Tsunami trip, Mike was able to track me down at the plant. but not for many hours later than they wanted to! So, i thought i would get a prepaid phone or sim card to at least carry with me. it seems the rest of the world has adopted a standard that the US won't. Oh well. so my cell phone is no good over here. usually i shut it off when i leave detroit and turn it back on when i get back. heaven forbid a person of evil intent, i don't want to say the "t" word, a little paranoia perhaps, should want to buy a single cell phone. well obviously, they've watched the tv shows like the sopranos and the wire, because only criminals want to buy prepaid cell phones! i went across the street from the hotel to the motorola store because i have a motorola phone. Well, i could buy a new phone for sure BUT! i could not buy a service plan! I do not have the "proper documentation"! Such as a National Health Insurance Card, Drivers License, Alien Resident Certificate Number, or Work Permit Number! (All Taiwanese documents!) So, what to do! why keep shopping of course. later i found a myphone store and they took a copy of my passport, and ohio drivers license. (These were faxed to the "main office"). they needed a local address and contact number. HA! at least they filled the form out with the address and phone number of the hotel i'm staying at. i paid my money and bought an extra fillup on the minutes. Bare boned service, no caller id, no voice mail, but i could call international! they said the service would be turned on in 2 hours. well, 2 hours later, there is a message displayed on my phone to contact my service provider. This morning i hoofed back to the store and the "main office" sent my paperwork back because my passport has michael james so my application had to have the same. after a lot of whiteout, i resigned as michael james and we faxed the docs back to the "main office". in 2 hours the service should be activated. Well, it's 8 hours later and still no service. WTF! In the morning i'll have F call and try and help me out! If i get this straightened out, i'll make sure you have the phone number!
I guess this has been a small taste of just how the world is changing that we do not normally see in our insulated world!
posted by Papa at
6:06 AM
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