Check for toilet paper first before dumping

On 1st Jan 2005, all petrol stations have implemented the Chip base machine for credit card. It’s a progress, one step forward in making more secure transactions.

I was at the petrol station yesterday but what I see is not progress, it’s not one step forward but it’s a step backward. What happen? The petrol station has yet to install the chip base reader in the petrol pump. All the users will need to line up and pay at the counter. When it’s my turn that is after sometime, enough time for me to breathe in some petrol fume, enough for my system to shrug with disgust, I put forward my strip base credit card thinking that I could use it in the counter as I thought the implementation is only at petrol pump outside. The cashier said “Sorry sir, only chip base”. My immediate reaction is all the !!@@%%&# ran through my mind.

As my rational and patient part of my mind takes over, I dig in my wallet and bring out my chip base credit card and pass to them. I thank my lucky star that I did have a chip base credit card with me, if not, its not I who drive the car, its I push the car scenario. So what on earth did someone implement this when only a few is ready. And why do they bar the user from using the strip base credit card then if they are not ready?

This morning I was listening to 98.8 on the airwave a listener said, it’s the strategy of the petrol station owner in not installing it. They want you to goes inside to their store, enough time and feeling bore lining up, for you to see those big tasty chocolate bars on sales there. And hope you will buy them, without this chip base credit card implementation, they have problem enticing the customer to browse their shop. Ummm! They are comment from some listener saying it’s the same as MyKad implementation, the feature and advantage it’s for the future, the near near future.

There are comments also saying that some credit card provider or banks is charging user to upgrade their strip base to card base card. Umm! that is one good way of making money.

Again there is a tendency for some of us to “Jalan first” and hope everything its ok. It’s the same for those the people that are used to goes to toilet ready to do some “big business” and after satisfying by dumping it all out, they realize, oh shit, there is no more toilet paper to wipe the ass. So they scream and hope someone outside could hear and bring in the cavalry in the form of pure pulp toilet paper. In this or some instances there is someone who fills the vacuum and provides some assistance.

So check for toilet paper first before dumping.