On Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:30:14 -0500, Cheryl >
wrote:

>On 2/22/2013 4:41 PM, sf wrote:
>> On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:14:22 -0500, S Viemeister
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On 2/22/2013 2:57 PM, sf wrote:
>>>
>>>> You've had a lot of things for years. The thing I liked best that I
>>>> saw on my very first trip to Europe was that waiters had a handheld
>>>> credit card machine, took care of the transaction on the spot and your
>>>> credit card never left your sight. We've never seen waiters here use
>>>> them and have no idea why it hasn't caught on.
>>>>
>>> About 15 years ago, I took my daughter on the train from London to
>>> Inverness. She really enjoyed the trip (the weather was good, so the
>>> scenery was visible), but what really impressed her was the dining car
>>> with its white tablecloths and attentive waiters who treated her like a
>>> grown-up - and when the bill came, the waiter whipped out one of those
>>> card readers. "But it's a _train_! How can they authorise your card on a
>>> _train_?"
>>>
>>> I really hate having my card disappear from sight, as happens in US
>>> restaurants.
>>
>> You never know what happens. Fortunately for us, most service workers
>> are honest... but that portable card reader is so much better for
>> customer goodwill, conservation of staff energy - well, you know.
>>
>There are always the weirdos. Back in the days of writing checks for
>purchases I had the unfortunate luck to have to give a check to someone
>who actually took my phone number off of the check and called me at home
>a day or two later. I was stunned.

Why do you need your phone number printed on your checks? I stopped
having my phone number printed on my checks about the time rotary
phones were replaced with keypad phones. I don't have my address
printed on my checks either, I have my POBox printed instead... why
help the scammers...