I became asshole customer, but fuck Twin Cities Federal

Two overdraft fees greeted me this morning. I expected them. Apparently the Capital One instant transfer with checks screwed me up since normally I can send in a check and reasonably expect that there will be funds due to Paypal. Paypal takes 2-3 days to get it in my account; the check takes 2-3 days to get to the people. No problem - until the check is used as the basis for an automatic transfer. One less day to process funds is often the difference between positive and negative balances.

Also TCF charges $37 per overdraft. They cash them just fine. Because they know they can get the fees.

And of course, I could just wait until I have the funds to mail in the checks but then I get late fees and calls from Verizon and Con Edison threatening to cut off service.

I also learned today that TCF has been charging me a fee to send me a statement with my checks photocopied on the back for years. They just snuck that $1.95 a month into their fees because they knew they could. And they knew that people don't often read the "your account is changing" notifications. I didn't opt out and they were counting on it.

I couldn't get the overdraft fees reversed. They like to call their fee reversals "one time courtesy" reversals, but that's not the case. They used to renew that "one time courtesy" every year, but now both the customer service guy and the Department Lead - Sue J - told me that they couldn't. And they wouldn't. So I yelled and acted like a child.

I didn't mean to do it. I have worked these kinds of jobs in the past. I fucking hate people like me. I also know that neither the original guy or Sue J were calling the shots at TCF bank. They were following policy. I tried to explain that I would be in a huge bind if this fee remained (not the least of which is the fee that will come for the charge that cleared last night) but Sue J. in particular was that kind of petty asshole that kept repeating the same thing and you couldn't get anywhere with her.

Only it wasn't like I could get anywhere. I got the check imaging fees taken off and she reversed two. So that's almost $4 out of the $100 or so that I've been paying. And then refused to waive either of the overdraft fees. Not even one.

I should not hate Sue J., Department head of TCF, I should not have ended the call with asking her if this is what she wanted to do for a living - screw over poor people.

Damnit - creepy drunk behavior

I was hanging out with friends today and one them jokingly referred to me as a creepy guy in a hat. After a little discussion she said "well you're not creepy when you're sober."

Apparently when I saw her at the last part of New Year's Eve, I kept touching her. It wasn't groping, but it was that drunk annoying touching on the shoulder or whatever. And apparently she also told me to stop and I just patted her on the head (or shoulder).

I do not remember this and I asked if she was sure it was me that did that. Yep. Apparently.

As I'm trying to think about that night - and this was at the end of the evening - early in the morning - when I was drinking but I don't think that I black out. Or don't remember.

So confronted with this, I apologized profusely and promised not to do it again, but damn that sucks. Seriously, I don't buy into that "Rene Walling is just bad at flirting" bullshit. And I kept doing it when she told me to stop, which makes it doubly worse. I know I can get all "Well I guess I just get all touchy feely when I drink" defensive or act like it's not a big deal. Hell, I feel myself justifying the behavior even as I write this.

But I should not act like that. I made a friend uncomfortable and kept behaving in that matter when I was told to stop. Glad she gave me the chance to apologize to her, but I should definitely cut out the drinking to the point of inappropriateness. The damn thing is that I always feel so awkward around people and sometimes drinking is my way of faking a comfort level that I can only achieve with certain people.

Oh well, I don't get terribly drunk save once or twice a year. But the attitude behind the "hey, we're buddies, let me get all touchy with you" also needs adjustment. And a deeper one than getting pissed when people are making excuses for Walling groping or Asimov ass pinching.