Technology promises so much, but when it doesn't work, it really doesn't work. What's worse, we have become a people who cannot comprehend the failure of technology.
A case in point: Many years ago I received my bank statement in the mail and was horrified to learn that I was overdrawn and had actually bounced a couple checks. Upon further inspection I saw that I did not, in fact, make an error -- the bank had. More precisely, the bank's computer made the error (another bank double deposited the same mortgage check). It's a good thing I caught the problem so quickly. However, despite the paperwork I had to prove that I did not make a mistake, the bankers were still hesitant to give me back all my money AND remove all fees related to the insufficient funds. Technology should have been able to catch such a simple thing. Really, the same check number cleared twice. If a computer cannot catch that, perhaps there are more problems ahead.
I have that problem now. Since I live in an area where there is no general mail delivery, I have to use a PO box. The trouble began several years ago when other companies started using the Postal Service database to determine valid addresses. Now, when I order something that is being delivered by a company other than the postal service, my actual street address comes up as invalid. What's worse, no matter how many times we try to correct this with human beings, the same problem keeps cropping up.
Verizon is the worst for this. Free phones are only available when you order them online. (Frankly, since it costs so much for cell service, I have no desire to pay for a phone.) Still, after traveling this road many times, we cannot get the dang phones delivered without a problem.
Why, why, why can't technology make my life easier???
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