jlawrence01 wrote:You are beginning to see this at MANY self-serve gas pumps throughout the US.

I think it's possible those things have a memory (which is more than I can say for myself). I think (not sure) that at gas stations where I have had to enter a zip code, the pump hasn't asked me for same on subsequent visits. Unless I dreamt that.

riddlemay wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:You are beginning to see this at MANY self-serve gas pumps throughout the US.

I think it's possible those things have a memory (which is more than I can say for myself). I think (not sure) that at gas stations where I have had to enter a zip code, the pump hasn't asked me for same on subsequent visits. Unless I dreamt that.

I know that I've been asked for zipcode info on multiple visits to a station near my house, but I believe that's a good thing -- it's a security measure to make it harder for people who might steal credit cards and then try to use them. If they can't enter the correct zip code, they can't pump gas.

HI,

In addition to zip codes at gas stations, I have noticed there are caps on how much you can pump: MC/Visa $50, Amex $75. When you reach the maximum, then you start the process again and continue.

Regards,

I have not noticed the zip codes, or $$ limits on gas pumps. My 3 fill ups a week each cost almost $70 each to fill up my SUT.

I hope the gas station I use does not go to that method, that would be a pain for those of us who drive trucks, and suv's that have large tanks, and large fuel bills.

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

In addition to zip codes at gas stations, I have noticed there are caps on how much you can pump: MC/Visa $50, Amex $75. When you reach the maximum, then you start the process again and continue.

Regards,

I have only noticed the "quota" at one gas station. Interestingly enough, it was in your neighborhood. Maybe it's the same place.

One time when we had a credit card go missing we were told that gas stations were the favorite place for credit card thieves to test cards to see if they'd been canceled yet-- an anonymous, easy getaway transaction. I think most of these changes are designed to make that harder.

Mike G wrote:One time when we had a credit card go missing we were told that gas stations were the favorite place for credit card thieves to test cards to see if they'd been canceled yet-- an anonymous, easy getaway transaction. I think most of these changes are designed to make that harder.

I accidentally left my Visa at Walgreen's on Madison in Oak Park (the place that inspired this thread, just to complete the circle here), and within 24 hours about 5 purchases, all around $30 or so, were made at the Shell station at Madison and Harlem. My guess: the thief gassed up his buddies' cars (gas was cheaper then).

Actually, a typical behavior of credit card theives to use a card at a gas station and gas up people's cars in exchange for a slightly lesser amount of cash.

What I can't imagine is anyone taking a stranger up on this option...

I shopped at Williams-Sonoma yesterday and the associate at the register asked for my email address. I said I rather not give it out and he was fine with that. I'm sure it's a pain for him to have to type in an email address anyway.

Also, any time I've used my Amex at Walgreens, they've asked for my zip code. I was using my work card once and gave my home zip code and the woman at the register barked, "No, that's not it", really loudly.

Mhays wrote:What I can't imagine is anyone taking a stranger up on this option...

with gas prices nowadays i can certainly see someone taking $20 worth of gas for $10. Not saying it's right, but i can certainly see how this would be a great way to turn a stolen card into some cash, really.

I became one of them unwillingly last night. I purchased some gifts on the fly yesterday at Needless Markup (a place where I rarely shop) and had forgotten that they accept only Amex, the Neiman Marcus card and checks for payment. (I'm sure cash is OK too but the salesclerk didn't offer it as an acceptable method of payment.) Luckily, I had my checkbook on me as I don't have either an Amex or a Neiman Marcus card, although the clerk "graciously" offered to open one for me (graciously charging me 25% interest on purchases, I'm sure).

aschie30 wrote:...they accept only Amex, the Neiman Marcus card and checks for payment.

Anyone able to "edumicate" me on the practice of only accepting amex? I would assume it's because they have some kind of major business association with amex? I'm not a NM shopper at all. I think I set foot in one two years ago, but then found the exact same item I needed at another place in the same mall for substantially less $.

seebee wrote:
Anyone able to "edumicate" me on the practice of only accepting amex? I would assume it's because they have some kind of major business association with amex? I'm not a NM shopper at all. I think I set foot in one two years ago, but then found the exact same item I needed at another place in the same mall for substantially less $.

Probably some special joint marketing deal they have negotiated. It also adds to the "high end" image that NM tries to cultivate. It's the same at Costco, although they don't really go for the same demographics as NM.

Amex deals with big retailers on interchange fees. Visa/MC, not so much.

JeffB wrote:Amex deals with big retailers on interchange fees. Visa/MC, not so much.

They also cut deals with small retailers. I'm not sure how they got the bad rap of being an expensinve credit card to accept. I find my fees for accepting AMEX to actually be less than what we pay for Visa/MC in the long run, and our company is by no means a large business.

There isn't a thread for this restaurant (and there likely won't be), but I think they can go here under the heading of Kinda Missing the Point of Why You're In Business:

We walk down Roscoe, determined to try Que Rico!, which we know will be Ameri-Mex (which it is, absolutely and indubitably) but which has that very attractive second floor patio, too rare an example in Chicago of a getaway outdoor space like that. We will happily eat chimichangas and burrito suizas to sit in a place like that and pretend we are... not overlooking the Jewel on Western Avenue.

We get there. We ask to sit upstairs.

"Oh, it's not open."

A beautiful Thursday night between summer and fall in Chicago. You have a lovely second-floor patio.

You can't be bothered to open it.

When, exactly, do you plan to open it? Thanksgiving? The next ice age?

Oh, I know, I'm sure it will be open tomorrow night, and Saturday night. But I won't be back to check.

Mike G wrote:There isn't a thread for this restaurant (and there likely won't be), but I think they can go here under the heading of Kinda Missing the Point of Why You're In Business:

We walk down Roscoe, determined to try Que Rico!, which we know will be Ameri-Mex (which it is, absolutely and indubitably) but which has that very attractive second floor patio, too rare an example in Chicago of a getaway outdoor space like that. We will happily eat chimichangas and burrito suizas to sit in a place like that and pretend we are... not overlooking the Jewel on Western Avenue.

We get there. We ask to sit upstairs.

"Oh, it's not open."

A beautiful Thursday night between summer and fall in Chicago. You have a lovely second-floor patio.

You can't be bothered to open it.

When, exactly, do you plan to open it? Thanksgiving? The next ice age?

Oh, I know, I'm sure it will be open tomorrow night, and Saturday night. But I won't be back to check.

Mike-

I'm going on secondhand information, but I heard that the 2nd floor patio at the Que Rico on Roscoe is only open to private parties because the neighbors weren't happy about the patio. We were there on a Friday two weeks ago and sat on the ground level patio and didn't even know they had the 2nd floor patio!

-Mary

Well, then building it was a big screwup.

Either way, not much reason to go here then, for Mexican with the authentic taste of the village of San Dusky.

Mike G wrote:Well, then building it was a big screwup.

Either way, not much reason to go here then, for Mexican with the authentic taste of the village of San Dusky.

Oooookay, so you admit you hate the food but just wanted to go for the patio, which you were denied entry to, & even given a reason as to maybe why (which sounds legitimate), which sounds like somethng beyond their control, you continue to bitch about it here.

So I'm gonna take a little bit of liberty & paraphrase you here.....

"Waaaaahhh!"

& having actually been walking around the Roscoe Village vicinity last night, I have to disagree with your description of the weather....far from
"a beautiful Thursday night" ....it looked like all hell was about to break loose weather wise all across the north side of Chicago, dark purple skies & all, not just from the casual observer's point of view but also according to the forecasts, & so I wouldn't fault any business owner's decision not to open up their patio in the event that they'd have to hastily vacate patrons & send home their staff. I saw several other outdoor dining areas closed for the same reason, yet you seem to be the only one to be so un-understanding about it that you need to post it on a blog for all to see your fury. Settle down, man! You don't even like their food anyway, so why even would you want to be there?

Al1, for almost three years this thread has been bringing out the irritable in people (yes, I'm mighty proud).

I think "ambiance" is a reason to go to a restaurant, maybe not the best reason (as I am certain MikeG would concede), but I have eaten at places (fortunately, few) where the food was just okay and the draw was location, so I can understand how it might bum one out to be denied the primary satisfaction for going there.

Al1, as it says I hadn't tried the food yet so I didn't hate it, merely suspected it would be tolerably ortdinary (which is exactly what it proved to be), and we're just going to have to disagree about the loveliness of the evening circa 6 pm versus the rain that finally came around midnight.

And yes, I think building a patio on a residential corner and THEN having problems with your neighbors is a screwup.

Mike G wrote:And yes, I think building a patio on a residential corner and THEN having problems with your neighbors is a screwup.

Yeah, it sounds like it could be an example of the "better to ask forgiveness than permission" strategy (which, irritatingly, works far too often).

Kman wrote:Now THERE's a world class ass - the guy at the Skyway booth in the IPASS ONLY LANE . . . without an IPASS. After having driven straight-thru from Florida and having only a mere 20 miles left before reaching home, I'm stuck right behind this mope. Eventually a Skyway person has to cross over multiple lanes to get to him - and he has nothing smaller than a $20 and she, of course, has no change. So she has to run across more lanes to get change, run back, so finally Mr. Mope can get through. It was at this point that I reminded Mrs. Kman how wrong she was not to allow me to have equipped the car with RPG's and flamethrowers like I had originally planned to better deal with World Class Asses like him.

I can't believe that they'd stop in an IPASS lane. Just sayin'.

This iPass thing kills me, too, (and would make me wish, like Kman, to have had the flamethrower option installed), but one slightly mitigating circumstance in this case is that the Chicago Skyway is the only tollstation in the Free World to put its express tollpay lanes on the right side and its cash lanes on the left side, instead of the other way around. If you wanted to create the result that drivers unfamiliar with the Skyway would end up in the wrong lanes, that's exactly how you'd achieve your aims. Congratulations, Skyway planners!

Mike G wrote:Al1, as it says I hadn't tried the food yet so I didn't hate it, merely suspected it would be tolerably ortdinary (which is exactly what it proved to be), ...

Apologies for interjecting a positive note into an otherwise beautifully clamorous thread, but I'll note that I've had only positive experiences at Que Rico. The menu is far from ambitious, but the ingredients are all fresh and prepared with more care than your run-of-the-mill Ameri-Mex restaurant. They make a real margarita too - no machine made neon stuff here.

riddlemay wrote:This iPass thing kills me, too, (and would make me wish, like Kman, to have had the flamethrower option installed), but one slightly mitigating circumstance in this case is that the Chicago Skyway is the only tollstation in the Free World to put its express tollpay lanes on the right side and its cash lanes on the left side, instead of the other way around. If you wanted to create the result that drivers unfamiliar with the Skyway would end up in the wrong lanes, that's exactly how you'd achieve your aims. Congratulations, Skyway planners!

That configuration kills me everytime I drive through those tolls. I have severe IPASS bad luck -- the car in front of me in the IPASS lane never has an IPASS or any cash on it and what kills me is that every time -- every time -- the person in that car tries to argue his or her way out of having to pay the toll. After 10 minutes of futile arguing with the toll person and backing up what is supposed to be the fast lane, they invariably give up, take out the wallet and pay the toll.

"I can't believe that they'd stop in an IPASS lane. Just sayin'."

Unlike Illinois Tollway's Open Tollroad, both the Skyway, and the Indiana Tollway require you to stop, have your IPass recognized, then the gate will go up and allow you to continue your expensive trip.

Blast those infernal gates!

So I was in line yesterday at Rogers Park Fruit Market and the woman in front of me was slower than normal. The amount was totaled and she was bagging her groceries. It didn't even faze her that there was a line or that she needed to pay the store. She then finally gave the woman her credit card and continued bagging her groceries. She then needed to write a check for the remainder. Bagged more groceries, wrote her check and by the time she left, it was raining hard again. I then finished and left and she was standing on the sidewalk trying to get her jacket on as I was trying to get to my car that she was standing in front of. Yet, the entire time all I could think of was this thread.

Yesterday I was behind a guy in a bookstore who came to pick up a book he'd ordered, was handed the book and verified it was the right one, then freaked out when the book was rung up, because it was $3 more than he expected. (A big, glossy trade paperback, it was still less than $20.) He stood there and called some family member on the phone to ask whether he should buy the book anyway. The person had to be summoned to the phone, etc., and a long conference ensued where he described the book so the person could decide if it was really worth it. This was a well-heeled, middle-aged gentleman. Another cashier quickly came to help me, but I was left itching to ask how much gas this guy used to drive to the (suburban) bookstore and how much he thought his own time was worth to make a fuss over $3.