Friday, May 06, 2005

Who wants to know?

The other day I was picking up the Official Scrabble Dictionary from Borders and the clerk asked for my zip code. Now it would have taken all of two seconds to recite five numbers, but I simply shook my head and said “no.” I’ve run into the same problem at Best Buy, as have James Lileks and Stephen Green. I don’t want to hear about the extended warranty either. Here’s my cash, take it or leave it, sans personal information. Next time I’m going to pay in $2 bills.

By the way, that evening I played my son in a game of Scrabble (this is his new obsession.) Well, I kicked his ass in a game culminating with “queazy” (a variation of queasy) played on a triple word score for 78 points. Boo-ya!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Phone number or SSAN is one thing. Zip Code is pretty innocuous - they just want to know where to advertise. Taking umbrage at everything just dilutes the effect when it matters. Sometimes people are just trying to run a business.

LargeBill said...

Queazy isn't in my dictionary.

Eric said...

That's why we needed the Scrabble dictionary which did have it.

You remember Queazy? She was the wife on "The Jeffersons"

Anonymous said...

as 'anonymous' pointed out, sometimes a cigar is just a phallic symbol.. no wait.. cigar

generally asking for just a zip code doesn't offend me.. it's when I pay with cash and they ask for a name or phone number that I get offended

but if it really bothers you.. just give this zip code.. 8675309.. the clerk will probably get the message

~JoeFriday

Uncle Mikey said...

Cheater