Get off my lawn you damn kids!

[Alpha Strike]

I know a woman... graduated form Berkeley... can't read a freaking map.

^-.-^

The first time my girlfriend - who is a nurse - mentioned that she couldn't read a map, didn't know how to figure out the cardinal directions and wasn't interested in learning anyway absolutely flabergasted me.

My mother drilled into my head at an early age the idea that it was vital that I be able to figure out where I was, where I was going and how to get from point A to point B/C/D. The idea that my girlfriend didn't know this and didn't care to learn still shocks me.

[protege]

Heh, not only can I read a road map, Mom made damn sure I knew how to read a contour map and apply it to the area we were in at the time. Came in handy when, five minutes after the lesson (which was conducted with the maps spread out on rocks on top of a mountain), our scout troop realized we'd wandered off the trail while discussing the maps... I learned all kinds of awesome things from Mom in Scouts that she'd learned from HER mother in Scouts.

Come to think of it, that's *exactly* how I learned to read maps. Several years of camping with my scout troop, as well as chasing trains in SW PA will do that, I guess. Many years on, I can easily find out where I've ended up (damn Pittsburgh-area detours!) and can figure out how to get where I need to be

[ralerin]

You can't overdraw a debit card, under normal circumstances. Anything that would take you below $0 just fails. However, a lot of banks offer services that make it possible to do so, which sucks.

I overdrew myself twice in the past year-Christmas last year attempting to buy something for a wishing tree and May of this year buying some shoes. Both times both transactions were allowed to go through and then I was surprised as all hell to be overdrawn.

Learned my lesson, and have made changes to the way I monitor my finances.

[Mytical]

Until recently banks could sign you up for these services without telling you. So they could ding you with fees. Now, you have to sign up for them, and people are getting the desperation emails from the banks. After all, those fees made them BILLIONS last year. Most often from those who could afford it the least.

[Whiskey]

I overdrew myself twice in the past year-Christmas last year attempting to buy something for a wishing tree and May of this year buying some shoes. Both times both transactions were allowed to go through and then I was surprised as all hell to be overdrawn.

Learned my lesson, and have made changes to the way I monitor my finances.

Processed as credit, I assume? Its damn near impossible to overdraft on debit (i.e. entering your pin number for ever transaction). I say damn near, because im sure theres an exception and I dont know what it is.

[chainedbarista]

That all said, I get the urge to yell at people every time they pull the "People of my generation don't know these things", or "I'm too old to learn this".

once i hear that bit of stupidity and stubbornness, i stop caring. if you're unwilling to learn how to use it (basics) then don't BUY it, period.

my mom refuses to have a check card; claims she doesn't 'trust' them. something about how they're unreliable or some other nonsense; i just do a everytime she brings out the checkbook and complains about how checks are slowly being...phased out.

i will be granny frag, part II.

[Chrismor]

I am somewhat known as an analog sat-nav. You program me with a map and a set of waypoints on a road (towns and villages work great) and I will get you there with pinpoint accuracy.

There was one time in England (2004 I think) with my dad and a rented car. My uncle (a professional driver) had told him that you should go to point X, but points A, B, C, D & E are worth going to along the way. Armed with only snippets of the list, and the map I was able to get us there, and work out a direct route back. Uncle estimate for direct route back 2-3 hours. Actual time: 75 minutes, with a pit stop. He was not impressed.

C.