Saturday, April 21, 2012

Trouble at the cash point.


I use a cash point once a week. I have done for years. Very simple, push the card in, follow the prompts, enter your PIN number, press a few buttons and bingo, out comes your cash.

It is such a routine task that you can almost do it in your sleep. You don't pay that much attention as you do it week after week.

So there I was the other day, half day dreaming as I put my card in and pressed the buttons.

"Oh bugger" I thought "what the hell is this?"

In error I had pressed the Dragon button rather than the Union Jack button and the display appeared in Welsh. I am English but have lived in Cardiff since 1991. I can't speak or read Welsh and there is no need to in Cardiff. None of my friends or family can speak, read or write Welsh. It would be pointless asking a passer-by if they could read Welsh as I doubt if anyone could. If the display was written in Hindi it would not have been a problem.

"Oh dear Stephen", I thought "if I get this wrong the machine may swallow my card".

"Take your time", I thought "pretend it is a game of Who Wants to be a Millionaire with a choice of multiple answers to choose from".

So I looked at these Welsh phrases and by a process of deduction decided which button to make my gamble on.

Chug, chug, chug and hey! bingo! out came my card, my card and a receipt written in Welsh. Result and a big sigh of relief.

Watch out, do not press the Dragon button as she will speak to you in a language you can't understand.
Comments:
If I pressed the dragon button I would expect it to speak Dragon (or at the very least Latin)
 
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