There’s
no cash for everyone and if there is some left, it never last enough due to the
prices. Venezuelans can withdraw five thousand bolívares per day, this is,
today, the equivalent of twenty cents of a dollar, therefore; in order to get a
“whole dollar” in cash, a person must go to the ATM daily at least five days
straight, which means it might take a week to get a dollar. Math aside, almost everything worth more than
five thousand bolívares, so we move from this to that with debit cards, yes,
debit cards because nobody in a store, not in a small one, actually accepts
credit cards; but this is not to imply now. I went to a gas station store to buy
this coolant fluid for cars and I’ve found it, which is a joy nowadays, but
they were out of POS and I had to pay thirty thousand in cash, meaning six days
of bank visiting. I kept walking. Two blocks after I’m watching a car parts
shop, got in and they had the POS working but, you can guess, no fluid, so I
went on, probably three blocks, asked again: no luck. Finally, A block away
from the last sight I´ve found it, again the joy and the lady in the store
tells me she must slide the card again because the connection fell down, I said
no problem; I was amused, so I paid my shop and came back six or seven blocks
to reach the office, got to my work station… about three four hours later I had
to transfer some money, and there it’s when I noticed the purchase were charged
twice… no further words for it; I was tired enough to walk again those blocks
and explain something it wouldn´t be solved the same day, I just accepted
because of weariness; I´ve lost that money. I said to myself: at least it wasn’t
cash…
People
have a lot of passion to tell and so little will to do so, these days at least.
I’m feeling tired of such bravery in words at its lack of actions. Everyone who
approaches is always suggesting, which sounds more like commanding, what to do
or not to. This is no help, not at all; but after one figures out how to deal
with, for example the fact I got charged twice for the same purchase, these “sayers”,
obviously say: I told you… and perhaps because I’m losing my mind with so much
lacking, I told myself again: at least it wasn’t cash…