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April 6, 2006
PIN's and Needless worrying...
March 30th: After Kaikourra, I headed across country via the Lewis Pass. This was a beautiful trip framed by snaking rivers and rolling hills covered in sheep. Around seven o’clock I stopped in Springs Junction for petrol (a.k.a. gas). At this point I realized that anywhere in New Zealand outside of the major cities ran a little differently. The gas station, was open 24h, as long as you used a card for your purchase. I tried my Mastercard which wasn’t accepted and then my bank card (they call Interac, EFTPOS over here) which also didn’t work, as it was connected to an Aussie account. So I sat there with maybe a quarter of a tank and the map, trying to figure out if I had any chance of making it to a major city. Normally a quarter tank will get you relatively far, unless of course you’re driving up and down mountains. I really wasn’t sure if I could or not so I took off anyways, knowing that I could at least make it to Reefton, 43km away. Upon arriving in Reefton, I discovered that this petrol station was exactly like the other and would only work with a swiped card. Damn!
I sat there for a few minutes trying to find a solution to my situation, and could only come up with two alternatives. One, I was going to try my cards again at this station hoping that it would work this time. Two, I was going to go to the local pub and just drink there til I got tired and then sleep in the car til the petrol station opened in the morning. Now the second alternative didn’t actually sound too bad at the time except that I’d hoped to make it to the coast for the night so I could drive down and have time to check out some things that afternoon.
At this point, I’d like to tell another story. It would normally be something that I’d have forgotten because it was quite minor and irrelevant. I’ve had a credit card for a while (technically, several cards – but that’s another story) and when it arrived in the mail, I threw out the PIN number associated with it cause I didn’t want the ability to take cash off my card. The last time I was at my home bank branch I thought maybe it might be a good idea to have a PIN for my Mastercard so I could pay it off through direct deposit. I chose an easy one to remember (or so I thought) and that was that.
Fast forward eight months to a point where the previous story gains its incredible relevance. The petrol station EFTPOS machine thankfully accepted my M/C and was now asking for a PIN….shit! This is my most desperate hour. Help me, PIN; you're my only hope...
I wouldn’t want you to die of suspense so, yes, I remembered the number first try and pumped the little Suzuki full of petrol and made it to Hokitika for the night, which was awesome. I stayed at the Railway Hotel cause it was the only place open. I checked in with the bartender and ended up being the only one in a four share unit with ensuite bathroom, TV, mini-fridge, kettle, coffee, tea, the whole shebang. All for a reasonable $25NZD. SCORE!
Posted by Dr.Unk at April 6, 2006 11:19 PM
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