Archives by Date: November 2005

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November 29, 2005

Bank of America Hates Italy

intlatm.gifHere's my gripe: each time I withdraw money, using any ATM in Italy, I am charged $5 USD and another percentage surcharge -- on top of the exchange rate.

So... if I wanted to withdraw EUR 250, or USD $292.06, I ended up paying USD $299.97. USD $7.91 may not sound like too much to complain about, but imagine being charged ~USD $8 to access your account for several months.

The best part? My roommate John uses Bank of America, withdraws money from the exact same ATMs, but isn't charged any of these fees! I've called BOA's national call centers, my local branch, branches in other states, and everyone tells me the same thing: "Sorry, there is a $5 fee. We're not sure why you're being charged that second fee (the percentage), though. And we're not sure why your roommate has no fees charged. Maybe you can give us his account number?"

Citibank isn't the only bank with problems.

Posted in Business, Observations, rants on November 29, 2005, 06:47 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

November 24, 2005

Travelogue: London

I've spent some time in a bunch of cities many people have never visited: Budapest, Florence, Barcelona, Vienna. But I've never been to London or Paris! So, that's what I'll be doing this and next weekend.

My morning started early (5:30am!) due to my 7:55am flight out of Florence, but I can safely say I made it. After watching my cab whiz past me, realize his error, and then back up at a rapid speed down a one-way street, I made it to Florence's airport. At security, one of the guards was playing with his gun, which was a tad unsettling.

The flight itself was rather uneventful. Upon arriving at London Gatwick, I figured out I had to take a train to the center of the city. Unfortunately for me, I had made few prior arrangements with the friends I was meeting here. So, I sent some emails, and wandered around with my bag on wheels. I saw a bunch of sites in the center of London until the storm (yes, it deserves bold) came! Though the forecast for today was "light rain," the storm tore my umbrella to pieces and soaked my luggage.

That's okay, though. I established contact with my friends, checked in to my hostel, and am now off for Thanksgiving in London!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted in Travel on November 24, 2005, 11:07 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

November 14, 2005

"No Wilma, No Rubble"

keywest-ad.jpgReading the New York Times online moments ago, I saw this ad for the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are a beautiful place and I've spent a lot of time there, but using the destruction (and 47 deaths) of Hurricane Wilma as a selling point? Seems pretty insensitive to me.

· Hurricane Wilma [Wikipedia]

Posted in Business, Design, Media, advertising, marketing, rants on November 14, 2005, 05:59 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

November 08, 2005

Travelogue: Reflections on Hungarian Culture

Old Women in BudapestThe instant we arrived in Budapest's airport, two people came up to our group and asked if we needed a cab. They were pretty good salespeople, armed with tons selling points: cabs were cheaper than the airport buses for large groups, cabs were quicker, cabs took you directly to your place, these were especially cheap cabs, you can pay in Euros instead of the Hungarian Forints, etc.

Yet the cab ride proved interesting. Our cab driver, fluent in English, was very honest and open. Though I assumed it was obvious, he asked if we were American, and had a lot to say. He didn't like the globalization of America. He didn't like American films, American politics, American food, or American cars.

"You go to a movie theatre and there are 10 films, and 8 of them are American." He was adamant: Hungary has its own private market, and doesn't need American products.

Throughout all this, he was weaving the cab through traffic like a madmen. European traffic lights seem to flash the yellow light when the light is red to indicate that it's about to turn green, allowing the drivers to prepare to take off at full speed. If he hadn't had us as passengers, he told us, "there is only one rule... no crossing the cars." Or, in other words, no car accidents.

Posted in Culture, Hungary, Observations, Travel on November 08, 2005, 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink