Rob in the ‘Hood: Beware of Geeks bearing gifts
Fortunately, the CO has this Irish sixth sense and wanted further confirmation of the 'tax rebate' so she contacted her bank and the real SARS, who confirmed it was a scam.
Greetings, friends and neighbours! This never-ending lock-down season definitely brings the unexpected.
Yet again, we had a notification out of the blue, from ‘SARS’, together in association with a leading banking institution, that the CO was due a major tax rebate.
It looked like the real thing, with the familiar SARS logo on the letterhead, submitting details and the rebate amount due back to ‘us’ (50-50 in this house).
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The bank, in tandem with ‘SARS’ confirmed that the CO was in for some ‘lovely jubbly’ money. All official-like: the only thing the CO had to do was confirm her banking details, branch code number, that payment will be made ‘within a few days’.
Fortunately, the CO has this Irish sixth sense and she wanted further confirmation of the rebate. She contacted her bank and the real SARS. “Don’t even go there,” was the official reply. “There’s a lot of this going on.”
The luck of the Irish had prevailed and we are still okay, and not hapless victims. Still, it’s a source of wonder and amazement how the ‘geeks’ of this world have the technical know-how to crook potential, unsuspecting people out of their savings.
Again, many thanks to SARS and the bank for assisting us.
After renewing our drivers’ licences in March this year, two days before the lockdown, we heard through the grapevine that the treasured pieces of plastic were ready for collection. Again, not quite.
My licence was ready; but not the CO’s, which will be here ‘any time soon’.
Apprehension is the name of the game when trying to get things done at any government office. We all get in a stew, readying ourselves to do battle.In the end we come away thinking it wasn’t too bad, congratulating ourselves on surviving the ordeal which wasn’t there after all.
We were told that the only way to be attended to is to get there at 5.30am, as they only process the first 50 people. Alternatively, get there at 3.30pm when it is quiet. A case of Hobson’s choice.
We opted for a third way: just go along and take your chances. It turned out to be the right choice.The CO and I arrived at 11am, clutching our receipts for renewing our licences. Yes, there was the dreaded queue.
But, hallelujah, we were directed to go straight in and collect our licences.
Five minutes later, I was back in business, proud holder of my renewed licence. The CO had no such luck: seems her fingerprints ‘didn’t take’.They didn’t ‘take’ five years ago, so what’s the problem? “Don’t argue, pet, just do it,” I muttered from the side of my mouth, with the adjoiner that you can’t beat City Hall.
Surprisingly, she went along with my pearls of wisdom. The reward was a winning smile, politeness, and an assurance that her piece of plastic, with or without her fingerprints, will be ready to collect in four weeks’ time. Life down here is certainly full of surprises.
It has been a time for reflection, once more. The football season has come and gone; a period of mourning has been observed, plus all those friendly rivals sticking the not-so-friendly boot in.
All this due to a certain football team not winning anything. Maybe, it’s time to pack it in as far as football is concerned, once and for all. Really, it’s only a game. I wish!
After seven decades, you can’t walk away; it’s a habit you cannot shrug off. The CO (of all people) reminded me that football is back in four weeks’ time!
See you, Rob.
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