Pick Up That Telephone

I was trying to do the right thing and pay my recent speeding ticket. It is a little complicated because it was sent from Switzerland to my parent's address in America, and I am sitting in South Korea. I was on the phone trying to help my parents decipher the ticket, as it is printed in German, French and Italian. Ultimately, I want to make sure the money gets to the right Swiss bank account, and not mysteriously end up in the account of a doctor of economics, who by the way wrote an amazing thesis on Switzerland and the Euro. (If anyone would like some good reading, I can loan you a copy)

They give me the number on the ticket, and I decide I will try giving it a call. It goes through, and the lady answers in Basler Deutsch. I quickly use my command of the German languages to ask if she speaks English. Her response was negative. I was hoping she would transfer me to someone who did, but instead repeated twice to call back in "fünf Minuten"

Five minutes later I call, and get a recorded message telling me this phone line is only open from 9-12 and 13-16. I do not know if she did it on purpose, but she completely blew me off. I was a bit shocked, and yet impressed.

So hopefully the money is being sent to the right place. I would hope that with all the money I am sending them for a few miles over the limit, they could be nice enough to send me my receipt printed on some fine Swiss chocolate.

Currently listening to: Liam Finn -