Late Fees
I am a late bloomer, late being the operative word, but I have a penchant for punctuality. Not that I'm not late occasionally, but I find tardiness to be a sign of ultimate disrespect--disrespect towards the time and priorities of somebody else. A breaking of the contract, if you will. Actions should be as good as words.
I struggle to get my boy to school by 8:30 each day. He wants to point out holly berries and howling dogs. I am thinking, we're not going to make it. We usually do. We rarely stop in the office for a late slip and an accusatory glance from the secretary; we seldom have to interrupt Mac's class so that he make a grand entrance and unpack.
There are a couple of late things that I cannot conquer, however; I cannot return library books and movies on time. The irony of this is not lost on me here: First, I frequent the library because I cannot afford to buy all of those books that I want. Second, I actually worked at a video store, Knight's Movie Store in Edinboro, Pennsylvania (nod to the hometown), in my late teens and early twenties, and was frequently called upon to dispense late fine retribution.
A little reminder of late fine retribution occurred two weeks ago, at the counter at Hollywood Video, where I attempted to pay for my selections of "Domino," "Spanglish," and "Melinda and Melinda."
The cashier, a kid, punches my information into his computer and says, "There's a balance on your account. You wanna take care of some of your late fines?"
I rummage in my wallet for a couple of dollar bills and a few quarters. "Yeah, sure, how much do I owe?"
"$74.25."
Coins jangled onto the floor. "Are you kidding me?" I asked. "Did you say $74?"
"Yeah," he answered, unimpressed with the me, the fine, and our exchange.
I put $5 on my bill and he let me rent the videos. I nearly cried on the drive home. At Hollywood Video, if your movies are a day late, they just charge you the flat fee of 3.95 (or something like that) for a whole new week. At Knight's, we charged 2.12 per movie per day. If my overdue movies--say there were seven of them--had come from Knight's and were fourteen days late, I could've, according to 1992 standards, owed $207.76.
I obviously did not learn from this experience. The videos are on my kitchen counter. They are nine days overdue.
I watched Spanglish yesterday and just loved it.
I struggle to get my boy to school by 8:30 each day. He wants to point out holly berries and howling dogs. I am thinking, we're not going to make it. We usually do. We rarely stop in the office for a late slip and an accusatory glance from the secretary; we seldom have to interrupt Mac's class so that he make a grand entrance and unpack.
There are a couple of late things that I cannot conquer, however; I cannot return library books and movies on time. The irony of this is not lost on me here: First, I frequent the library because I cannot afford to buy all of those books that I want. Second, I actually worked at a video store, Knight's Movie Store in Edinboro, Pennsylvania (nod to the hometown), in my late teens and early twenties, and was frequently called upon to dispense late fine retribution.
A little reminder of late fine retribution occurred two weeks ago, at the counter at Hollywood Video, where I attempted to pay for my selections of "Domino," "Spanglish," and "Melinda and Melinda."
The cashier, a kid, punches my information into his computer and says, "There's a balance on your account. You wanna take care of some of your late fines?"
I rummage in my wallet for a couple of dollar bills and a few quarters. "Yeah, sure, how much do I owe?"
"$74.25."
Coins jangled onto the floor. "Are you kidding me?" I asked. "Did you say $74?"
"Yeah," he answered, unimpressed with the me, the fine, and our exchange.
I put $5 on my bill and he let me rent the videos. I nearly cried on the drive home. At Hollywood Video, if your movies are a day late, they just charge you the flat fee of 3.95 (or something like that) for a whole new week. At Knight's, we charged 2.12 per movie per day. If my overdue movies--say there were seven of them--had come from Knight's and were fourteen days late, I could've, according to 1992 standards, owed $207.76.
I obviously did not learn from this experience. The videos are on my kitchen counter. They are nine days overdue.
I watched Spanglish yesterday and just loved it.
posted by Cate at 11:28 AM
18 Comments:
I stopped renting videos for precisely this reason. I still have three year old fines at a local Blockbuster, and so can 'never' go back :-)
I have far too many books at my house, and so have tried to reduce the volume by going to the library - it means I take my kids too which is good. The problem is I can only get there on Saturday mornings, and the rental period is three weeks. So if on the third week I can't make it, I start getting automatic fines, and I'm so disorganised it's at least a week before I get back, sometimes two. That works out to a a fine, depending on how many books I have out, of around the cost of one new book.
Not sure what my point is. I think I just don't like giving books and DVDs away, even when they're not mine !
MY GOODNESS! Those are some late fines, girl!
I can understand laet fines on movies since need them back in order to make more moeny, but late fees at a library just doesn't make sense. WHY? And why are they always so expensive?
Anyway, there's nothing worng with some late fees.
I like your exchange with the video employee and also glad to hear tou liked Spanglish. Can't say that I saw it yet.
Read ya' later!
One word Cate: NETFLIX!! Get it now. $20 a month, keep your DVD's as long as you want. I've had a pokemon cd my youngest loves for about 2 months now. As soon as you send them back, you can get another one from your list.
Heeehee, you are so funny.
a.
I can relate....so much the same here....and also had some huge fines and paid a tiny lil amount so that I could lend new stuff....
and this is as well why I stopped to go to librarys and lending dvd's...or I mean, I at least have reduced it to a minimum and am so happy for the possibility that you can prolong the lending time via internet....that has saved my life several times....
Oh my goodness.. that is an outrageous amount of money for late video fees. How very upsetting.
HI-Larious!! When I was in universtiy I had so many late fines at the library that I snuck in at 7:30 one morning to pay them off so no one would notice me handing over the WAD of bills! Whatver - as long as you enjoy the movies!! xo
This is nothing- when you get to the point you have to refinance the house to cover the late fees- then you got trouble. Personally I just keep changing video stores.
Hee hee - this is why I totally had to do netflix when I was renting movies. While I flip OUT if I'm late anywhere (a throwback to my grandmother's punctuality neurosis) I can't return a movie to save my life.. or a library book. I once owed more than $100 on a movie. I called Blockbuster from the parking lot and they said they would drop the late fee if I would bring it back - I dashed in the door before they could change their mind. The stress!!
Funny - my word verification ended in IOU
My parents almost got divorced over late fees from library books. My mom couldn't return them.
In terms of movies, I'm thinking that all these netflix suggestions are on the right track though.....
I can relate to this. The library books - when I owe them anything I cringe. But you have something going there with the late fees. It's too bad that you don't get to choose a charity where all your late fee money will go. Instead it just goes to "them." I think netflix may be for you my dear!
I have to admit though that I cracked up out loud over your last line. So funny! You have a way with adding the humor into everything - it makes my day.
Cate, I am just like you in every way you talked about in this post! I HATE being late, and feel anxiety in my very spine while driving towards my destination, worrying about traffic, parking, people waiting for me... and usually - almost always - I am not even late.
As for fees, last month I had over $80 in library fines. Which wasn't fair because the library had changed their automated renewal system and it wasn't working right, so I couldn't renew by phone. The nice libarian gave me half off. Whew. Still, what books I could have bought for that $40!! As for movies, I heartily recommend Netflix. We were late-comers, and now we're true believers. If you rent only 3 movies a month, you're still getting your money's worth, and the selection is better, it's easier, and there are no late fees. Also, we've had less trouble with DVDs scratched to hell than at the video stores. Try it!
Cate...
My husband and I, after an experience very much like yours, decided that we just aren't mature enough to rent movies either. Our solution?
We very carefully buy the movies that we want to watch and we pay for all the movie channels on cable. No late fees. Our cable bill is automatically deducted from our checking account.
Really.
Once you pay late fees a couple of times you coulda owned that movies and three more just like it.
(By the way, I am going to be late to my own funeral. I know I will. The hearse will break down or something. People tell me things start an hour before they do...but I know this. They call it Christina time.)
I pay late charges all the time, in fact I've got 2 that need to go back today although we'll be late on purpose so we can finish Capote which is great by the way. My video store does the same thing, charges the full fee per day, pfft.
Robert,
So good to know I'm not alone here. I hear the pain in: late fines that translate to the cost of a new book. Been there MANY, MANY times!
Human Z,
I suppose, in the library's defense, they need to get the books back so they can lend them again (a bit more humanitarian than Hollywood Video). I mean, I get rules and all, but 74$?! They've got to be out of their freakin' minds!
Andrea,
I was bucking Nextflix--I figured that there was some ruse hidden in it--but after reading everyone's whole hearted recommendation of it, I'm going to reconsider!
Antonia,
HA! My library has an online system for renewals but I lost my account number (long story). Until that point, I'd found a way to slay the whole library late fee dragon.
Colleen,
I'll second that. I'd thought 20$ was a lot. Imagine my HORROR at 74$.
Megg,
There is a certain shame, isn't there? And I always feel that other patrons are casting the ol' judgemental eye (when they probably paid all of THEIR fines last week!).
Eileen,
Smart move. I like the way you think!
Holli,
Oh, good Blockbuster story! Smart move on your part, too. Y'know, having worked at a video store, they really can make up a fortune off of one movie. Not to take the bread and butter away from someone else, but obviously this problem is epidemic and deserves a bit of compassion :)
I did the IOU on purpose. To pay for my video fines, I'm going to start charging late fees to people who don't comment daily. JUST KIDDING!
Stephanie,
I'm much worse than my husband but I've seen him walk past the stack of videos, which he enjoys, many times. I'm with you on Netflix! I'm going to look into it.
Liz,
Looky here. As I type this, it's after 6 on Thursday and I still haven't posted my poem. I'M LATE!! Oh, and awesome idea about delegating the fines to charity. Maybe I would feel less bad about the library ones if I knew that they were going to buy books for disadvantaged kids or something.
Laini,
Oh, I'm going to speak for Megg here and tell you that we should start a little sorority. And one of the initiation things would have to be to pay an exorbitant library late fine in front of a crowd. And since we've all basically done that, we're automatically in! I'm the same as you while driving towards a destination. Also, you make Netflix sound much better than regular rentals--I hate scratched DVDs.
Christina,
That is SUCH a good option--we just subscribed to HBO and I see that we have even more pay-per-view movies to choose from, and many are free. One of this months selections? SPANGLISH--the same movie that is STILL sitting on my kitchen counter! I like "late for my own funeral." I imagine you busy writing a poem in a cafe while the church fills with mourners!
Acumamakiki,
I forgot that Capote was coming out! Now, I've got incentive to return my movies--so I can get it. I also want to see The Squid and the Whale (I think I got that title right). Oh, thanks for that reminder!
I know EXACTLY what you mean...I was always paying late fees at the library. Alas, don't watch many movies anymore...waiting for the Madam to start sleeping through the night.
$74 would have made me cry too.
And an aside, I've never read that Sandra Cisneros poem "A house of my own"--a million thank yous for introducing me to it!
Loved Spanglish! And I totally love Netflix!!! Be sure to check out the friends feature.
Mardougrrl,
I love your stuff about Madam! Life changes once they sleep through the night. I'm not even kidding. And thank YOU for sharing Julia Alvarez today--love her!
Jennifer,
Oh, I'm glad you wrote that about Spanglish. I'm surprised there wasn't more hype. I thought the whole cast did a great job! And I'm defintely looking into Netflix--I will watch for the friends feature!
Let me also say NETFLIX! Do it, do it now! We used to have it and it worked out so well. Also, pay per view, can be pretty useful as well.
I find that there are just some things, easy, ordinary, necessary things that I put off. And I don't know why. Sometimes it just doesn't pass through the paths in my brain, or sometimes I fight it. It eventually gets done, and sometimes with a fee(late fee), but good lord, $75! I would be crying too! keep smiling, and return the damn movies!
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