(I try to pay for about $50 worth of merchandise with my debit card. After entering my PIN, the cashier practically rips the terminal out of my hands, so I can’t see for myself whether the transaction was approved or not.)

Cashier: “Sorry, you were declined. Do you have cash?”

Me: “Can I please see a receipt that says it wasn’t approved? I know I have money in there. I checked my balance before I came in.”

Cashier: “Sorry, the printer isn’t working. You’ll have to pay cash.”

(The cashier’s insistence that I pay in cash strikes me as extremely fishy, so I take out my cellphone and check my bank balance. Sure enough, the debit transaction did go though. I explain this to the cashier, and show her my online bank statement.)

Cashier: “Are you accusing me of stealing?”

Me: “Not necessarily. But my bank account says the transaction went through, and you can’t provide a receipt that says it didn’t.”

Cashier: “Well, your cell phone isn’t proof, either.”

Me: “Do you want a printed statement?”

Cashier: “Sure. When your bank statement comes in the mail, if the transaction did in fact go through, come back and I’ll give you a refund. But until then, you’ll need to pay cash”

Me: “Oh, that won’t be necessary. My bank is right next door. I can get a statement right now.”

(I go next door to the bank, and ask to have a statement printed off with the 10 most recent transactions. The $50 charge to the store is right on top, next to the current date. I return to the store, and hand the cashier the statement.)

Me: “Do you want to give me my purchases now, or would you prefer I talk to your manager? Or, maybe the cops?”

(She gave me my stuff, but I went to her manager anyway. She was fired pretty much on the spot, with a promise that the cops would be involved. Apparently, the manager suspected that she was stealing from customers for quite awhile using the same debit scam.)