Santa Claus and St. Nicholas signed my credit card receipts today.

[Stinky The Clown]

I really hate privacy invasions. To help keep my personal affairs secret and to help guard (albeit only slightly) against identity theft, I do not sign my credit cards and always demand to sign a paper receipt, not that now-ubiquitous electronic thing we all encounter at check-out lines.

Well, since 'Tis the Season and all, I decided to be my usual 8-year old boy self. I used my credit card twice today. At the first place I signed their little machine "Santa Claus". At the second place, I was "St Nicholas". Bot transactions went through and neither clerk, both of whom I observed reading my signature on their computer screens, batted an eye at these revealed identities.

The whole stupid fucking ritual of 'signing' your credit card receipt is just more smoke and mirrors. Why do we even bother with the pretenses any more?

[glowing]

1. If you come to me, I request to see your I.D. and make an imprint of

the c.c.... of course, I'm in a hotel, and people are always trying to scam out on paying for a hotel.

[MADem]

2. You sure those clerks could read? Some folks have trouble with cursive--it's like Greek to 'em. NT

[tanyev]

3. Maybe they feel honored that you trusted them with your secret identity.

[TomInTib]

4. It's a done deal no matter what you sign on the receipt.

As soon as I pass your card through the reader, your money belongs to me.

Last Wednesday, I had gotten into my afternoon bottle of Cabernet just a tad early. Around 5 o'clock I punched in a $41.89 sale as $4,189.00.

I ran the summary at the end of the day and thought that I had knocked it out of the park.

And the receipt only has the last four digits of the card.

I am definitely not looking forward to the phone call that I am sure I will be getting come mid-January.

[Kucinich4America]

5. Better hope the real Santa Claus doesn't find out about this!

The last thing you need is a dozen elf lawyers suing you for identity theft!

[aroach]

6. I doodle on them.

I always doodle a little picture on the electronic ones. Your signature never looks anything like your actual signature anyway. It always goes through anyway. I've been doodling little houses, smiley faces, etc. Maybe I need to doodle Christmas trees for the rest of the season.