Rage Against the Electronic Bank Account

I have hit College Station with a bang. I have arrived and the Student Business Services (the people who take your money from you for tuition) now know who I am. The local bank back in Tennessee has also been reminded of my name. It's not even 10am and it's already been...I'm not even sure how to describe it.

There was a little tuition left over after my student loan kicked in, of course, and I paid it like a good Aggie on Monday. I even paid several days before it was due! I had really been nervous about getting that done and it was literally like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders when I got the receipt from A&M. It was done and taken care of, and there shouldn't have been anything left to do except buy my books.

Boy, was I wrong.

I still had a little money left in my college fund that my very smart parent set up for me when I was in utero. Mom called the local bank and told them to transfer that money into my account and then I zapped it to A&M. It was all done electronically and it was frightening how easy it was.

Now we need to skip forward a few days. Last night I went to Wal-Mart and attempted to use my debit card to pay for my new purple curtains. I swiped that damn card three times at two different registers and it would never approve it. I just thought that it must have been the banks anti-fraud measures kicking in, since I am in Texas and the bank is not. Maybe the large charge for my tuition needed my personal approval before my account would open back up.

I called the bank this morning and they told my I was overdrawn. I told them that wasn't possible as I just had a large amount transferred in, not out. Well, when Mom called the lady in bookkeeping screwed up and transferred the amount of money that was supposed to go into my account, out of my account and into my parents'. I ended up in Texas, the day after my mom went home, with no money and thoughts that I was going to be dropped from my class schedule because my tuition check had bounced. And, since the money was in Mom and Dad's account, Mom had to call and give her OK before it could be transferred back.

It's apparently been taken care of. The money is supposed to be back in my account today. I can assure you that I will be watching my account online with an eagle eye to see when it hits.

I also learned something very important about myself today. I can still cry. This sounds odd, but bear with me. I almost never cry. Ask anybody. My best friend has only seen me tear up once or twice in the nine years we've known each other. It's just not in my nature really. I tend to be very laid back and uber-practical, but when the lady at the bank told me what happened I started to sob.

Of course, it only last about two seconds and then I got mad.

I'm going to go hang pictures and use a hammer to take out my aggression in a constructive way. And maybe write an angry letter to my bank. And remove my money. Or something.