I like that idea, Roots! Subtle but effective was that hostess!

I don't know, sometimes when a child is simply being obnoxious and the parents are simply being oblivious, I might opt for less than subtle. Bringing over a sign that reads "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" would probably also be quite effective.

If the waitress did it on purpose, she should be ashamed of herself That's taking things too far

I refinanced some time back and the loan was sold to a large lender on the West Coast. As with most loans, the monthly payment is technically "due" on the first of the month, but really only "overdue" on the 16th, given the grace period.

I have had my loan with several other banks, not one of which did what this one does, which is to have people with SQUEAKY ANNOYING VOICES start calling you around the 8th of the month to inquire JUST WHEN YOU WILL BE PAYING THE THING. Then, regardless of what you say (whether it is "tomorrow", "some time in the future", "never" or "come and foreclose, debenture-breath"), the phone drone CHECKS THE PHONE NUMBERS THEY HAVE ON FILE FOR YOU.

If you are a bit late, as I have been on a couple of occasions since the loan was written, they have people call and try to put the fear of God into you. Someone once made a bogus threat to me apparently relating to invocation of an acceleration clause, prompting me to tell the person (with a bit of additional language ) to file a foreclsoure action against me immediately. Most people, lawyers included, don't know what the heck is in their note and mortgage, but for various reasons (all boring) I know what's in mine, and my response was interesting if unprintable. The bank in fact, as I'm sure the caller knew, had no rights under the circumstances, and did nothing.

I hate banks in general, of course, and especially their ridiculous clearance policies, which are becoming ever more absurd as time goes on. The commercial banks used to clear even out-of-state checks in three days, perhaps four at the most, but now the clearance protocol seems to have been dragged out, so I get EVENTUAL, DRAGGED-OUT clearance: $100 the first day $400 the second; perhaps 88 cents the third and some even more random figure the fourth day. It's all hooey, of course. We're well into the computer age, and I'm sure the banks could clear everything in two business days with almost no risk margin, but Uncle or the regulators give them a few extra days to play around with and arbitrage your dough while you sit and drum your fingers on the table waiting.

Whilst fossicking through some archives at FT for something else I came across another thread entitled Pet Peeves.

Take a gander.