That’s Why You Always Call

My dad took my brother-in-law and me to the Air Races in Reno, Nevada a couple of years ago. When we checked into the motel, my dad’s credit card was rejected. Mine — issued through the same company — went through without a problem. Neither of us had told the company we were going to be traveling, although we both did within the next half hour.

The way I figured it was that for the past few years when my parents went on vacation, they used their fifth-wheel trailer; they didn’t stay in motels or hotels. When my wife and I went on vacation, we did stay in motels and hotels. So, for my dad, staying in a motel 400 miles from home was suspicious behavior. For me, it was perfectly normal.