visa: not really where i needed it to be...

I raced across town to cover the protest at Craigslist Headquarters for Eye on Blogs. 9th and Irving is surprisingly far away from just about everything. Except of course, the greatest Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, San Tung. Jim Herd of the San Francisco Citizen took this photo of me being reportery! The protest was incredibly bizarre, and you can read my report on it over at CBS5's Eye on Blogs. I had to grab a quick lunch on my way back to civilization, so I swung into Arizmendi Bakery and placed a square of red pepper and onion flatbread in a paper bag, making my way into the huge line. Then a thought crept into my head. This can't be cash only. This is San Francisco, a big city, an urban metropolis. While these hippies with their artisan baked goods seem to embrace simplicity, they've got to take VISA, right?

I asked the woman in front of me, as if she might know Arizmendi's payment policy.

"I don't remember." She said, refusing to make eye contact. Somehow, this sent me into a panic. I had pulled the bread from the display case, touching it and in effect, making it technically either mine or garbage. I had no cash and no way of quickly getting rid of the flatbread. I couldn't put it back in the case. I couldn't slam it on the counter and run. I had to hand it over.

"You don't take credit cards, do you?"

"No." The baker smiled. "I can hold that for you while you go get cash."

"Oh, thanks!" I gushed. "I'll be right back."

I looked at the line behind me, handed over my flatbread and went to Jamba Juice. I feel really bad about it, tho. I swear...