Kiddo#2 is taking up percussion.
Before you ask if I’m insane, this is my reasoning, and the other principles in the story agree with me: Kiddo#2 has taken violin for a year now, but the school band, which begins in her current grade, does not allow for strings and no one (me, her, her violin teacher, nor the music teacher) thinks she should learn a new instrument.
Ergo: percussion. Will the musicians and the drummer please report to the stage?
The school works with a local music store (local = “twenty miles away”) for their instrument rentals, so I called asking about renting the percussion kit, and they directed me to their website. Fill out the form and they’ll bring it to the school.
On the form, just before my credit card information, they asked for the name of a relative who does not live in my home.
Excuse me?
“Mom? Can I rent your granddaughter a musical instrument?”
You know what? I’ve done business with them before. I have to give them a credit card for the rental. If I run off with or destroy their instrument, they could charge my credit card. They could have the school withhold my daughter’s records or something like that. But I have lived on my own for sixteen years now and purchased two houses and managed my own finances all that time and I do not need my Mommy’s permission to rent a musical instrument.
There, I said it.
Yes, they might be afraid I’m going to skip town with their drum. Well, that’s why I had to fill out a rental agreement stating that they’d charge a superbly marked-up price for the drum kit if I did it. They should feel welcome to go ahead and do that.
And if I were devious enough to do all this to acquire a rented drum, do you really think I couldn’t come up with the name of an equally dishonest friend or relative who would answer their enquiries with “I’m sorry, she died”?
What do they think my mom is going to do if I keep the drum? Send me to bed without supper?
The online form wouldn’t go through without text in those boxes, so I filled out the form with “Mom” in the “who” field and “New York City” in the address field, and the number for directory assistance in the phone number column. Ten minutes later, I got an email confirmation that the percussion kit will arrive next week.
Let the games begin.
Maybe the quwstion had nothing to do with payment. It had to do with where you intended your child to practice.
The utilities were mostly in my husband’s name in the old house, since he worked close to that house during that move. This move, I was the stay-home-mom who did it. Many times I told the rep, “Yes, I have a friend who’s male and about his age who will agree to have my name added to the account. His number is…”
Then there’s the neighbour who divorced decades ago. She kept the house, but all the utilities were left in her name. Great fun when she moved out last year.
My MIL who won’t give out any info to strangers (the right degree of paranoia). When I took over her cell phone bill (We give her cell phone service for Christmas every year.): “Yes, you can call her directly for permission to add me to the account and send the mail here, but I need to call her first.”
Both of us going to the store with ID would be a hassle, yes, but I’d feel a lot more secure.
I can understand why financial institutions might want to speak to only the account holder. Or utilities–it makes sense.
But even when we got our mortgage, we didn’t have to give personal references. Oy.
Maybe they want to be able to track you down if you drop daughter and drum set off at their store and flee to someplace quiet?
Yikes, you and Illya both! 😉 LOL!
Besides, I know my daughter. What makes you think she’s going to practice? That’s one of the factors we considered, that she’s highly unlikely to practice two instruments. 😉