It happens every time

Every time you put your little magnetic bus and tram card against the reader it beeps and flashes up the date that your season ticket expires. And so every time you don't notice it.

Until the day (today) when you get on the bus, offer up your card and it says "Titre Périmé" (ticket expired).

"Oh yeah? But it can't have. I have a season ticket. I pay monthly. Anyway they send you a letter when renewal is due."

I tried the other machine. Same result. I was on the tram gliding along happily through the streets. Perhaps it's a computer failure. Perhaps the readers are going nuts.

Anyway I arrived in the centre of Bordeaux, tried to phone the bus and tram company to no avail, so I sent off some emails left, right and centre (in French, à droite, à gauche).

The reply came back. Yes. It ran out yesterday. To renew you have to come to the office.

Grrr. So this morning I spent a happy hour going to the office to renew my bus and tram card.

And I set a reminder in my diary!

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