The Big Conscience of Consumerism

"What?! Declined"

"Transaction is declined"

Holy Haggis! Why is my credit card declined!

The diverted traffic expressway call that zooms past 3 continents and finally ends up at a human customer care operator with whom I bare my biographical details, my father's birth place to to my first cousin's favorite band identifies and authenticates that I'm who I'm before admonishing me — "We detected deviance in your spending pattern. We've installed advanced algorithms that monitor your card usage, self-denying cap on your daily allowance, travel routes, stores that sell only blood red color of Pinot Noir , organic rainforest tallow makers, weekly splurge at "Nutty World", you only buy at department stores which are adjoining to central stations, and when we observe any activity that does not conform to your profile we block the card".

OK, apart from discerning that I'm lazy, finicky, love peanut brittles didn't know what to make of that sampling.


"BLOCK THE CARD" on purchase of cross-continental magazine. OK, never done that before. OK, never set foot on that adventurous Oregon trail. OK, no sacajawea to my rescue. But ..but ..and before any more buts were buttled down my brain, I heard ..


"We will send you new card, and please burn, shred or swallow the dud in your hand."


Gob-smacked, heart-stabbed, skin-peeled at this indignant intern. The metallic plastic in my hand that once sanctioned lucullan thrills is sea waste now. The 3" passe-partout has lost its potency. Before I'd fully mourn in peace and depth, got me thinking — so here I've people tracing, monitoring, quartiling my spending expenditure, usage pattern using the BIG DATA.


Vala!
What more I need, Orwellian BIG CONSCIENCE looming on me now. Mind still reeling from my loss when I jibed towards the BIG PICTURE of what just happened.


What if I go to a restaurant and swipe the card and the machine beeps —"Declined"

##We regret to inform you that we found deviance in your food intake. We noticed that you are trying to buy cheese cake at "Montbeliarde Pattiserie". Now now (wattling the pinky) , last week you renewed your membership at "Slyph Pilates Academy" and today you are planing to slobber on this pale white, russet bedecked, marmoreal jam'y cheesecake. Cognitive dissonance detected! Choose to lose weight or gain weight but don't confuse our systems who scrutinize your transactions for validity and unity. Have a good day##


What if I'm tempted to buy that ermine fur coat — "Declined"

##Oh! you again! We regret to inform that we found unmatched spin in your shopping pattern. Noticed that you're buying a fur coat at "Moats and Shoats" suppliers. By the way how is your pilates class? We noticed that few hours back you made a donation to PETA and two streets from your eleemosynary act the dissolute modern woman of the vinticento who loves to binge-watch Dr Who and Netflix (recorded your renewal of season subscription) has decided to buy animal fur? Hope the wanton reflex on seeing the irresistible downy pelt is not ethical dilemma. When you go home and crawl into the eiderdown quilt your entropic conscience will not explode only because I intercepted and prevented you from ghastly crime today. You will feel much better tomorrow, go home now!##


What if I and swipe by card at the '3R - Risk, Rock & Rappel' centre — "Declined"

##Are you feeling warm this winter with your synthetic coat?
No, don't thank me.
Bungee jumping !!!!
Are you out of your mind !!
Your banking records show no holiday insurance. You have not written your will. No one knows you have 3 gold coins in your bread bin except us.
Now, now I understand all that young and restless blood wanting to break a limb or gorge an eye but you neither have experience nor inclination for these neck-creaking sports as per our records. Why don't you instead buy that hobby-horse and play at home##


What if I'm at multiplex to watch '50 shades' — "Declined"
(embarrassed, blushing woman who goes to watch unaccompanied)

##Aha! Welcome back! You are still in one piece and 306 bones after your bungee jump and adrenaline rush at parasailing (ticket bought at 18:54 as per our computer records). What life-hanging sport are you involved in today..oooh! you are only trying to watch "50 shades" . Pardon the pudeur of the paterfamilias but as per our records we have never seen you watch any film with "A" certificate. The last movie you watched on screen was "Brave" , a children's movie and before that "How to train your dragon". Either your identity has been comprised by a shape-shifting alien who is trying to watch human anatomy or Grey with a capital "G" is the new pursuit after grey neurons. For now, I'm allowing the transaction to proceed as I realize that you may be blocking the sinuous queue for this steamy movie##


Buy H.P. Lovecraft short stories and the next day I'm jostled over to R.L Stine's fanfiction by every search in google. Eat at a Peruvian restaurant and the next day I'm reminded why I must take that next flight to Machu Pichu. Amazon, Facebook, Spotify , Tinder know more about my tastes that I do or realize.

The BIG DATA collects what I do.
The BIG Conscience tells me what I'm supposed to do.


Hold on! What?! You thought I was moaning
Glad that the higher and bigger conscience above me checks my impulses and free-wheeling lifestyle and at times shoves that roundel "STOP".
Long live the BIG CONSCIENCE ..

Now why is that Kurti on the left side of this page not loading up , "We have never seen you shop for beautiful ethnic Indian wear, you are always in your blousy tops, frayed jumper & jammies, is that really you"

 

Your effort has been "APPROVED"!
Seriously yaar , what is this baroque style that has been attributed to me , eh eh eh ..
Fuddy mind this end, "I wite only what wattles in my punctuwed bwain"
You are vewy vewy sweet, thanks for the feedback.

 

Cannot edit the original post, to familiarize with the *BIG* pun , adding some references the reader may enjoy:


Big Data
Big Controller/brother/conscience

 

Arrey,was watching a movie while typing it.
One must never type or talk while watching a programme, half mind here and half mind trying to enumerate 39 steps.

G, as purported the devil is in the nano details ;-)

 

Shanvy,


A BIG "here here" to you! Woes of digital footprint!
There was a time when I was slightly wary of my online activities but with GCHQ prying, banks sleuthing, social media tracking , what and where can I hide.

The spam mail I receive for augmented experiences would have flagged me somewhere as a hussy, the mailware on my system which perhaps is keylogging my strokes as I type knows passwords for all my sites, just that I'm a boring person with no sensational pictures and clippings of trivia on desktop that my trackers deem not worth to exploit.

 

Satttchhhi,

I've two pains , not one.
Both sweet, your voice pierced my ear and reciprocal pain from the scream on seeing you here. :kisshugsmiley

Blessed are the souls who do not have the credit card or cash card. My biggest problem is remembering the T-pin, E-pin, ATM pin and now the new transactional pin implemented by few banks. And remembering an entire history of fabricated details starting with my mother's maiden name to father's home town. I've to remember different cities , places, dates , favourite things per bank, few times I get confused, hold on ..Barclays ..I think my mom's maiden's name is 'Chenchulatha' for you!