The macines are taking over...And they don't like gypsies.

Every so often we have a slight technical hiccup. Invariably, this is due to the PCs that the till software being ancient. Seriously old. So old that three or four years ago, the ram in them was doubled to 256mb. They run on Windows NT 4.0 (remember that?) so they're getting slower and slower and less and less reliable as patches and upgrades to the software we use clog up the systems. Joy!!!!

However, the problem we had last week was due to our broadband connention to the banking system. Everything was working fine for a while until one of our regular gypsies came in to get some cash from her dole scrounger account.

Her request for some booze money was denied. It wasn't the usual denial due to the wrong number or not enough money in the account. It was due to our connection to whatever server runs these accounts. We tried again just to make it appear like we give a shit (we don't, not for certain characters anyway) and it was refused again. We told her to come back a bit later and things should be back up and running by then. It wasn't as if she was in that much of a hurry cos the pubs weren't due to open for another hour.

Not long after, a pensioner wanted some cash from his account. We weren't sure whether it'd work cos they need the same connection. To our surprise, it worked fine and we were able to pony up some dough for him. For the next hour or so it worked fine and we were able to process banking transactions.

Cue the return of our favourite gyppo. As soon as she tried her card again, the system decided to go belly up again. Immediately after, another of our "travelling*" community came in for some more undeserved benefit cash. This was also refused. Smiles and giggles were supressed our side.

Five minutes later, everything was working fine again.

The only sensible conclusion to come to is that the Post Office computer network has finally attained sentience and has a grudge against gypsies. I can't wait until killer Post Office terminals from the future are sent back to kill the resistance leader before he's born. Or something.

*Very few of these "travellers" actually do any travelling at all. Until they start getting final demands for bills, parking fines or court summonses or similar. Then they tend to travell rather sharpish. In ther interest of balance however, not all of them do this. They just stay where they are, not get into trouble and scrounge far too much money off the state. Lazy bastards.