Head Up Municipal Ass

Minneapolis: What a shithole.

My credit card number was stolen, presumably in Minneapolis, while I still retain the card. They found the number, perhaps by stealing mail, perhaps by lifting it from a purchase I made. Several purchases were made using it, including 3 Chinese takeout orders totaling 150 bucks, a Topper's pizza order for 40, and the kicker, a payment to someone's Time Warner Cable account---to the tune of $276.

Easy enough, right? There is someone's name on this cable account, I would call that a lead....right? Well, the Minneapolis fraud investigators wouldn't. When I called the fraud unit, after I took all appropriate measures to ensure that my card and credit were taken care of, I was not able to talk to an investigator. I left a message, with the information that my card was used to credit an existing cable account, as well as an address that a Topper's pizza was delivered to. And I asked them to PLEASE call me (understand you are busy, etc). No phone call, no correspondence, for several weeks. Then, I got a letter. "I'm sorry, Mr _________, but your case does not meet the 'threshold for investigation' at this time.

In my mailbox, on this same day, was a letter from city of Minneapolis code inspectors insisting that I mow a foot wide strip of weeds in between the garages on the alleyside of my house, or face a hefty fine.