Mistaken Identity? I Think Not.

http://www.privateaffairs.com/realname.php

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I once met a very attractive lady in the lobby of the hotel I was staying at. She was also guest of the hotel, and was in town for a conference. She had explained to me shortly after we met that she had the entire evening to herself, and had to go home the next morning, and was hoping to get out to see a bit of the city before leaving. Well, being the friendly fellow that I am, and having a fairly good knowledge of the city, I persuaded her to allow me to take her to dinner and show her the town. I took her to a quiet little bistro in the city core and was able to get us a table in a cozy and secluded corner by the fireplace. As the evening progressed and the wine was consumed we became quite friendly. When she asked what my last name was I said without hesitation, "Mathews", a name I use for just these types of situations.

And that was that.... or so I thought.

When dinner was done and it was time to leave we were told that the bill was to be paid at the cashier. So we get to the till where we are greeted by the owner himself, a sprightly older man all smiley and amiable. I pulled out my wallet and looked inside to find a single 5 dollar bill. Consternation! No cash! OK, the credit card will have to do. So I hand it to the smiley old man. He rings it through and then takes a close look at the card. As he hands the card back to me he says in a loud and friendly voice, "I trust you found everything to your liking Mr. " MY REAL NAME".

My attractive date was no dummy and picked up on the deception immediately. Saying nothing she turned on her heels and walked out the front door. It was a very long and lonely taxi ride back to the hotel, during which I pondered the wisdom of my ways. It wasn't quite over though. When I arrived in the lobby, who should be there but none other than my dinner date. I tried to avoid her but she had spotted me as soon as I walked in. She knew that the only way to get to my room was to go through the hallway entrance that she was standing in. And there she stood, with arms crossed and fire in her eyes! As I approached she called me a few very choice names, then proceeded to tell me that now that she knew my real last name, and that she was able to persuade the front desk clerk to tell her what company I worked for, that she was going to make life for me a living hell. And with that she stormed off to her room. To make matters worse, the scene did not go unnoticed. A colleague of mine was also in the lobby and was witness to the whole thing.

I was stunned. For months afterwards I jumped every time the phone rang at home and when at the office I avoided my colleague at all costs. I vowed never to use a credit card again. USE CASH ONLY!