What's your advice?

So I'd like your opinions. It's not a big thing but it has been bothering me. This past December a friend and I planned to do a little shopping. So the plan was that she would call me when she was leaving home and on her way to pick me up. But she forgot to call before she left and stopped at a payphone to call me. (she, like me, does not have a cell phone). She was in a different city so rather than dig up a bunch of change she called me collect. I of course accepted the call and we talked for just a few minutes.

Fast forward to January

In January I received my phone bill. I immediately noticed that it was more than usual. I checked the itemized list of charges and noticed a $20 charge from a company other than the phone company. It took me a minute but I finally realized that the charge was for the collect call my friend made to me.

This company was charging me 20 dollars for a 4 minute phone call!

So my problem is; do I fight this charge or just chalk it up to experience and pay it? I paid the phone bill balance minus the $20 in January. The reason I'm hesitant to fight the charge is I know it's going to be a big hassle. The phone company does not have any walk in offices here. I would have to either deal with this via e-mail or by phone. Either way I know that if I am able to resolve this it's going to take a bunch of time and effort.

If I don't fight the charge I'm going to feel like I've been taken for a fool. Although I'm sure I haven't been the only one to get a $20 charge for a 4 minute call.

One more thing; I worked in a customer service call center once. I know how it works and that's how I know it would be a hassle to dispute the charge.

Anyway my phone bill is due again and I need to either pay or fight.

What should I do?

Should I dispute the charge?

Should I just go ahead and pay it?

Thanks!

Is this wrong?

For the past few weeks I have had the pleasure of accepting a ride to work with a co-worker about two days a week. I really enjoy being able to totally cool out in the mornings until 8:45 a.m. when he arives to pick me up. By car it takes only about five minutes to get to the office from my house.

Here is the problem. The guy that has been giving me a ride, how shall I put this without sounding like a high-schooler, has a non-professional interest in me. How was that? I know this because he told someone at work and they told me. For those of you who haven't figured it out yet no one in an office can keep a secret. In fact I think gossips official headquarters is in every office in America.

Anyway, here is my question; is it wrong for me to continue to accept rides from this man knowing he has an agenda? I really love not taking the bus a few mornings a week. Normally when I arrive at work I have to allow myself five minutes to depressurize from my bus experience.

Also let's just say the guy in question is not my cup of tea? What is your advice?

And remember the bus can be traumatic!


Update: After reading your very thoughtful comments I have decided to; 1, Continue riding with my co-worker a couple of days a week. 2, Buy a pre-paid gas card and give it to him. 3, Offer the office rumor mill the info that I'm not interested in a relationship with anyone at work (because I'm much too professional for that).

So thanks everybody! Your advice really helped!

I have a question...

My question is simple, is it time for the African American middle class to cut all ties with African Americans who choose to be "low-class"?

I read a post on a related subject at the blog What Tami Said, and it allowed me to think out loud the thoughts I've been having internally for some time.

Almost every day, there is some new study released saying that African Americans are doing just so, so badly. Whether it's on health, family, income, you name it. And almost without exception when I read these studies they do not resonate with me as being true.

I really don't think 70% of middle class African Americans are having babies out of wedlock. I know that middle class African Americans are not engaging in Black on Black crime. The Black middle class is not dropping out of high school and are not in jail.

In African America class is not always defined by economic status. There is a tradition in the African American community to judge class by behavior. So a 'dirt' poor person may be considered middle class simply by how they live their life. I think this has to do with the history of barriers being placed in our way that prevented many of us from earning a so-called middle class salary.

So I'm not talking about poor African Americans, I'm talking about "low-class" African Americans. You know like the people on The Maury Povich Show. Who have totally no shame to go on national television and proclaim that they have no idea who the father of their child is. That's "low-class" behavior.

We all have choices. So unless we think that Blacks who engage in "low-class" behavior are somehow incapable of choosing a more positive way to live their lives, why do we continue to aid and abet their behavior by allowing ourselves to be associated with them?

Is this too harsh?

Back to my question, is it time for the African American middle class to cut all ties with African Americans who choose to be "low-class"?

What do you think?