How did you pay?

[Farmer John]

Back in 1965 or so, if I had any money (Ha ha, Blue Funnel Midshipman) I could write a cheque and pay someone in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and so on, never a query or a problem. Back at home, No-one would take a cheque unless they knew your parents and could see your Rolls parked outside. We could get currency on board and that went on your end of voyage accounting. How did it all work and was I lucky?

[Tom Alexander]

I'm with you, Farmer John. Haven't had the opportunity recently but awhile ago it wasn't difficult to cash a Canadian cheque in a Bank in the U.S. Try it in our own country of Canada, and one needs all sorts of I.D., possibly including one's date of birth and Social Insurance Number (SIN) tattoed somewhere.

[Hawkey01]

FJ,

The Banks were a much more friendly place back then. I either went to my local Lloyds - anywhere and made a cheque out to cash and was duly paid. Paying others usually required a name and address on the reverse. No problems there either. A more trusting society then and we thought people were honest. Also there were no CC's.
Not strictly true but only for the wealthy.
1950 Diners card.
1958 American Express.
First UK CC 1966 Barclay Card.

Neville

[bob]

Originally Posted by Farmer John

Back in 1965 or so, if I had any money (Ha ha, Blue Funnel Midshipman) I could write a cheque and pay someone in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and so on, never a query or a problem. Back at home, No-one would take a cheque unless they knew your parents and could see your Rolls parked outside. We could get currency on board and that went on your end of voyage accounting. How did it all work and was I lucky?

I paid £3 for a suit (made overnight) in Hong Kong by cheque made payable to the popular tailor "Sing Lee" .
On returning to my bank in London , where I had been a junior clerk before becoming a Blue Funnel Midshipman, I had a very difficult time convincing old work colleagues that the payee was not a lady of ill repute.!!!

[Tony Morris]

Bought a leather jacket in the early 80's from a tailor who came on board in HK and paid for it by cheque. Asked him what would happen if it bounced, said he had many cousins in UK who could find me ............

[BobClay]

I got a Barclaycard in 1970 while doing three months coasting on a Stephenson Clarke 'Flattie' as a Junior Sparky .. (not really a junior though, as I was on my own. A Marconi dodge to avoid giving me the full six months training.)

I had to go Bank Line in a way the following trip in order to clear my debt ..

[Biggles Wader]

I bought a leather coat in Montevideo from Casa Marios back in the 70s and they took a cheque.The guy there said they often did business that way with Brits and almost never got scammed.
I dont think the Lighthouse Bar took anything other than cash though.

[Naytikos]

posted by BobClay:

(not really a junior though, as I was on my own. A Marconi dodge to avoid giving me the full six months training.)

A similar thing happened to me: after 3m18d on Benmacdhui I was on my own on Shelldrake; a couple of tons less than the regulation 1600grt. Two round trips to Italy and my supposed 6 months was covered! I didn't mind at all.

[BobClay]

I remember in 1972 I went ashore in Portland Oregon with my Barclaycard clutched in my hand and I went into a bank, I think it was the Bank of America. I wanted a sub on the card of $20.00, or I told them I could give them a cheque with the card to back it up.

There was a flurry of consultation with higher and higher ups until eventually two 'heavies' appeared and took me down the cellar. I got waterboarded, connected to electrodes and a thorough good heavy bad heavy interrogation for three hours before they dragged me back up to the floor and said: "He seems ok, give him his $20.00"

Hardest $20.00 I ever earned.

(I might be exaggerating just a tad.)

[Ron Stringer]

Bought a stainles steel Rolex Oyster 'GMT Master' in Aden for £40 and the shop-owner took a Midland Bank cheque without question. March 1964 and I still have it (but never use it).