Sending Cash for Dummies

FedEx envelope full of cash

Our staffers are amazed some times at the apparent lack of critical thinking displayed by our DotD nominees. Take, for instance, the bozo who went into great detail about SNAP and AFDC when asked to define a "welfare check" instead of thinking about having the beat cop check on Grandpa 'cause he isn't answering the landline. Well, they found another self-appointed freelancer who can't seem to think. This time, it's Patrick Hutchison trying to tell people "How to Send Money to a Hotel" for azCentral.com.

Everybody here at AN headquarters immediately thought the same thing: "My kid / grandkid / roommate / brother... is in a hotel in some godforsaken corner of the world and needs a cash infusion right now to pay a travel companion's bail and a few bribes. How do I get cash money to the hotel?" Hutchison, on the other hand, came up with the bizarre notion that you could book a room in said hotel – online, through Expedia or Travelocity – but would have to send them money in a separate transaction because,

"...some businesses do not maintain an online presence and are unable to accept payment directly."

He's gotta be kidding... But he's not! According to Patrick, you can "send money to a hotel" in one of several ways: Western Union PayPal Electronic transfer We hate to tell you this, Patrick, but PayPal requires an email address, i.e., an "online presence"...

We can't be certain, but we suspect that you can't book a hotel through Expedia or Travelocity without a credit card, anyway; but the reality of it all is that if you can't pay online, you sure as heck don't need to send them money: you just show up and pay on-site! Sheesh! People used to do that all the time!

Patrick's onto one thing, though. If our staffers are right and you need to get hard cash to someone for bail, bribes, or whatever; you can send it via Western Union (for a substantial fee, we might add). If time is not of the essence, you can actually overnight a FedEx (or DHL or whatever) envelope full of greenbacks to just about anywhere in the world – although you'll need to be careful of sticky-fingered customs officers in some countries. Heck, if both of you are U. S. Citizens, it's even possible for the local U. S. Consulate or Embassy to disburse funds to your traveling friend if you hand cash to the State Department.
But having to pay a hotel cash because they "do not maintain an online presence"? What a Dumbass of the Day notion!

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