Before I retire for the evening, I would like to get something off my chest.
I took the commuter rail to Concord to go to Walden Pond on Saturday. Although slightly windy, it was a splendid, sunny autumn day and perfect for a walk around the pond and then into town for lunch at Helen's Restaurant.
My last stop before catching the train back to Cambridge was at Cumberland Farms, a convenience store chain based here in New England. This particular location was right next to the commuter rail station.
I must confess that I occasionally buy lottery scratch tickets. This was one of those occasions. After purchasing a $10 "$2,500 a Week for Life" scratch ticket, I won $100. This would have been a perfect end to my sojourn into Concord.
However, the cashier declined to issue me a payment claiming that he had no money. The cashier (who identified himself as Nicholas) claimed I could go to either the nearby CVS or Crosby's supermarket to get the money.
Now, aside from the fact that I had to catch the train back home in a matter of minutes, neither entity is going pay out $100 for a lottery ticket I purchased at Cumberland Farms. Indeed, if there was no money to pay any potential winnings, then why not warn me beforehand?
Nicholas insisted that at least my life didn't suck like his did and that at least I won money. What the state of his life had to do with me winning money he wouldn't provide me isn't clear.
All that is clear is that I left the store empty-handed. I notified Nicholas I would be in touch with the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. Indeed, I managed to email them as I waited for the train which, as it turned out, was nearly 30 minutes behind schedule.
I can only hope the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission can resolve the matter with all due speed. Although I wonder if they will refer me to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office as happened when the Wilbur Theatre refused to seat me for the Emmylou Harris concert last year with the added insult of also refusing to refund the $75 that I paid for the ticket. In which case, I might get my $100, but it could take several months to resolve the matter.
Life, even a good life, is full of annoyances and inconveniences which aren't always resolved favorably. Although I am reasonably confident that I will prevail here, I am nevertheless perturbed with the circumstances. My confidence notwithstanding, there is also the possibility that things won't go my way. After all, the world is filled with unreasonable people who do wrong unto others whether by malice or incompetence or perhaps both.
At the very minimum, as with the Wilbur Theatre, I do not intend to do any further business with Cumberland Farms. I'm aware that stores in Massachusetts can only distribute lottery winnings of up to $600. But given these conditions (and that my winnings were well within this limit), if a store sells a winning lottery ticket, then they ought to be obliged to pay out those funds forthwith.
Again, in the event that store does not have funds available then that store ought to be forthcoming with customers concerning that situation. Otherwise, a store which sells lottery tickets only to decline to issue winnings reflects poorly on both the store in question and, depending on their response, the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.
Under the circumstances, I might need to reconsider buying lottery tickets if I do not have assurances that winning tickets will be fully compensated. Well, one could argue that this is gambling. But this is not like this is the mob run number rackets of the 1950s. This is regulated by the state and as such business should be conducted honestly and above board.
With that, to be continued.
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