Our overly automated impersonal world is a nightmare

It seems that I have been busy trying to manage my personal life rather than my professional life as of late.  First it was the bank account that was supposedly compromised and not finding out from the bank until a week  or so later.  (Okay, how hard would it have been for the bank to give me a call?  Instead I received a letter over a week later.)  The bank froze my account and of course all those automated "bill pay" payments bounced, one right after another.  It happened to be at the beginning of the month when I sent out a slew of payments.

I've been working with all sorts of creditors (cell phones, car loans, etc.) trying to get them to reverse NSF charges, etc.  Of course, when we found out the account had been compromised, we moved all our money into another account and paid all those bills again.  No problem.  Except that we paid NSF fees, late charges, etc.  Convincing creditors that you really did have money in your account when you originally paid your bill makes you feel frustrated.  The bank offered to write a letter of apology.  Whatever.  I don't need this hassle.

Then, it was the grocery store card.  You know, buy $50 or more of groceries and you get 10 cents off gas if you buy your gas at the store.  I bought $400 worth of groceries on a Sunday, went to fill my tank the next Sunday, no 10 cents off gas.  Whatever.  Is there someone to call and complain to?  You have to call the store's headquarters.  The local store is powerless. 

Then there was the health insurance company who "reduced" our benefits on a minor surgery by 10% because they apparently maintain that they never received a "pre-authorization" call for the surgery.  Of course they did and in spades.  I have to prove that to them now, and to the anesthesiologists, and all the other doctors who I don't even know who sent me a bill.  Whatever.  Why does someone else's mistake become my problem?

Then, I read about the hacker Vladuz who EBay is trying to chase down.  Supposedly the guy has hacked EBay and is trying to make a public mockery out of the site.  I thought, whatever.  I believe EBay has some of the most sophisticated security mechanisms in place, but just reading about the wiley hacker made me not want to ever setup an EBay store.  I just don't need to worry about my money or accounts or security in another place.

Then, it occurred to me that the more automated and impersonal our lives become, the more we are at risk.  It's not just the annoyance and hassle of trying to straighten out records, it's the impossibility of it.  Do I need to hire a full time assistant to keep an eye on my automated personal life while I work?  It shouldn't be this hard.

Regarding banking: I have learned that I need to get to know the local banker at my local bank.  I need a face and a name and someone who can keep an eye on my accounts for me.  It needs to get personal.  As far as all the other areas of my life that are automated, there's just no time.  Talking to someone at the health insurance company is like speaking into the abyss.  I did the write a letter, send it certified, with a return receipt requested.  That didn't do much either.  I get the return receipt that tells me some anonymous person received my letter and passed it on, into the abyss.

I have never wanted to live in a little town where everyone knows everyone else.  But, living in the fast paced, disconnected society, where we are all moving at what feels like the speed of light, not knowing whether we are coming or going, and every little aspect of our lives is automated... well, that's scary.  A little town sounds very appealing right now and it might be safer.