The upsell

Before I began this adventure, I bought an SLR camera. I wanted a project while on the road, and I thought that taking pictures and doing the blog would be a great time suck / journal of my trip.  I did my research online, and relying on c-net's recommendation I decided to buy the Canon Rebel Ti2.  I followed the link to Amazon, but before I clicked the 'one-touch-buying' button I got nervous.  It is a lot of money to spend on something that I really don't need.  And was I going to understand how to use it? (I'm still not sure about that.)  Worse, fancy cameras are big, bulky, and delicate; I couldn't just shove it in my bag.  That means I would have it hanging around my neck like a big, blinking, neon sign shouting "Tourist!... Tourist!... Tourist!..." I hate looking like a tourist so much that I refuse to wear sneakers when walking around a city. Let's say that fitting-in is important for safety reasons.  The real reason is the memory of the obnoxious American tourists in Rome, pouring off enormous buses wearing their white sneakers and fanny packets, all with cameras around their necks. So with these worries in mind, I continued to surf around to see if there was a better camera suited for me, or just a less expensive one.  I found the Canon that I had been looking at on another website where it was $150 less than Amazon's price and I was convinced.  (I also went for the beginner's accessory pack: memory card, two lens attachments, etc.)  And, still a bit uncertain, I ordered it.

A day or two later I finally checked the hotmail account where I send all my shopping emails.  I was annoyed to see that I had received an message about the camera informing me that to process my order I had to call and confirm it.  What is the point of online shopping that you then have to phone someone about it?  I sat on hold fuming, until I finally got through to a slightly befuddled sales associate.  This guy had not learned to hit the mute button before talking to his colleagues, flipping papers looking for the order form or generally being incompetent.  I was just thrilled.  Finally he is ready to proceed and he informs me that the one complaint that they receive about this camera is the battery length.  "Would you like to include an extended battery with your order?" Huffily, I said "fine," finally placing the order.  After hanging up I started to get annoyed that I had just be upsold.  I knew what I wanted, placed my order, and they had made me phone them so that they could sell me an extra.  All of the worries about spending the money on the camera focused on the extra battery.  Even when I was packing I tossed the extra battery in my luggage with disdain, still annoyed with myself for being played.

Well, yesterday when my car was being humped by the bison, my camera's battery died!  I couldn't believe it -- the mini was about to have the side view mirror licked off and I couldn't document it.  Where was the extra battery?!?!  While Fred was chewing on the convertible top I was busy unpacking my bag looking for a little, gray piece of plastic.  I was ecstatic when I found it.

Turns out the guy was right.  I did want the extended life battery.  My bad.