BirdTalk Dear Bird Talk, We recently used our Canadian credit card to pay for a meal in a U.S. restaurant. The total was $22.15 before tip, so I left a $4 tip for a total of $26.15. I noticed a few days later that my credit card was charged $ 53.15 Canadian...I know our dollar is low, but not that low....I inquired and it seems the restaurant charged me US$38.15…so a $16 tip on a $22 bill. I contacted the manager and he advised me that his server made a mistake. It seems that they only do up the actual final credit card charges later in the day and he applied this $16 tip to the wrong card. I’m not convinced of this and I told him so...he did refund me the overcharge. This does not occur in Canada, as we have chip/pin identification on our credit cards and we enter the tip amounts ourselves, usually on hand-held devices...just thought I should share this information with your readers. The lesson here, always keep your restaurant receipts and check them against your actual purchases. Richard Fortier Bath, ON Ed.: Good Advice! I would also not return to that restaurant; this was not a simple mistake, in my opinion. The other point to make here is that the bank charged you a 40% currency exchange – this is a huge ripoff and very common. Using a Canadian credit card or debit card in the U.S. is very, very expensive. I have found that having a U.S.-based bank account with a debit card attached is, by far, the best and cheapest way to buy anything in the U.S. Wells Fargo (my U.S. bank) has also given me a small line of credit for unexpected emergencies. Dear Bird Talk, Your article speaks glowingly about the outstanding benefits and recommends without exception that everyone should consume green tea and enjoy the amazing health benefits to be derived as a result. My eyebrows were raised on reading the article, particularly because I have a disease called atrial fibrillation and I consume the prescription Warfarin daily as an antidote to the possible blood clots which can be prevalent with this disease. Upon being diagnosed with Afib, I was provided with a manual developed and provided by Alberta Health Services. Page 11 of this manual states that there are only two foods to be avoided if you have Afib; the foods to avoid are GREEN TEA and pistachio nuts. Both of these foods are extremely high in vitamin K, which is a problemwith Afib and where potential blood clots are concerned, every effort should be made to avoid anything that could contribute to this potentially fatal situation. I do believe your writer should have noted a precaution in this regard and, because this was not the case, I sincerely hope this can be corrected in the letter section of the next issue. Doug Hughes Seba Beach, AB Ed.: Excellent information, Doug, thank you. You could also add bananas to that list of high “K” foods to be aware of. It is funny that what is good for high blood pressure is bad for atrial fibrillation. I have been advised to seek out foods with high potassium for my high blood pressure. There are some very interesting and effective new drugs for treating atrial fibrillation and you should discuss these with your doctor. They are: • Apixaban (Eliquis) • Dabigatran (Pradaxa) • Edoxaban (Savaysa) • Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) Dear Bird Talk, At our park, the residents often repeat their pledge of allegiance and were in the habit of holding a minute’s silence to recognize Canadians. We determined that we are not dead so, rather than a minute’s silence, we created the following Canadian Pledge: “As Canadians, we honour our flag and the country for which it stands. As winter visitors, we will endeavour to uphold the laws and traditions of the United States of America. May the border between our two countries always remain free and friendly.” It has been well received by our U.S. friends and we would like to share, so others may use it if they so desire. Isobel Wilson Millbrook, ON Ed.: A very nice and meaningful gesture, now shared. Dear Bird Talk, Just received the I-194 Form from a past conviction 40 years ago. My wife and I just crossed at Calgary on our way to Vegas. My passport was stamped February 26-August 23 – can we go to Arizona in November for 90 days? Really confused…been travelling back and forth for many years. Thomas Twells Airdrie, AB Ed.: This is an impossible question to answer definitively. You have been granted a B2 Visitor Visa and have been permitted to remain in the United States for up to six months, as indicated by the stamp on your passport. If you do not stay in the U.S. for the entire six-month period, you MAY be permitted to enter the U.S. again for a limited period of time within the 12 months following your first border crossing on February 26. However, that will be up to the discretion of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer who interviews you when you try to cross the border. It’s up to the CBP Officer 100% of the time; period. 8 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx