Would you like...

'Sir,Sir'...I heard a voice. I was just walking out of UAE Exchange, so I thought maybe someone(not me) had dropped a few thousand dirhams and a good samaritan, thinking that it was me, was callng out to return them. So, I stopped and turned. And, it was a lady walking fast(fastly, as they say out here).

'Sir, hello..I am so-and-so'.

Me: Hello(Still mystified, wondering what it was all about)

'Sir, I'm from so-and-so bank. We are tied up with so-and-so Indian bank, so you can transfer money directly'.

Me: No, thanks. I already have a good account with so-and-so bank.

*Seeing that one sale has failed, next move with eyes wide open*:

'Sir, I noticed you have a RBS credit card.' (Don't tell me she needs an urgent loan from a stranger, I thought)

Me: Yes (That's me-all precise and to the point)

' Would you like a so-and-so advantage card, lifetime free?'

Me: No(Precise as ever)

'But, Sir, we have the lowest interest rates'

Me: No. I plan to cancel all my extra cards. 

'But, Sir, we can also take care of balance transfer from your other cards-just 0.49% interest'.

Me: No, thanks. I always pay my credit card bills on time-there's no balance carried forward.

*light dawns on the lady*...'Oh, and I thought you were a good customer'.

Me(smiling): Thanks anyway.

*And, she walks off to search for the next 'good customer'.

And, here I was thinking that with the current financial crunch, credit card salespeople have become extinct, since banks are not advancing much credit anymore.