My dad doesn't have a credit card. He is rather old fashioned and really doesn't get on well with these new-fangled things (his words). In fact, both of my parents have abandoned the use of credit cards in favour of cold hard wads of cash. They will not listen to reason...

Anyway.... Today my dad asked me to book them a Travel Lodge hotel room in Norwich, via the www.travelodge.co.uk website. A simple enough task, you may assume. And that, my dear friends, is where you would be sadly mistaken.

The Travel Lodge website is basic and fairly easy to navigate your way around. As I was clicking away I distinctly remember thinking to myself: 'Oh, this will all be done in a few minutes'. And this is where *I* was sadly mistaken.

Firstly, they don't accept switch cards. Ok, I can deal with that, I thought I'd use my boyfriend's visa card instead. I started to type in the number and then remembered to check if the site was secure (usually in the form of a padlock symbol). It turns out not to be secure *at all*! These people, this huge, wealthy company, expect their customers to happily type in their credit card numbers without knowing where they'll end up or who will be able to see them. I don't *think* so, mistah!

With a heavy sigh, I reached for the phone and tried to book via their telephone reservations system. This way, I thought, I could complain about the website not being secure and ask for other details that weren't made at all clear on their site. (For instance: they charge a 'daily rate'. My parents wanted to stay for two nights, but there was no way at all to mention this on the booking form. There were also several prices - widely differing - listed on various other websites advertising their rooms. Different prices for the same room on the same day. Also, you have to have your reservation form sent to the credit card holder's address - but my dad isn't the card holder!).


Travel Lodge have, however, decided to do away with human beings answering their phones, and instead have one of those *infuriating* 'if you require service a, press button x followed by the star and the letter of the month you were born in' type robotic systems. I was on the phone for twenty minutes pressing button after button and with my goal of actually booking a room nowhere in sight!

Well, I'm not ashamed to say it... I gave up. I threw the phone down in dispair and felt like kicking something very hard for a prolonged time.

My parents have now decided they wont bother with Travel Lodge... and neither will I, ever again. I simply don't need the stress!