The prepaid insecurities

Due to an unfortunate circumstance, I was forced to use the free prepaid pack that recently got during a telco assignment. No guessing that moi, a postpaid user for the past 8 years (yep, held the same number since 5 years ago), found it the very difficult to adjust.

Once during this terrible chapter I was on a bus and having only RM0.26 sen in my prepaid account. The anxiety of it! Accounts from the Suzaili* case started popping from the back of my mind - what if I fell into the same situation, alone and the bus driver turns whacked?

So I skipped buses and stick to LRT. Another time during the same terrible chapter I remembered having only RM0.11 sen left by the time I replied a couple of SMSes. And the discomfort of it all! I had to be careful with my credit, and ended up ignoring several friendly SMS from some friends (looks like I'll have less friends now, and I already have few to begin with).

With RM0.11 sen credit, I walked from the LRT station towards home, walking fast, hoping not to be caught by any kind of danger or encounter one in action (like I did several months ago) or any situation that requires calling the cops.

Why did I switch, thou may ask. Well for the record, it wasn't as if I had a choice. I never liked the prepaid arrangement - though it might work for most people, it just doesn't cut it for me.

I'd love the freedom to call and hang on for as long as I like. I love sending SMSes to people that deserves cheering. I love replying SMSes from my family and friends and know that there's no limit to mind.

But with certain setbacks that took place (beginning several months ago, in fact, partly my fault) I had to sort of part with my favourite number and make use of the door gift prepaid pack temporarily. Not that I wanted to, I had no choice.

These certain setbacks originates from one source. It was like a leaking pipe that I had to keep a thumb on to make sure no more water is wasted. Never did the pipe said thanks for the trouble, thanks for keeping it running for the past months - and I had my thumb sealing the leak since last October... so imagine when you had to keep the leak covered, you can't do much else, no?

* Remember the engineer Suzaili who was raped by a bus driver, then killed and ditched into a bush, and onlookers tried to chase the speeding bus, and she was banging the windows as the bus sped...