Out of Town

When I went out of town last week, I of course brought my credit card.  While visiting friends and family, we planned to do a bit of shopping because I was looking for something to wear for a meeting I have coming up.  After going from shop to shop, I picked up a few souvenirs along the way with no problem.  The trouble arose when I went to buy the outfit I selected.  I got a pair of summer pants and a blouse, but when the store clerk rang it up and I swiped my credit card, a message appeared on the screen telling me to call my credit card company.  I knew I had not reached my limit so I called to see what was wrong.  After going through a few security blocks, I spoke with a woman who wanted to confirm my identity.  She asked me some random questions about my spending habits that supposedly only I would know the answer to.  When I answered them sufficiently she freed up my account.  I suppose that since I was spending money in a town I had never been to before, it looked suspicious, so she wanted to put a hold on my account so she could make sure it was really me.  While it was a hassle and a bit of an embarrassment, I am glad my credit card company does it so I can feel a little safer just in case my number is stolen.