Friday, September 7, 2007

B-I-N-G-O, and Kansas Was His Name-O

The other day I had to call the Kansas Department of Revenue about a letter they had sent to us. I found their message so amusing that I hung up and dialed again so I could make sure I had heard it right.

First, their Spanish message went something like this, "Para servicio en el espanol presar el numero seis." If you translated this phrase to English it would say, "For service in the English, capture number six." (Presar isn't a word in Spanish, the closest match is presa, which means capture or seizure, but it's a noun not a verb.)

Then I listened for about five more seconds and the girl talking said, "for frequently asked questions and their annn-swers." It was a classic Kansas drawl. At that point, I hung up and called again.

I wrote Scott an email and told him to call, and he found something else on their menu choices. He selected the FAQ option and one of the choices said, "For liquor, cigarette, or bingo, press five." What really got me on this one is the bingo. I already knew that some states had taxes on liquor and cigarettes, but taxing bingo was a new one for me. Apparently, there are enough bingo games in Kansas to merit having a bingo tax.

B9, I22, N35, G50, O67 = $1.35 tax

To hear for yourself, call 785-368-8222.