| You go to the track to play the horses. Bad day. | | | | 2 weeks. |
| You lose $5,000. You try to recoup by buying | | | | Then you come home and file. Docket day |
| 1,000 lottery tickets. With the 100,000,000 to 1 | | | | comes and the judge says, hey, wait a minute, |
| odds against you so drastically reduced, you now | | | | there are a few questions. Have you applied for |
| have an excellent chance of winning, don't you? | | | | any new credit cards lately? How many charges? |
| Wrong. Next you clean out your bank accounts, | | | | What amounts? Over the limit? Did you consult an |
| borrow on your insurance policies, take a second | | | | attorney before filing? Did you make multiple |
| mortgage on your house, and go to Las Vegas. | | | | charges on the same day? Was there a sudden |
| Ignoring how storm clouds form, you know you | | | | change in your buying habits? Were the purchases |
| can turn your run of bad luck around and come | | | | for necessities or luxuries? What's your current |
| out of your mire smelling like a rose garden. You | | | | income and prospects? How many changes, and |
| drop $10,000 at blackjack, then your last $30.000 | | | | of what nature, in your lifestyle? Gambling? |
| shooting craps. | | | | Luxury vacations? |
| Woe is you You now can't pay your bills. Where | | | | Holed. Cornered. Trapped. You now realize |
| do you go from here? | | | | that--while you are an exaggerated case--yours is |
| To a credit counsellor, of course. After all, the ad, | | | | somewhat typical of today's "no way out" path to |
| "Bad Credit? No Problem!," assusres you of a way | | | | Debtors' Prison, and the only thing left for you is |
| out, right? | | | | to throw youself on the mercy of the court. And, |
| The counsellor says, let's consolidate. You feel | | | | sadly, the newest bankruptcy law is little more |
| you've been suckered. You should have known | | | | than the "Credit Card Issuers' Relief Act." It |
| that the "No Problem" part of the ad really meant, | | | | tightens the screws on credit card debtors to the |
| "Big Probem." | | | | point many will wish for the blessed relief of a |
| Next you visist a bankruptcy lawyer. She says file | | | | Debtors Prison. |
| for same. | | | | How do you compensate, reform, adjust? |
| You sigh, agree, and decide on one last fling | | | | Work hard, long hours. Economize.. Budget. Honor |
| before doing so. You apply for 2 additional credit | | | | thy debts. Pray. |
| cards, max them out, and go skiing in Aspen for | | | | What else? |