Check Your Checks

Monday February 9th, 2009 - Chicago, IL

Just when I thought I could move on from my Memphis experience a Mr. Lucky glitch rolls in and I’m right back to dealing with it again. I normally won’t take a check from an out of state club but if I trust anyone in America it’s the people at Comedy, TN. So I did.

I’ve done it before and have never had a problem. Today I took the check to my bank to deposit it and the teller informed me I wouldn’t be able to do that because the amounts on the ‘written out’ line and the ‘numbers’ line didn’t match. I never would have noticed it.

Taking a check is never a preference and over the years most people pay in cash after an engagement whether it’s one night or a whole week. Many places pay by check but then it can be immediately cashed in house should the comic choose to do that. Most of us do.

What had happened was the person writing the check forgot to write the word ‘hundred’ after the first part so it was a huge discrepancy and the bank wouldn’t let it slide. I have to get a new check written for the correct amount. One would think they could make a quick phone call to Memphis and talk to the club manager or the bank and clear it all up. Nope.

I called John Marks and left a message and he called back in about an hour or so. He’s a comic too so he understands and he couldn’t have been any more apologetic. I told him to relax because it was an honest mistake which it was. He offered to overnight a new check but I told him to just mail it and save the $30. He told me he‘d do it and I know he will.

It is kind of funny that it happened to me though. Mr. Lucky’s legend grows every time a quirky thing like this happens and too many have happened in my lifetime to count. It’s been a hell of a ride but it sure provides entertainment for a lot of people. This will be yet another tale of the unusual that will make the rounds on my behalf. I’m used to it by now.

This could have been a real disaster in another situation. I’m glad I don’t make it a habit to take checks because things like this happen all the time. One time I was working down in Blacksburg, VA across from Virginia Tech where they do a weekly show in a Holiday Inn that’s actually quite good. The hotel manager forgot to sign only my check. Game on.

I left town and couldn’t cash it so I had to mail it back to them and get another one sent to me and it was a month or so before I got my money. They admit they’d made the error but I was the one who had to hunt it down and get my money. It’s the cost of business.

This check from Memphis was signed and I always check that now so that’s all I needed to do - or so I thought. I checked the amount too and it was correct. What I didn’t check is the line where the amount is written out. That’s where the mistake was so I overlooked it.

This is a great lesson for comedians or anyone in business - NEVER TAKE A CHECK. Period. And if you have to check ALL that can go wrong with it. Check the date. Check it for signature(s). Check to make sure the amount is right. Everywhere. Check your checks.