Tell me I'm wrong

Camokat

I’m a bit freaked out by this, and would love to hear I’m over-reacting! I took my cat to the vet for her shots today, and as I walked to the counter to pay I thought “I don’t remember my PIN number”. Sure enough, when I put in the PIN it was declined. I tried switching around the order of the digits - it was declined again. They ended up breaking the bill into two parts so I could just tap’n’go.

This has never happened to me before and I’m freaked out. I have so many numbers memorised - my TFN, credit card number, all my bank account numbers, 14 digit library membership number, etc, and I’ve never forgotten any of them, until today. I do get quite bad brain fog intermittently, but it hasn’t affected my memory for numbers before.

DH told me it happens to everyone occasionally.

So - what do you think? Am I wrong to be a bit freaked out?

CassandraNORI

It’s definitely happened to me before and it’s very disturbing. I do think it happens to everyone sometimes though. It’s so disconcerting to lose a memory like that - do you remember it now?

Camokat

CassandraNORI It’s definitely happened to me before and it’s very disturbing. I do think it happens to everyone sometimes though. It’s so disconcerting to lose a memory like that - do you remember it now?

I think so…I’m sure I had the right digits, just wrong order. Like I tried, eg, 2468, then 2648, but it really is 2846. I’m going to go to an ATM and try what I HOPE is the right PIN 🙏

WidowWyncke

It’s happened to me a couple of times when I focus too much on remembering it.

Very awkward.

Camokat

WidowWyncke It’s happened to me a couple of times when I focus too much on remembering it.

Very awkward.

Yes, I got quite stressed that the PIN was wrong, which surely didn’t help.

CassandraNORI

I get it - I’ve been sitting in front of my netbank with my dongle thing ready to enter stuff and it needs a pin number entered prior to the device number and just COULD NOT remember the number. It is a headfuck for sure. To not be able to retrieve something from the brainbank that you use every day without a second thought. I had to go searching to find out where I’d recorded it in a word document. I did have all the numbers correct, just could not get them into the right order.

AliasGrace

Many years ago I flew from Paris to New York to visit my sister and couldn’t remember my bank PIN for the whole 5 days that I was there. I tried multiple times over multiple ATMs - every combination that I could think of - to no avail. It was stressful but fortunately I could still use my credit card (it was back in the signature days) and borrow some cash from my sister. As soon as I arrived back in Paris my PIN came back to me - clear as day. It was super weird!!

NightHawk

It happens to me especially if panic runs through my head before I need to enter it. Didn’t the tap amount increase during COVID? We’ve probably not had to use pin numbers much for a while.

Anyway, I blame peri menopause for it. I’ve seen memory and brain fog mentioned a lot in regards to it.

Moo

Yep. I realised recently I couldn’t actually remember the last time I’d had to use my pin. It’s probably been a couple of years with that card but I was standing at the checkout and nothing

It was very discombobulating

Heyho2

Yeah, I did that with my pin for my tablet the other day. I woke up the next day and could remember it thank goodness. Pretty sure it’s written down somewhere… but id have to remember where I wrote it 😆

OnFire

I have forgotten my pin many times over the years.

It’s worse when you have a trolley full of shopping.

Camokat

Thanks everyone, this has made me feel better 🙏

wannabefree

Every now and again when put on the spot my memory will fail me and yes on things I just can’t imagine ever not knowing. For example, DD2’s birthdate. I just suddenly forgot when at the reception desk for a medical appointment.

Card PINs are actually quite understandable these days, I can’t remember the last time I used one as I pay almost exclusively with Apple Pay which just uses Face ID or my phone PIN. Hopefully I’ve put mine in my password safe!