Posting Bail For Someone Near and Dear? Important.

Getting Alaska Airlines Mileage For It? Priceless.

Let's tag this as Things Learned:

1) There are only three bailbondsmen in the phonebook. Contrary to what one might think from the movies, they are not necessarily available when you need them.
2) You can post bail with a credit card.
3) You get to keep the miles earned if you use your Alaska Airlines credit card.

At right: Mastercard and Visa accepted here. A cellphone pic of the entryway at FCC.

But I am getting ahead of myself here.

It was the kind of phone call you don't want to get. A recorded voice with a heavy Southern accent came on to explain that the call was coming from the Fairbanks Correctional Facility, prompting the next thought that came into my head, something about one of my favorite movies, Cool Hand Luke. "What we have here... is a failure to communicate."

Then came the short clip where your near and dear one states either their name or a short phrase. In this case it was, "Come get me!"

I then took the opportunity to press a number on the keypad to accept the call.

For those of you living existences so pure and untrammeled by a brush with the law that you have never had cause to find it, our local hoosgow is located on a street just behind the Denny's on Airport Way. Which I find somehow appropriate.

As it was 11:30 p.m., the lobby was closed so I had to stand out there in the 90 degree entryway until a corrections officer came to let me in. And I should say, he was very polite. We got to the paperwork.

"You have a cash, check, a credit card?" As it turned out, my bank account couldn't cover it, so I picked through the credit cards. Aha. I looked at him and displayed my choice.

Why not get Alaska Airlines miles out of the situation? Why not create one's own silver lining?

1000 miles later, driving back out to the Valley, I had to wonder, do I get to keep the miles after the case is over? Because if they refund the card, don't they just go away? Turns out, the answer is no. The court system issues a refund check, so the charge stays on the books. I confess, I was really looking forward to having that conversation with Bank of America.