Do NOT get your paycheck cashed at the Any-Kind Check Cashing store at 1401 14th St. NW in Washington, DC.  In fact, I would strongly advise you not to cash it at any branch of this national chain.  Doing so could land you in the slammer, if your employer generates your paycheck by computer, as so very many do.
    I so wanted to write this story Sunday.  I really, really wanted to write it Monday.  I haven't been able to write for a week for how sick I've been and now, I can't seem to get started, it feels like a chore.  Here's the essentials: the check cashing place thought my paycheck was phony, on account of it's computer generated.  They locked down the shop and called the cops who questioned me really thoroughly.  I was detained for an hour and a half.  Granted, the first 45 minutes or so I didn't even know there was a problem with me, I was just waiting my turn to be called back to the counter while cops came and went.  I figured they musta had an alarm problem.  But they did call me outside where the sun was actually hot for a change and stood me against a wall facing it and ansked me everything.  Where did this check come from, who generated it, did the boss really put this into your hands himself, where do you live, why are you down here, is your husband still in the Army, and so on.  I showed them every ID I had and my paystub too.  I pointed out the Huz in his car waiting at the corner and one of the cops grilled him too.  The other cop told him to park "right there" which was a no parking spot, but hey, you obey right?  I gave them phone and pager numbers for El Prez, who was unreachable.  More waiting inside.  Finally they took us outside again and asked more questions and then told us we could go but the check would have to go to the Check Fraud department.  It didn't though.  I found out later that it stayed right there at Any-Kind.
    El Prez hit the roof when I finally got hold of him and told him.  He spoke to the manager of Any-Kind who was really rude to him.  He's gotten things resolved, more or less, and it took several days to do it, reaching the officers, who needed a letter stating that he did indeed issue me the check before they could release it.  He found out that it was the judgement of one of the officers that saved me from being arrested on the spot, because she saw I had my IDs and paystub and my kids along.  Otherwise I would have been taken to the station on the spot.
    In the meantime, he cut me a new paycheck, so that's no problem.  Now we are watching the mail and the bank account to make sure my original check makes it back the proper way.  If Any-Kind cashed that check and pocketed the money, all hell will break loose.
 

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