On the way over to HKG a few weeks ago, I realized that, rather than having the misfortune of picking a succession of seats with non-functioning power ports, my cheapie-bought-on-eBay airplane power adapter simply didn't work. I tried to buy a replacement at the big electronics marts in Shenzhen but either no one carries one, or my combination of sign language and crude drawings was insufficient to convey what I wanted. Back at the HKG airport for my return flight, I found a small Fortress shop and, lo-and-behold, there was a nice display of Targus power adapters -- exactly what I wanted. There was a 90 watt version which I thought would do very nicely.

I told the sales clerk I'd like to buy it and he asked me what computer it was for. I told him a Vaio SZ-440. The clerk examined the documentation which came with the floor sample and told me that my laptop wasn't listed as compatible. I told that was probably because it was a new model (the 440 is the Vista version of the SZ-340, which was on the list), but I was sure it would work just fine. He then asked if I had my laptop with me -- he'd like to confirm that it would work so I wouldn't have any problems. I showed him my laptop and we determined that the floor sample included a plug that would fit my machine. He examined the laptop some more and then asked if he could see the power supply I was using. I pulled out my Vaio "stick," a small-format travel power supply that Sony sells for use with a variety of its machines. The clerk examined the label on the power supply, pulled out a calculator and said, "This won't work. Your power supply is 91 watts, and this only 90 watts." I looked at him for minute, and debated explaining that (1) tolerances of roughly +/- 1 watt weren't an issue, (2) that 90 watts was the maximum rating and it was unlikely that my laptop drew that much, and (3) the "stick" was generic for Sony laptops and worked with larger laptops than mine, so its rating wasn't indicative of how much power my laptop drew. Since it was clear that the clerk's primary language was Cantonese, I simply told him that I was sure it wasn't a problem. That's when things started getting strange. The clerk said, "This won't work on your laptop. I can't sell it to you." I told him I was very sure it would work, and I'd take the chance. He said, "Sorry." I asked, "You won't sell this to me?" He said, "No, I can not. It would be dangerous for you to use it."

I left the shop, looked for another electronics shop and, when I couldn't find one, I returned to Fortress to give it another try. The same sales clerk was there. I said, "Look, I really want to buy the Targus adapter. I'm very sure it will work. It's not dangerous -- if my laptop draws more current than the adapter can provide, there's a fuse in the adapter and it will blow." The sales clerk thought for a moment, and then called over another clerk. They had a brief discussion in Cantonese and the second clerk said, "This would be dangerous because your computer is 91 watts and this adapter is only 90 watts." I then explained about the "stick" being for lots of Sony computers (I decided discussing tolerances and maximum draw would be too difficult given the language barrier). The two clerks conferred some more and then the first one said, "Do you mind if I try it with your computer?" I said, "Please do!" I opened the laptop, he plugged in the Targus and connected it. The computer booted up but, evidently, the clerk was unfamiliar with Vista. I showed him the system tray icon that indicated that the laptop was running on AC and the battery was charging. The clerk frowned and performed a few experiments, plugging and unplugging the power adapter and watching the icon change to reflect that the laptop was running on AC and then battery and then AC again. I asked, "Can I get the adapter now?" The clerk said, "I'll go get a new one -- this is the sample." He brought out a new one but then insisted on doing the whole testing routine again, saying "It worked with the sample, but I must make sure it works with the one that you will buy." Of course it did and, finally, he wrote it up and I purchased it.

The whole exercise took at least 30 minutes. Fortunately, I had arrived at the airport very early so time wasn't an issue. Needless to say, I was able to watch movies and play Scrabble on my laptop for the entire flight home, but this was the first time I've ever encountered a sales clerk who refused to sell me something.