Business Cards Revisited

While on the topic of business cards, has anyone noticed that nobody ever reads them? I think the general life cycle of your typical business card is:

1. Card is received.
2. Card is carelessly filed away in wallet (unread).
3. Wallet becomes disorganized.
4. Owner of wallet takes fat stack of business cards out, glances them over, probably can't remember who gave it to him/her.
5. Card is tossed in the garbage.

See, it's only the act of giving the cards that impresses people. So instead of clearing out my wallet, I just randomly hand out cards from it. Two birds with one stone, essentially. So far, I've been:

-David Lake, Applications Support Analyst (sorry Dave, I'll have to hit you up for a new card)
-Ricardo Gonzalez, Spray Equipment Salesman
-Sara Chan, Stock Broker (and mom)
-"$2.00 off your next haircut" coupon (expired)

I usually hand them out at parties packed with people I'll probably never meet again. In most cases, I introduce myself as I normally would (but with other people's cards). People take the cards, put them away and I would imagine months later, wonder when they ever met [insert name from card]. On a few odd occasions, though, I introduce myself as whoever it is on that card, weaving intricate tales of their past exploits at whatever position it was they held. Most people don't fall for it though. I guess a Chinese guy named "Aleksandra Zaranska" would pass off as a bit suspicious.