For a free control where you're told to get a receipt, what's the procedure. Is it possible to screw it up? Or do I just find a garage and buy a lion bar? What do I do then? Do I have to annotate the receipt for the organiser? What if nowhere is open? Or if I can't find anywhere where I can leave my bike with adequate security?
What if I get a receipt and it just says 75p or whatever but doesn't have the name of the town on it? What if it's not legible? Do I need to go and find another one? I'm terrible at fiddly procedural things like this. ATM receipts. I guess I have to make an actual withdrawal. I just know that I will lose my receipts.
First of all, the ride is there to be enjoyed, and detail like this must not be allowed to interfere with that. Some riders enter an audax but do not bother with this evidence of passage gathering. So what if their ride is not verified (or whatever) and their name does not appear in the list of those completing. They've had a good ride, or a challenging one; or both. But if external (to the rider) validation is important to the rider then this is a minor issue that needs to be completed with minimum fuss.
Since you're suggesting this may be an issue for you, here are a few suggestions, based on what I do.
1) As part of my route preparation for an audax I do an ATM search at the control sites and then Google Streetview them, and also look for on the street stores (eg Coop, McColl, Spar, Premier). At an ATM I just take out £10, which avoids my account balance being shared with an organiser subsequently.
2) Make sure you select the 'cash with receipt' button, and wait for the printed slip. Check it for a location and a time. Place said slip in a plastic bag. Some put it with the Brevet Card, but I think this has risk as you will be pulling that out to present for stamping at manned controls, or to see what the 'info control' question is and maybe write the answer down (as opposed to memorising it). Whatever; put receipts/slips in a secure and consistent place.
3) If you want to buy something anyway (banana(s), milk, water, pasty, sandwiches) don't waste time diverting to / visiting an ATM, just make sure when paying you ask for and get a receipt. Check it for a location and a time. If both aren't shown, ask the checkout person to write the location and/or time on and sign it. One's slightly odd situation, with explanation as necessary, means people will invariably be content to do this.
4) If there's a car park with a ticket machine, this can be an inexpensive option for 'evidence of passage'. Same goes for a railway 'permit to travel'.
5) As a last resort riders go for a photograph (with 'time of photo' enabled) or with the time showing in the background of the shot of a esoteric 'view' at the control village/town eg a street name plate. This is more complicated to present at the finish, and more trouble for the organiser/check in desk - hassle which both you and they would prefer to avoid. This is normally a 'wee hours' problem.
You have then to do nothing more than complete the ride and present the Brevet Card and the receipts/ATM slips to the finish (arrivee) check in desk and they will do the rest. HTH
