A guest piece from a payday lender in the Greenville (S.C.) News says this:

A few days before Christmas, a single mother sat across my desk panic-stricken. She was due in traffic court the next day for a $300 violation and feared she would wind up in jail unless it was paid, leaving her son home alone over Christmas. She got the loan and her son had his mother during Christmas.

These stories are not unusual. In fact, many of my customers come to me as a last resort because life has hit them in the face and there’s nowhere else to turn. They’ve tried the banks and credit unions and have been told no. Many have maxed out their credit cards. If I don’t help them, no one will.

Yes, to most borrowers, payday loans are a lifeline.  Unfortunately, some legislators and media like to focus on the tiny percentage of customers that inappropriately use the service.