"We Can't Let You Pay Because You are Behind in Your Payments...!" HUH???!!

This is just ridiculous. I am behind on paying my phone bill. My final due date to pay the past due balance is today, and I ran around like a crazy person yesterday to round up enough money to make the payment today... WHEW! Saved! ..... Or, so I thought!

Call SBC to make the payment. Put on hold... . Dum, te dum te dum..... wait... wait some more.. finally get a customer support (support?) person. Proceed to give her the ATM/credit card #. She takes it all down in an agonizingly S-L-O-W way, and then after hanging there on the phone with her for now all of 25 minutes, she says "Oh wait! You can't pay over the phone, because you are behind in your payments"...... HELLO?
Me: "But your rep said yesterday I could call back and make a payment that way"...
SBC nitwit: "No, it is our policy - you have to go to a pay station and pay in person"
Me: "Well what if I was a person who was handicapped, or sick, and couldn't get to a pay station?"
SBC jerk: "That is the way it is - You have to pay in person and you have to pay today!"
Me: "Well can I pay online?"
SBC nincompoop: "No, you can't because you are behind in your payments".
Me: "Well isn't that totally counterproductive??!!! How am I going to get to a pay station today if I work til 6:00 pm?"
SBC flunkey: SILENCE
Me: Slam phone down, and in doing so, spill my Vanilla latte all over my bill! God almighty.

Get on the Internet and try to pay that way anyway. NOPE. Up pops message saying "Please call Customer Support".... !!! CATCH-22!