I headed towards work taking the heal-toe express and praying for patience and insight into the humorous. A year of working with the public has wittled down my resistance towards annoyance with the public. As I walked passed the community college I noticed yellow caution tape strung from a light post in the middle of the parking lot crossing the the lot, crossing the sidewalk, and tied to a tree. I thought to myself what I would do if I was riding my bike. I wondered if I ducked I could make it. I was glad I was walking and didn't really have to worry about that predicament. I was almost to the tape when I heard someone behind me. A man on a bike was cycling closer and trying to say something. Something along the lines of "hey how you doing" added with a wierd creepy grin. As he passed he kept his eyes on me. Not noticeing the caution tape at neck height. I shouted a warning but was not in time. The tape caught him at the neck and streached a few feet slowing his cycling pace. He stopped, got unhooked, and sped off. I tried to hold my laughter till he was out of hearing distance and then I laughed. Out loud and to myself. I couldn't keep the grin off my face all the way to work. It was just too funny of a thing not to replay in my head. I knew it would be a good day. A man getting clotheslined by caution tape because he was too busy trying to hit on me.
I got to work, got set up, and tried to brace myself for yet another day helping the people of my hometown.
My first customer threw his check at me and waited for my first move. He didn't speak English, or at least not well and so the banking sharades began. "Do you want cash?" I said in a clear tone. He nodded his head "yes". "No deposit?" I aksed. "No" he said with a question on his face. So I cashed his check, handed him the money and preceded with "have a nice day." He looked slightly confused. Then he took out his wallet and gave me his check card and a couple of the bills. "Deposit?" I asked. He nodded. "Great" I thought. I filled out his deposit slip (since 90% of our customers don't know how to fill one out - or refuse to) and finished his deposit. I handed him his reciept. He stared at me. "Balance?" I asked. He smiled. I pushed the button to print his balance and finally he left. One down, 200 more to go.
Later on I was working the drive up. The first tube came up with a check card in it. I asked the customer what they wanted. "$200 cash from my checking" they said....as if annoyed. "I'll send down the withdrawl slip for you to fill out and please send your I.D" Down went the tube. When I got the tube back from my customer the withdrawl slip only had a signiture on it. No I.D, no account number on the paper, nothing. Just their signiture. Was it really that hard for them to spell their name at the top, write the amount of cash needed, and put their driver's licence in the tube? I guess so. I filled out that damn piece of paper and asked the customer for the last four digits of their social security number. "Why do you need that?!" she yelled back. "I've been banking here for 10 years! No one asks for my number. Thats none of your business!" I turned off microphone and proceded to get her cash. If she was going to make such a fuss about it it was her own fault if some random person got her money one day....because she had "been banking there for 10 years" and no one asks her her information.
I sent down her cash in the tube. She sent it back to me asking for an envelope, I sent the envelope down with the cash. She sent it back wanting it in the envelope.
After I was done covering for drive-up I headed back to the main windows in the banking center. I got myself situated and called up the next customer. She was on her cell phone apparently in mid break-up with her boyfriend. "No! don't you talk to me that way! I was the best thing you ever had" she yelled in the phone. The few customers in the bank all looked at eachother uncomfortably. "You know you were always ashamed of me! You never introduced me to your friends". She handed me her withdrawl slip and her I.D. "I want $20 out of my savings please" she said in an almost whisper. "No! No don't even!" she yelled again "You think you can get some somewhere else? So can I !" I felt so embarrassed. I didn't want to be overhearing this and yet I had no choice. It was like reality t.v. Right there at my very own window. Trailer park drama coming to a bank near you. I quickly gave her the $20 dollars. She looked at me and said thanks and continued her "conversation" as she walked out the door.
My next customer just looked at me and said "That was interesting".
"Just another day at the bank" was my reply.
