Tuesday February 27, 2007

So I go to Bank of America this morning to deposit a check in Jeff’s account. The check is made out to me.

Side Note: The check is an expense reimbursement from Saatchi for about $100 I put on the credit card 2 weeks ago when I had to drive to Bentonville FedEx at 8pm in the pouring rain to send art out for one of my jobs and missed book club. I didn’t blog about it – though it was a damn good rant – because it was too traumatic.

So, I go to the Bank of America on Dickson. I have a pre-printed deposit slip from Jeff’s account, the check endorsed by both of us, and my Drivers’ License – which clearly indicates that we have the same name and identical home addresses. However, the girl in the drive-thru comes over the speaker – after several minutes of what I can only assume was heated deliberation with the “manager” – to tell me that Bank of America has a strict policy against accepting 3rd party checks and that I am not able to deposit it.

Now. I appreciate rules. I have even, on occasion, been accused of do-gooding. But I do not respect rules that have no reasonable support. This rule, I dare say, is stupid. I am not a money launderer. I am depositing a check for $100. From a company (as opposed to an individual). In Northwest Arkansas. This is not a counterfeit $1,000,000 bill we’re dealing with…

I politely informed the drive-thru girl that the name on the account belongs to my husband, that we have the same name, have both endorsed the check, and I have provided ID. She gets huffy that I have pointed out the asininity of the “policy” and calls over the “manager” who appears to be no older than 17. He repeats what she has already told me – which is still not an explanation. They send back my check, deposit slip, and ID – and I am on my way.

You may think this is the end of the story.

Determined to outsmart this ridiculous “rule”, I drive to the next Bank of America location on my way to work. I pull into the drive-thru and politely ask the nice young man at the window for a deposit slip – as the last girl put a big mean red X through the last one. I fill it out, provide the exact same documentation and information as to the Dickson Street location. In less than 30 seconds, I have a piece of paper stating the transaction has been confirmed.

Was that so hard?

While looking in my files for some pictures I took in-store last fall, I came across some taken at home last November-ish and laughed so hard I thought you might like them, too. This is the day I killed the waffle-iron. I can hardly believe these didn’t make the blog before now.

Link to Ads aired during the Academy Awards. MUCH better than Super Bowl Ads this year!