Banking

First born made an ATM deposit into the big bank with the stagecoach logo. The check was for $75, but when she got home, she discovered the machine had erroneously recorded it as $25. Almost simultaneously, the check writer learned that only $25 had been taken from her account. Should be an easy fix, right?

First born called the bank's 800 number (Translation: A youngster with a computer). "I don't find it," said the dweeb. "Wait a few days until it's recorded." Then, he transferred her to that person who tries to sell you every service the bank offers. Although she has no sales resistence, first born managed to avoid saying yes to anything.

Lacking satisfaction, she went to one of the actual bank branches, and got the same run-around from a real person. "It would be complicated and time consuming to make the correction. Why don't you just ask the check writer to issue you a second, $50 check?" (Translation: "You rectify our mistake.")

Outrageous! Any fool can see that with a few keystrokes, and possibly a fax, the problem would be solved. Banks sometimes are staffed by the lazy, incompetent and uncaring. Maybe it's time to get off the stage and take the 3:10 to Yuma.


EXTRA: Men of American, wake up! Daimler is planning to introduce to the U.S. market a thing they call a car: the Smart car. It's miniscule, it's cheap, it's fuel efficient, and it's stunningly ugly. It's what my grandmother would have described as "a cat without a tail" (translation from the Polish). No self-respecting American male would be seen dead in this contraption. Watch out. AlGorists and women will try to cram this "kiddie car" down your throat. Resist; be a man.