And quite appropriate, methinks.
Posted on 11/20/2010 7:12:25 AM PST by marktwain
Kind of a long read but I like to be as accurate as I can be. I hope you enjoy.
I have been going to the same branch of US bank here in Henderson for about a year now. I know all the tellers there pretty well. I have a business account with them along with a personal account. One of the tellers there (lets call her Jane) has made some comments in the past about me open carrying. Things along the lines of "I didn't know you could go into a bank with a gun". I'm old school when it comes to banking, especially with the business account and I go to the bank about twice a week (yes I know I should do it online but I like a paper trail). She is the only one who has ever come off somewhat negative about be OC'ing.
A few days ago I showed up with some checks to deposit and got Jane as my teller. She informed me that they would be having some big wigs in next week for a bank wide audit and that I will be asked to not OC in there because I am breaking federal law since all banks are considered federal land since they are FDIC insured.I asked if she was certain about that to which she replied "yes I know for a fact that it is against the law"..um it took me about 30 seconds to wrap my head around what she had just said.
I try very hard to be polite and mellow when I OC but what she said really hit a nerve for some reason. So this is how I responded. I asked her to pull up my account to take out $1000.00 and for her to take $1000.00 from her account. I then said that we would go to the DA's office or to the police station the next day and if she or any government agency or worker could point to a law on the books stating that OC'ing in a private bank was in and of itself illegal I would give her the $1000.00 if not I would get her $1000.00.
She paused for a second clearly flustered at my offer and said she declined. She then stated that well maybe it wasn't against any law but it was without a doubt corporate policy. I then asked her if she had a copy of the corporate policy in the bank. She said she didn't.
The next day when i got to work I did some searching trying to get in writing where US bank stands on the issue. After a few phone calls I had a customer service rep tell me that it was against the law in the state of Nevada to enter a bank with a gun.. /facepalm. I then asked if he could confirm corporate policy on the issue. After a few minutes on hold he returned to say that i could not OC because of security issues. I asked if he could fax or email this to me along with him name and signature. He declined but promised to have someone call me in the next couple days.
My father went to the bank tonight to transfer my sister some cash for college and Jane was working. He informed her I was trying to get a hold of corporate to confirm her statements. He was kinda making a scene about it laughing with the other tellers asking them if they knew what their policy was. She backed down again telling him that it was not their policy but her personal opinion because she had seen a customer in line shoot another customer before and it was such a traumatic experience for her that she believes nobody should ever go into a bank with a firearm.
Maybe I should have handled it a little nicer but like I said before, when someone tells you that you cannot exercise your fundamental inalienable Rights, I tend to get a little pissed off. I mean, what if she had said I could not wear a cross around my neck, or a t-shirt with a political statement on it? Anyways just another random OC encounter for you guys to read.
Update
I got a call from Russ yesterday. He has worked their for 30 years and is in charge of security here in Vegas. I told him what had happened and he was cringing on the phone when I told him about her law skills. He said the official corporate position is to "prefer" customers not openly carry. A teller should NEVER mention the firearm especially in a negative light and to also refrain from passing off any opinions as fact or law, or to engage in politically hot topics while other customers are in line. If a teller has any concerns she should call security AFTER the customer has finished his business, to discuss any legal matters. Russ was very helpful. He stated he was pro gun and apologized for the tellers actions.
After work I went to the store to grab some food and walked by the bank and figured I would engage her in conversation again. I told her I had spoken with Russ but did not mention any names. She said she knew Russ and he was a cool guy. She said she would not have cared if I said her name because she KNEW she did nothing wrong! Christ on a stick, this chick "KNOWS" a lot of things! Anyways I started reading from their handbook about not engaging in political talk or matters of law to customers. She started getting a little pissed off and defensive at this point. She then said "well I know it is corporate policy to help customers even if they have a gun, but I have the right to refuse service if I am uncomfortable and make you wait for another teller!" /facepalm
I come along these types of people all the time. The God complex mentality of "I AM NEVER WRONG!" I could push the issue even more and maybe get her fired or at least written up. I won't do that for a couple reasons. I think she has learned her lesson and won't be saying anything to an OC'er in the future and the other reason is now she has to see me OC every time I get groceries and do some banking!!
I do not like to wait for people to write checks either. Similarly, I do not like to wait for people to use credit cards. I like cash, but it seems that a large number of people in society have been indoctrinated into not carrying cash.
It didn’t offend me, but perhaps it was the “Christ on a Stick” comment that upset Rita?
“Might I suggest a google search of “God complex” which might convince you of the accepted terminology in the society in which you live.”....
If so, then to use a standard diagnostic term in a context which is not religious just might not be “blasphemy”.
May I suggest that “accepted terminology” that mocks the reality of the sacred has quite well diminished the society in which you live, and that “standard diagnostic term(s)” have done very little to advance the state of society which now gives you cause to strap on your pistol.
>>I really enjoyed this read. What an inept know-nothing. She ought to run for office.<<
If Zero had heard about this gal, she would have a senior position in his administration before the day was out.
May I suggest that you view waiting from a different angle.
Use the time to examine the clothing styles of the people around you and perhaps make changes to your own.
Take note of the architecture if you are considering making changes to your own surroundings.
Or you could just be thankful that when the sun came up this morning you were on top of the grass and not below it. A rapid glance up and a silent ‘thank you’ will be heard by the One responsible for that.
Writing a check doesn’t take any longer than swiping your card, entering your PIN, waiting for the remote bank to approve it, etc., etc. If it takes any longer, it’s because of the merchant’s process for check acceptance. If you don’t like the wait blame them, not the customer. (And no, I’m not one who writes checks at the grocery store)
I have a problem with this, for the simple reason that it is not the best way to teach. Teach? Yes, absolutely.
For decades now there has been a loss in public knowledge about guns, gun laws, the 2nd Amendment, and importantly, gun culture.
This means that when you assert your rights, you are not in a sea of hostility, but a sea of ignorance. And while hostility is one thing, it’s very important to *assume* that they are just ignorant, because in the vast majority of cases, this will be the situation.
1) There’s a good chance that whoever it is has never even fired a gun, much less owned one.
2) Their entire family is likely totally unfamiliar with guns, except for the bizarre, distorted image they seen in the movies and on TV.
3) A large number of people translate this ignorance into fear. Not knowing, they assume the worst.
Of course, none of this excuses abusive behavior based on the *color of authority*.
I am torn by this. But deep down, I believe that the right to personal property should trump an individual's right to carry a weapon, when that person who wants to carry is on that property owner's property.
Mark
I missed the “Christ on a stick”, but having found it, it seems tad lame. No pun intended, but there is, now that I think of it, a “Christ on a crutch” saying I heard somewhere, once.
Please, go read the definitions and try to understand what the term describes. The term is used to describe those with delusions of grandeur, particularly those who think they are the latest visitation to Earth by God.
Psychosis exists, I am sorry to have to tell you. So long as patients consider themselves to be God, you must expect those who have to describe them to use well known nouns and adjectives to describe said patients.
Additionally, if the person doing the describing does not intend blasphemy, them minus “criminal intent” has a crime occurred?
Also, I am beginning to detect a rigidity in your parameters for discussion of anything even tangentially related to the word “God” which some may well find reminiscent of “DO not insult the Koran”.
I really enjoyed the post. Very entertaining but I don’t think I would waste all that time and emotional energy on a bottom of the rung employee who makes about $10 an hour and has absolutely no authority at the bank.
When ones runs a business, it is ALWAYS bewst to have WRITTEN records of your financial transactions.
As a life-long bookkeeper, I can tell you that trying to find record of payment for something when all you have is a transaction number & a crazy-to-decipher abbreviation, it can be a nightmare. One of my clients used his debit card alot. I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to ID some of his purchases. IF & WHEN the 1099 crap starts—I truly don’t know how I can keep track of every gas station & Home Depot he goes into.
I won’t bank on-line, nor will I work for anyone who does, particularly deposits.
I cannot tell you how many times in the past 45 years that I had to prove something was paid to a vendor by showing a COPY of the FRONT & BACK sides of the check in question.
One event was triggered around an embezzlement. Our payment to the vendor of over $3000 wasn’t shown in their records-—but our check had been deposited.
I am very uncomfortable not getting my cancelled checks back, only a copy of the front of the check. That does not give me the clear picture of the endorsement.
Banks will provide such back of the check endorsement-—at $50 per hour, only within 90 days. Sometimes an embezzlement takes a long time to discover. Getting those check copies after 90 days could be a nightmare, also.
That is just not fair.
What is the rest of the story? Did a customer put a stop to a bank robbery? Can she prove this story of hers?
Did she make this up too?
That's my approach to any "No Guns Here" sign. Later on, when I told someone I had carried at that place (non Federal) she got all upset. I asked her to explain her concept of "Concealed".
Liberals don’t like push back from Conservatives..
Even the Bible says that there are "gods many and lords many". There is only one Almighty God, but even using his title ("God" is a title, not a name. In English we say "Jehovah" or "Yahweh" for His name. Other languages transliterate it differently.) to describe someone with an overblown view of themselves hardly seems blasphemous.
I agree. I hate that, and I hate that they did it without getting the customers' permission first. At least the check images come in the statement now. When they started it, you could only get the images by doing something proactively -- downloading each and every check image online, or requesting them from the bank. Who's going to assume those new costs? Plus, now your fate is in someone else's hands. What if their servers crash and lose the images and you need it later? What if it's the bank you're having a dispute with? How sure are you that they'll be honest in the use of their equipment and data to protect you from THEMSELVES? We've all seen how police car videos always seem to malfunction in exactly the cases where the civilian is alleging police misconduct. The means to protect you should be in YOUR hands and no others.
Yes, I like how each time one of her statements is challenged, her response basically amounts to “Yes, I was full of crap with that statement, but it doesn’t matter because what I REALLY meant was ‘Blah, blah, blah’”, and expect everyone to be OK with that. She’s probably full of crap this time too.
yup...
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