speaking of banks
i know we weren't here, but a friend of mine was on about having to head out to make a deposit, so i felt myself inspired, and figured i might try to do something similar myself...
here in lowell, there's a local credit union that's as much a part of being a townie as drinking pbr's on draft. (out of the bottle if need be, but you get my drift). this particular credit union offers a "membership account" that pays 7% interest (on the first $500 anyway) and having such an account is useful for gaining auto insurance discounts and special deals on things all over town. great stuff, right?
so when do you suppose they close on tuesdays, if one were wrapping up ones business around 4pm and thinking of taking a stroll? (i ended up going to the grocery store instead, so it's not like i was slacking in my support for the local economy). and then when do you suppose they close on wednesdays, if one were taking a break from ones business closer to noon, and thinking of taking a stroll since such a stroll couldn't be taken the previous afternoon?
a lot of banks close at 4, so i'm not even going to be on about that part, but, no joke, here in lowell, this particular bank closes at 12pm on wednesdays, and i have to scratch my head and wonder what it is that people think when they go into business.
in this space recently we've covered local deli counters closing arbitrarily because their cigarette-infused countermen figure they've done enough for the day, and i guess this is just another one of those local things. (i'm not from around here, remember?) i do know there's an economic downturn happening all around us, but, geez, gimme a break, even when i try to do my part and help some of these local businesses out, they're making it kinda tough.
with the [un]patriot act making it a royal pain in the ass to open a new account even when the banks are open, one might think said banks might be motivated to do what they can to offset that hurdle to their business and keep the money coming in. however, as we've seen, now that we have a socialist monetary system in place, (gee, thanks, republicans--i thought you were supposed to be the folks who didn't believe in such things?) there would seem to be little motivation to work to get ones money "retail", since all one has to do is hold ones hand out in washington and get a bucketful for free and just for the asking. either way, those dutch guys over at ing keep themselves open 24 hours on the web for opening new accounts, and i guess it's little wonder that's the account i've been using for savings so far...
i really would have preferred a local one, but, hey, there's only so far a guy ought to put himself out before he's aiding and abetting sloth and the kind of attitude that promulgated this whole crash in the first place...
besides, a real patriot is *spending* his money these days, right?
here in lowell, there's a local credit union that's as much a part of being a townie as drinking pbr's on draft. (out of the bottle if need be, but you get my drift). this particular credit union offers a "membership account" that pays 7% interest (on the first $500 anyway) and having such an account is useful for gaining auto insurance discounts and special deals on things all over town. great stuff, right?
so when do you suppose they close on tuesdays, if one were wrapping up ones business around 4pm and thinking of taking a stroll? (i ended up going to the grocery store instead, so it's not like i was slacking in my support for the local economy). and then when do you suppose they close on wednesdays, if one were taking a break from ones business closer to noon, and thinking of taking a stroll since such a stroll couldn't be taken the previous afternoon?
a lot of banks close at 4, so i'm not even going to be on about that part, but, no joke, here in lowell, this particular bank closes at 12pm on wednesdays, and i have to scratch my head and wonder what it is that people think when they go into business.
in this space recently we've covered local deli counters closing arbitrarily because their cigarette-infused countermen figure they've done enough for the day, and i guess this is just another one of those local things. (i'm not from around here, remember?) i do know there's an economic downturn happening all around us, but, geez, gimme a break, even when i try to do my part and help some of these local businesses out, they're making it kinda tough.
with the [un]patriot act making it a royal pain in the ass to open a new account even when the banks are open, one might think said banks might be motivated to do what they can to offset that hurdle to their business and keep the money coming in. however, as we've seen, now that we have a socialist monetary system in place, (gee, thanks, republicans--i thought you were supposed to be the folks who didn't believe in such things?) there would seem to be little motivation to work to get ones money "retail", since all one has to do is hold ones hand out in washington and get a bucketful for free and just for the asking. either way, those dutch guys over at ing keep themselves open 24 hours on the web for opening new accounts, and i guess it's little wonder that's the account i've been using for savings so far...
i really would have preferred a local one, but, hey, there's only so far a guy ought to put himself out before he's aiding and abetting sloth and the kind of attitude that promulgated this whole crash in the first place...
besides, a real patriot is *spending* his money these days, right?
posted by kad barma at 12:08 PM
1 Comments:
Kad,
You would be amazed -- or, more likely, NOT amazed -- at how many times I've made earnest inquiries to shopowners who keep strange hours that seem to run counter to the idea of attracting customers and making money and gotten the same answer:
"It's so we can give the employees a break [or words to that effect.]" Of course, it's always said in a tone and with a look that suggests I might not know what that's all about. In fact, I'm willing to bet you that if you went into that bank and asked why they close at that time every Weds., you'd get an almost identical answer, right down to the sneer.
And based on that answer, you would think that everyone in the 24/7 Wal Mart is pulling 168-hour weeks.
As you might say, sometimes you really have to just shrug your shoulders and laugh..
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