I could have done a lot of things while stuck there waiting for my turn. But no! This stupid ordinance will not let me. The bank guards enforce this strictly.
I could not get hold of this ordinance from the web. Even the city’s website is down. It figures…I wanted to know who authored this stupidity so I can lambast him/her.
Apparently this celphone ban was for “security” reasons.
There are reasonable “security reasons” for banning celphone use in banks. In some US cities, there is a ban on celphones with built-in cameras. This is more reasonable and/or understandable. It would prevent would-be bank robbers from taking snaps or videos of the bank setup.
But the ban here covers all use, from phone calls to text messages. But if I step out of the bank doors, however, the prohibition ceases and the guards let me be. So what’s the difference? If I was the bank robber, I would just step out to call and/or text my cohort that “It’s ok to rob the bank now…” And I will not be stupid enough to shout that inside or outside the bank. Of course it will be in code (such as, “The Hen is in the coop…, The Rat is in the hole…, etc.).
Sad to say it’s very hard to give up the convenience of a celphone given my profession. If a bank is inefficient enough to make me wait in line for more than an hour, they better let me use my damn celphone. At least I could have something better to do in the meantime.
Do you know the worse part of that bank experience was? I was not even depositing my own money. It was just my uncle’s pension checks since he’s in the States. The experience did not even benefit me at all, except maybe as blog material.
Punzi-- Semper Fidelis 