While ferrying boys from one Saturday activity to another, I took a side trip to the bank to deposit a pile of checks that had accumulated in my car. As I pulled through the drive-through, it occurred to me that it was probably the first time Thing Two had been to a bank. In this day of direct deposits, electronic bill payment and debit cards, what was a biweekly event in my childhood on the most infrequent of occasions.
We pulled into the drive-through, where Thing Two was intrigued by the speaker box, and absolutely thrilled to watch the pneumatic tube in action. He immediately decided that we need one in our house so he can send messages from his basement Lego lair to the upper floors.
I was just about to drive away when the teller came back on the intercom. “Is that a child in the back seat?,” he asked. “Wait a minute and send the tube back.”
I did, and it returned carrying two suckers.
“Banks are the best thing ever,” Thing Two said with a grin.
That’s banking as I remember it. Thanks Comerica.
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My banking memories: The drive through tube getting stuck, the lobby closing on Saturdays forcing me to take time off from work to go to the bank, and my savings and checking account interest rates getting smaller each time I get a statement. They also tested my honesty when they accidentally opened my savings account with a deposit of $350,000 instead of what I intended – a much smaller amount. Needless to say they had gotten a little carried away with the zeroes.
Always loved the dum-dums suckers from the drive through at the Union Planters. Of course when we were kids, nobody ever asked if that was a kid in the back seat, because we were at least unbuckled and bouncing around if not in the front seat and fully visible, ready to be thrown through the windshield in an accident.
The memory which will stick in my mind was about 30 years ago and my mom, brother and I watched my dad go into the ATM to get some money. After he punched in his code, he proceeded to do a little dance. Now my dad was always up for doing anything to embarass us, but nobody but us could see him. We logically asked him if he had to go to the bathroom when he got back to the drivers seat. No. Well what were you dancing for? He told us that if a machine just starts spitting money out at you, wouldn’t you dance also? And I have on a number of occasions since – as long as nobody but my wife or kid is around me.
Decades ago when banks accepted deposits and loaned money to local businesses and homeowners, my memories are more like the Golf Blogger, pleasant. Prior to interstate banking, we had a lot of Michigan-based banks (Manufacturers, Michigan National, Great Lakes Savings, National Bank of Detroit, etc…). The system was less efficient and decidedly stodgy, but also more stable.
Going back a long time ago, federally chartered banks were prohibited from paying MORE than 4% interest on one’s savings (to prevent ruinous competition). Savings Banks could pay a maximum of 4.5% Budding capitalist that I was, I made sure MY money was in a Savings Bank passbook account (anyone remember passbooks?).
When I went to college, the Federal Reserve in New England allowed a couple experiments prior to the practice being allowed in the balance of the country. One was this new thing called an ATM. One could go to a bank after hours and put in a card and get out money!! The choices for withdrawal were $10 or $20. After I graduated and came to Michigan, there were no ATM’s for several years until the Fed gave the go-ahead on the plan.
What does this have to do with golf? Absolutely nothing.
You’re right. It has nothing to do with golf. The thought just occurred to me and I decided to record it for posterity.