Topic: Taking your sunglasses off at the bank?

[ev0lve]

Stopped in at my local WAMU (now Chase) location Saturday and was told I'd have to remove my sunglasses.

After wrangling with the guy for what seemed about 5 minutes (he's holding my ID) about what good it would do (perhaps my pupils were dilated? Maybe he could check me for hep?) and expressing my feeling that the bank was, perhaps, overstepping and that I might not want to remove my shoes for inspection before stepping inside either I agreed cause, you know, I just wanted to deposit some money.

So I'm clearly an #$%* but do any of your banks ask for stupid crap like this?

Irked for no real reason?  

[Dusthawk]

More and more banks are requiring people to remove hats and sunglasses in an effort to reduce the possibility of getting robbed. If required to remove glasses and hats, the thief is less likely to go through with the robbery being indentifiable far earlier than they would prefer. It is a good preventive measure.

I don't mind removing my hats and sunglasses knowing they have my safety in mind requiring these small concessions.

[medic09]

There's a little sign on the entrance door to our bank requesting that sunglasses come off.  They want to positively identify you on the inhouse camera.  If you look, you may also note heights measure off next to the door.

[ev0lve]

Yah, I realize the clear shot of my face thing but I'm perturbed at the requirement. Make it a flipping law if you're going to present it as such upon my reaching the counter (I can be arrested in theory for not carrying positive ID on me at all times). The issue had less to do with the inconvenience (very little) and more with the presentation of authority.

Approached another way I may have relented quicker as I'm not against it on principle ( No shoes - No shirt - No service ) but I have very little tolerance for expressed authority when none exists.

I suspect it increases my safety while in the bank a vanishingly small amount.

Anyways, it pissed me off  

[ev0lve]

There's a little sign on the entrance door to our bank requesting that sunglasses come off.  They want to positively identify you on the inhouse camera.  If you look, you may also note heights measure off next to the door.

Maybe that's the issue. They have rules. They need to express them more clearly. Perhaps a PR campaign about the increased security of your neighborhood bank would deter more criminals than hassling me in the 2 minutes I should have been inside.

I suppose since it's left me with such a bad taste I should just use the ATM and leave the human interactions behind.

Petty I know 

[Tim.]

Who goes to banks anymore?  I haven't been in a bank branch in years (my bank doesn't have branches actually).

[Sam Green Racing]

From a security perspective, it makes sense, but what annoys me in the UK is this.
When a motorcyclist goes to fill up at a gas station, the attendant will not turn on the pump until the biker removes his helmet.
When the biker goes into the till area to pay, he is confronted by a Muslim lady wearing a burka, I wonder if she would remove it if asked so that I would know who I had given my money to,...don't think so

Sam.

[ev0lve]

When a motorcyclist goes to fill up at a gas station, the attendant will not turn on the pump until the biker removes his helmet.

You're kidding, yes? I guess I'll shut up now

[333]

Don't gas stations in the UK get robbed?  Here in the U.S. we have "pay at the pump" where we can stick in a credit card and never even have to get off the bike.  I'm guessing that robberies happen more often here than the UK, just because of the ease of getting a gun.  And I'm not trying to hijack this thread into an anti-gun rant.  I have owned guns myself, and offer no argument one side or the other.  I'm just saying that here it is very understandable to ask someone to remove a helmet, even when the attendant is behind bulletproof glass.  Although, things might be different if the burka wearer was paying for gas rather than taking the payment.  But then I have no experience with burka wearers, as most Muslims seem to come to the U.S. and not wear one.  And I live in the Washington D.C. suburbs.  I know a few Muslim families.  Seen quite a few more.  They do cover most skin, even in hot weather.  But they do not cover their faces.

But back to the original question.  I would guess that in these hard economic times, crime is on the rise.  I got no facts to back that statement up.  And you certainly know that you're not a crook, but they don't.  They are just looking out for their ass   ets.

[cb650]

Yes Pay at the pump.   I like to be assumed a thief before I do business somewhere.  When I get gas I park with my plates to the door and take off my helmet.  Still always have to go in first and pay.
Thats ok then they can see the THIEF tattoo on my forhead.
If I was going to steal gas it would be a #$%* load more than my bike could hold.
Banks I could almost see as there is a little more money involved but it still boils down to honest people being made to pay the price for the asholes in society.

[mark]

..... it still boils down to honest people being made to pay the price for the asholes in society.

that about covers it.

[dpen]

Sit on the bike whilst you fuel up?
  Around here they refuse to turn the pump on unless you're off the bike
Funny to watch the wannabee roadracers trying to get the most fuel in that they can when the bike is at a 45 degree angle on the sidestand

[tramp]

a sign of the times
as usual the 1% have ruined it for the rest of us

[flybox1]

filled up yesterday afternoon, smoke tinted shield and all.  The only reason i got off my bike was to get my card out of my pants pocket.    I wont make that mistake again.  i'm a lazy effer!

I moonlight at a retail shop.  doing deposits requires us to go into the bank to the merchant teller.
on top of having cctv cameras at each teller station, they now have a "greeter" or what i like to refer to as a PIT BOSS.  someone dressed in a monkey suit, an earpiece, a clipboard in hand, just standing around directing queue traffic and striking up conversation.  sunglasses and hat or not, he's there next to you.  friendly AND annoying.

[cb544]

I get it everywhere- people are afraid of what they don't know, especially when it is most likely a self-sufficient, fully aware individual who sees the puppet show...

We generally don't trust what we don't have control of... perhaps that is why we love our bikes so much, they're under our control, despite our being at their every whim!

I'm with you tho- if I want to wear sunglasses then I'm gonna wear sunglasses, and whoever doesn't like it can love it later, when they do it themselves. Just blow it in their stupid monkey faces.

We should all wear name tags! HA!

[malcolmgb]

Nearly all gas (petrol) stations in the UK are self serve, fill up then walk to kiosk to pay, some give the option to use a credit/debit card at the pump.
There are a lot of drive off cases, non payers, a popular method is to steal number plates fit them to the car temporary, fill up, drive off, remove false plates for next time.
I am in New Jersey right now where it is illegal to fill your own vehicle, I would imagine drive offs are rare here, perhaps a NJ member could tell us.

[Gordon]

I am in New Jersey right now where it is illegal to fill your own vehicle, I would imagine drive offs are rare here, perhaps a NJ member could tell us.

I lived in Oregon for a while where full service was required, too, but I think it was more of an employment issue than anything else.  I liked it when filling up the car (since it was raining 8 months of the year), but it was really annoying when filling up a bike.  They would let me fill the tank myself, but they had to run my card themselves and also hand me the pump and put it back when I was done.  The corner gas station attendant and I both felt kind of silly standing there while I was filling my own tank, but at least he was getting paid for it!    

[754]

Its;

 
Gas-n-dash

or Gas-n-run

 What finally happened here was Grants Law ( Hope I got name right )......

 Amyway one night a young fellow here in B.C. by last name Depatie (sp) went to work his shift at a gas bar. Someone filled, and left without paying. Tragically he tried to stop them , and got dragged to his death by the car..

[starkmojo]

I am in New Jersey right now where it is illegal to fill your own vehicle, I would imagine drive offs are rare here, perhaps a NJ member could tell us.

I lived in Oregon for a while where full service was required, too, but I think it was more of an employment issue than anything else.  I liked it when filling up the car (since it was raining 8 months of the year), but it was really annoying when filling up a bike.  They would let me fill the tank myself, but they had to run my card themselves and also hand me the pump and put it back when I was done.  The corner gas station attendant and I both felt kind of silly standing there while I was filling my own tank, but at least he was getting paid for it!    

I currently live in Oregon and while there is a full service law, they just hand me the gas and a cloth and walk away. It takes 6$ to fill my tank with super so if I park right and prepay I can put the handle back, pit the cloth on the pump and drive off without removing my helmet... or sunglasses!

[HavocTurbo]

Our gas stations are the size of truck stops.

Seems every one has a wal-mart hidden inside.

I don't think I have ever removed my helmet for anything and my sunglasses are progressive lenses. So if I remove I cannot see. That pretty much stops people in their tracks.

The bank has yet to ask me that even in the drive through. But I have been banking there my whole life and they all know me by sight. Living in a small town helps.

[Bonafide]

We should all wear name tags! HA!

That would certainly eliminate me from getting complaints about calling people 'a-hole' - I mean, if their name tags actually reflected their demeanor ... heh

Iggy - why not yank your account and move to another (friendlier) bank? ... and be sure to leave a note with the manager stating it was the rudeness about wearing sunglasses that prompted you closing your account. Banks need your the business right now more than they need a policy against sunglasses. Just sayin ...

[Damfino]

Our gas stations are the size of truck stops.

Seems every one has a wal-mart hidden inside.

I don't think I have ever removed my helmet for anything and my sunglasses are progressive lenses. So if I remove I cannot see. That pretty much stops people in their tracks.

The bank has yet to ask me that even in the drive through. But I have been banking there my whole life and they all know me by sight. Living in a small town helps.

Geez Havoc, I never thought of Rockford as a 'small town'.   

[HavocTurbo]

Our gas stations are the size of truck stops.

Seems every one has a wal-mart hidden inside.

I don't think I have ever removed my helmet for anything and my sunglasses are progressive lenses. So if I remove I cannot see. That pretty much stops people in their tracks.

The bank has yet to ask me that even in the drive through. But I have been banking there my whole life and they all know me by sight. Living in a small town helps.

Well I'm FROM Chicago.... Work in Rockford.... And I now LIVE in Rockton.  Small town for sure.... 
Geez Havoc, I never thought of Rockford as a 'small town'.