DAY 18 - WHATEVER TICKLES YOUR FANCY

I will use today to simply complain about my bank's refusal to bend a little.

Since it somehow worked out where all the peripheral bills are in my name, I just have Roommate pay me his share of them before I go out to the bank. No big deal ever, just one of those roommate things. But being the new year, he did what we have all done: he wrote the check using the previous year. I didn't notice this at the time (nor would it have mattered had I done so as it would turn out) and filled out my deposit slip. It was only at the bank that the teller told me [a good thing for a teller to do if you ask me] that the bank could not accept Roommate's check because it's "too old".

First of all, considering there is no explicitly posted policy at the bank relating to this and also, considering that there is nothing stamped on the check stating that it would be void after a certain amount of elapsed time [like my paychecks which limit their cashing to ninety days after the date stamped on them], I don't see why this is a problem. It's not like it was post-dated.

Secondly, this is not July 11th, it's January 4th. Everyone has made this error at least once in their lives [and you haven't yet, you will]; but for some reason, they would not let it slide. It's stupid shit like this that makes me want to pull my hair out. I'm not supposed to take expired coupons at work either...but I also work the overnight shift. So technically the coupon expires at midnight; but then, I started at ten, so who's to know exactly when I received such coupons since they all go into the same bag that gets handed in with my till in the morning so I take 'em. I don't need to be a douchebag about technicalities.

Thirdly, the alternate solution...alter the date was a no-go either because apparently the bank no longer accepts altered checks. Again, never mind that it's still the first week of the year, that it would be the date, not the amount which would be altered, and there's no explicit expiration on the check. So even had I noticed it and Roommate had altered the date, they still would not have accepted the check. What the fuck? I should have fought it more, but I was tired. It can wait until next month. Ugh...

(originally posted to That Other Journal on January 4, 2010)