On Sun, Feb 09, 2003 at 12:30:57AM -0800, Paul Johnson wrote: > On Sun, Feb 09, 2003 at 01:24:22AM -0500, Geordie Birch wrote: > > I thought so too, but no bank in Arcata would touch it if I didn't have an > > account. This was in 1995. > > What do you expect? It's a state that's been 0wnz3d by Wells Fargo, a > bank known for screwing people attempting to use it's services in the > proper coin of the realm. It doesn't help that all the other banks > down there seem to be trying to play catchup on how badly they can > screw thier customers to compete with Wells Fargo. > > I bank with Washington Mutual[1] (formerly Fred Meyer Saving and > Loan), which offers unlimited free checking, free checks, free check > card, free online banking, no charge for talking to a human teller, > they'll let you overdraft up to $100 for free (more if your credit's > good) and reasonable exchange rates. They also allow > non-account-holders to do currency-to-currency transactions with a > teller and use thier ATMs for free, and they won't charge account > holders for using another bank's ATM (though the other bank might).
Last time I was in Arcata it had at least three or four banks that weren't Wells Fargo and one is a Washington Mutual. I don't recall if it was there in 1995 (I think not). That none would exchange currency with folks who aren't account holders isn't surprising. Arcata is behind the Redwood Curtain, 300 miles from anywhere and has a population less than 20,000 (and only that large due to the university). It's not exactly a hub of international commerce. The tellers could probably count the number of currency exchanges in any given year on one hand. When I was in some boony town halfway between Montreal and Quebec, the only restaurant wouldn't take my U.S. currency. Imagine that! And the dang menu was in French to boot. But, I didn't blame the proprietor for my lack of planning. I defy you to find something topical in this message or any of its predecessors in this thread. -- echo ">gra.fcw@2ztr< eryyvZ .T pveR" | rot13 | reverse -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
