a trip to the bank

We opened a bank account a while back.

We didn't realise that you have to apply for things like a cash card,
chequebook etc separately. After a while, we realised this, and went back to
the bank. Well, we can't have a chequebook until they've seen evidence of
activity in our account. Grr. We requested a bank card, so that we could
cause some activity.

So today we went back to collect it. Owing to a vocabulary mix-up, it turns
out that what we'd requested was an Information Card, which you put into the
cash machine and it tells you how much cash you could withdraw if you had a
cash card. We asked for a cash card. The woman (by the way, it's perfectly
all right in Israel for bank employees to smoke on duty; you're lucky if
they refrain from blowing smoke in your face) gave us a deeply pitying look,
such as you might give to a leprotic dwarf in a Miss World contest, and
inquired wearily if we wanted to cancel the Information Card. Heck no, when
we're this close to getting cash? We're just going to go down the cashpoint
and watch those numbers.

It'll be another ten days until we're allowed to have a cash card. Getting
to the bank is in itself a bit of a performance, because you have to choose
your hours very carefully. The bank is open from 8am until 10.30am, and then
again between 5pm and 7. That's Sunday to Wednesday. Thursday it's only open
in the morning, and Friday and Saturday they're closed all day, presumably
recovering from exhaustion.

Only another six months until we're back in countries that take customer
service seriously...where they say "Do you want a cash card with your
account?"...where you can sue if someone blows cigarette smoke in your
face...

blair is a genius

"The [Electoral] commission was prompted to consider cutting the age that people can cast their vote following concern over falling turnouts at elections." (BBC News)

This is brilliant! We'll increase the number of people voting by increasing the size of the electorate!!!!! O how impressed I am.